|   Stan's Dilemma | Eric Morris
Aug 15, 2003 7:34 AM | | I have seen multiple posts regarding the no tubes system and have seen comments either way. I am one of the many who are trying to get rid of their v-brakes (on a 2002 fuel 100 - great bike!) for some discs. Jenson USA has a great deal on XTR disc brakes built up on 317 rims and xt levers for $569. Now that's a great deal! Problem is, I love my tubeless Bontrager race light rims and tires (tires are brand new). Does the no tubes system really work? My local bike shop guys all seem impressed and have only heard good things, but none of them actually ride the stuff. Once you get your setup dialed in, is it easy to maintain? Say you don't ride for a month and the tires are a little flat, is it the same hassle as the initial setup using a compresser? Thanks for the help - I'm ready to make my decision! |
| My experience... | Singletrack Pig
Aug 15, 2003 8:51 AM | | I am running Stans rimstrips and sealant on my duallie and a homemade bmx tube rimstrip with homemade sealant on my SS. I am happy with both systems, and probably won't go back to tubes. The weight and rolling resistance difference is really noticable, and I love the fact that pinchflats are NEARLY a thing of the past. Running lower pressures is great too, for comfort and traction.
I have had some problems to share though. I did pinch flat a brand new Python Gold by snakebiting right through the tire sidewall. My fault for running crazy low pressure though. I tried a repir with an auto tire patch, but the hole just got bigger and bigger. Thanks to Performance for replacing the tire no questions.
Some people complain about the mess and work involved in setting up a Stans/DIY system, but its really not that bad. Especially once you have done it a few times and gotten the hang of the technique. Yes, you will probably lose air between rides, but you will with tubes too. You will also have to add sealant periodically because it does dry out eventually, but again, its not too difficult.
Overall, I say go for it. |
| re: Stan's Dilemma | FM or MF
Aug 15, 2003 8:58 AM | | I've tried about every possible combination of stans and UST... and I think it does depend a bit on how you ride. STans is good for XC but if you do more technical riding w/ lower pressure you really want UST with Stans. Burp free. Always had problems "burping" when I ran stans only and under 35psi....
Now riding with UST mavic X3.1 rims, Conti UST vert pro 2.3 tires, and stans goop inside... the best set-up ever IMHO! |
| Exact same set-up, awesome combo! (nm) | glenzx
Aug 15, 2003 11:53 AM | | |
| I'd agree with FMorMF.... | Tenacious E
Aug 15, 2003 9:36 AM | | I'm running an X3.1 setup ad love it. The UST tires are a bit heavy, but compared to tube/tire, it's a wash.
The thing that i'd worry about with a full Stan's setup (using non-UST tires), would be the sidewall strength. That's probably just me though. I don't think that you could run the crazy low psi with a non-UST tire without snakebiting the sidewall. I may give it a try though....
I hear your dilema regarding your Race Lites. I didn't want to ditch my (rim brake) Cross Max setup either when I went to disck on the new bike, but I'm happier with the King/X-3.1's!
Have you looked into just buying the hubs (rotors, levers, calipers) and having your LBS re-use your Race Lite rims? Or are they a lower spoke count.... You might also consider paying a little more and getting the X-3.1 rim too. |
| My stans setup lasted about 6 months, the tire was bold you dont | moab63
Aug 15, 2003 9:46 AM | | need to refill it for it to stay holding air. You need to refill it to have enough goop in case you have a puncture. I just run until there is a need to open it, I had a torn on my fron tire, I didnt notice it took two days to leak the air out, all I did was patch the tire and put some Stans back in it and Im riding again. When I race I take one tube and some c02, just in case. |
| I didn't like the stuff. | Tscheezy
Aug 15, 2003 2:03 PM | | I like to change tires often and it was a big headache and mess. Also the tires I like to ride most (Nokian Duals) simply will not air up no matter what. I also had burping problems and that scared the poop out of me. Tire unseating from the rim during mission critical maneuvers? NO THANK YOU!
tscheezy |
| bout ready to chuck them | jimbo2k
Aug 16, 2003 1:27 AM | | They havent worked for me. They refuse to seal permanently. and they burp constantly. Between rides they go flat and require the whole soapsuds thing to air up again. When I was a kid. I would just hop on my bike and ride, now it seems there is a half hour prep for every ride.I dont need to add to that. Jim |
| re: Stan's Dilemma | Drew
Aug 16, 2003 4:54 AM | | Success with Stan's seems to totally depend on the tire, more specifically the strength of the bead of the tire. I found that running Stan's with Specialized Enduros creates an amazing combo for loose rooty east coast riding, but the non UST bead quickly streches and the tire begins to "burp". My solution is to run the UST version of the tire on the rear and the regular one on the front. Both on Velocity non UST rims using Stan's rim strips. This works amazingly well.
NEVER inflate your (Non UST) tire to more than 5 psi over what you plan to ride it at. Some recommend bringing the tire up to 60 or 70 psi to seal any leaks, this is bad. It stretches the bead and assures it will blow off the rim on the next ride. The guy riding behind you will get a huge kick out of the explosion of white stuff all over the trail. Once the latex sets up in the tires (after a week or so) it actually "glues" the tire bead to the rim strip, creating a strong seal. You won't need a compressor to refill your tires after this happens. In fact, a recent hard crash caused my front tire to briefly roll off the rim and pop back on. I only lost a little air and was able to refill it with my little hand pump. I wished I had a little Stan's in my blood stream to help stop my leg from bleeding.
Certain rims can be difficult to seal. I use a Velocity Cliffhanger on the rear. Even with one of Stan's larger rim strips, I needed to put some Velox rim tape under it to help push the strip all the way to the edge of the rim.
The bottom line is once you have it dialed it works great. Many people give up before they get the system dialed in. You may have a few frustrating rides along your journey. It's worth it, the reduced rolling resistance is really noticable. Not to mention the great traction you get from lower air pressure. I never need to add air, or worry at all about my tires going flat.
Oh, and pack an extra plastic bag on rides while you're still figuring it out. If you need to pull out the rim strip and run a tube during a ride, you'll want to put that slimey rim strip in something to prevent the sealant from coating the inside of your hydrapack. |
| Stan's is great! | iceaxe
Aug 17, 2003 8:59 AM | | Frist, I've been using the system for a little over a year now and hove had nothing but praise, the difference in rolling resistance and rotational weight is readily apparent. I'm currently using x317 rims and have succesfully aired every tire I've tried. Some tires you will need compressed air or CO2 cartridges to mount. You don't have to go through the initial 'hassle' unless break the tire/bead interface-so if your tire loses tons of air, you simpley break out your pump and start huff'n & puff'n. Running standard tires tubeless is so much lighter than the UST stuff. I've not had a single flat since I've started using stan's |
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