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General Category >> Technical >> Stans No Tubes?
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Message started by Tiger_Mike on Jun 27^th, 2015, 11:29pm

Title: Stans No Tubes?
Post by Tiger_Mike on Jun 27^th, 2015, 11:29pm

Anybody have any experience with this stuff? As I understand it, you remove your tube and install a valve stem in your rim. Add the goo, inflate the tire, and give it a spin. The goo seals up any holes in the tire and also seals any pores in the rim tape. Supposed to make the tire flat proof because the goo is still in there to seal any small holes from thorns or glass shards. Touted to make the bike lighter because you don't have the weight of the tubes in the tires. If you were a trusting soul, you would also save the weight of the spare tubes you carry on your rides, as well as the pump. I have had a flat where I hit a sharp rock just right and tore a long gash in the sidewall of the tire, so I was pretty happy to have a spare tube in a cardboard box in my bag so I could do a boot repair and ride home....but still, lighter, faster, flat proof would be awesome, especially if you could get that from a lightweight tire with minimal built in flat protection. Sounds too good to be true.

A drawback to the Stans goo is that you have to replace it periodically, every 18 months or so...probably an unpleasant and messy job.

So, is this stuff any good? Who has guinea pigged this for the rest of us? Jay? Greg (Aiki)?

Title: Re: Stans No Tubes?
Post by jayg on Jun 28^th, 2015, 9:33pm

Tiger_Mike wrote:

Mike,

I haven't tried it. The Q&A section of the Stan's site states that tubeless tires must be used. Not much weight difference between Schwalbe One tubeless and clinchers with tubes. The Stan's site states that the sealant will last from 2 to 6 months. There's a video on the site showing how to install a tube in a tire filled with the goo, so the system is not 100%puncture proof (need to carry a spare tube with you). You have to remove the Stan's valve stem to install a tube. If it's screwed on too tight, you can't remove it by hand and will be stranded. Don't think I'll be trying the system anytime soon.

Jay

Title: Re: Stans No Tubes?
Post by rmillay on Jun 28^th, 2015, 9:54pm

The stuff has become more popular with mountain bikers. I've heard that it doesn't work very long in hot climates, where it turns into little fake boogers in the tire after a couple of months. Seems to work for those up north, though. Tubeless tires can be run at lower pressures and tubes cause a lot of internal friction, so tubeless can be more comfortable and roll better.

Title: Re: Stans No Tubes?
Post by jrob_bent on Jun 29^th, 2015, 7:21am

It is a real pain to remove the stuff when you need to replace the tire. Most bike shops hate it. And in hot weather, if you don't ride every few days, it will puddle on the bottom of the tire. It doesn't work well in MO, it gets as hot as Dallas in the summer. The only people I know who use the stuff are die hard dirt bikers.

Title: Re: Stans No Tubes?
Post by aikigreg on Jun 29^th, 2015, 12:10pm

The stans stuff sucks, according to every bike wrench I trust. But I do use tubeless tires. You have to have tubeless compatible rims as well. I absolutely adore them. No flats and they eat up bumps in the pavement.

Title: Re: Stans No Tubes?
Post by jayg on Jun 29^th, 2015, 1:00pm

Regular 700c clincher rims can be converted to tubeless with a Stan's Road Tubeless Bundle: http://www.notubes.com/Road-Tubeless-C78.aspx. Might not be easy to get everything sealed up.

Title: Re: Stans No Tubes?
Post by Bud_Bent on Jun 30^th, 2015, 6:56pm

aikigreg wrote:

How long have you been running tubeless? I've considered them. The A23 rims I run are tubeless compatible, and I could use all the help I can get on the rough roads around here.

Title: Re: Stans No Tubes?
Post by aikigreg on Jun 30^th, 2015, 7:34pm

Since February. They're flo 30 rims and schwalbe one tubeless tires. I can't speak to weight, rolling resistance, or any of that, but being able to run them 10-20 pounds less without worrying about flats makes it seem a lot more cushy. Just carry a tube in case you get a cut that won't seal, and you're good to go. Everyone tells me the orange sealant is the best, but I haven't had to use it yet. I've definitely run over stuff that would have flatted me, but the cuts sealed well.

Sunday I just rode my zipps on the same route as I've been riding my tubeless (bike's in the shop) and I was surprised by how much rougher the road felt.

I think you'd be very pleased with the results. Come to work with Rose one day and ride my wheels if you want.

Bud_Bent wrote:

[quote author=aikigreg link=1435465762/0#4 date=1435597801]The stans stuff sucks, according to every bike wrench I trust. But I do use tubeless tires. You have to have tubeless compatible rims as well. I absolutely adore them. No flats and they eat up bumps in the pavement.

How long have you been running tubeless? I've considered them. The A23 rims I run are tubeless compatible, and I could use all the help I can get on the rough roads around here.[/quote]

Title: Re: Stans No Tubes?
Post by Tiger_Mike on Jul 16^th, 2015, 10:26pm

aikigreg wrote:

Greg, I assume you're running sealant of some kind in those Schwalbe's...which one, the Schwalbe blue? Also, how are you managing the efficacy of the sealant? I've been doing more reading on the subject...for maintenance, some recommend poking a hole in the tire with a pin every month or so and observing the result. If it seals right away, all is well. If it seals slowly they say to add more sealant. Presumably at some point a person would dismount the tire and peel out the cured sealant, if he was concerned about the added weight of it.
I'm not confident I can trust everything that I've read on the subject, since the internet is filled with nut jobs, people expressing ill informed opinions as facts, and people trying to sell something. I prefer to benefit from the real world experience of people I trust...

Title: Re: Stans No Tubes?
Post by aikigreg on Jul 16^th, 2015, 10:41pm

I had the sealant run out of a tire. I just added more. I used the orange sealant. I also carry a spare tube just in case. Mostly I just ignore it. Haven't considered dried sealant in the tire.