Ext User(ken)
06-08-2005, 07:27 PM
What this entire thread overlooks is the fact that punctures are rare.
Traumatic punctures which present as blowouts - instant deflation - are
even rarer. In over 50 years of driving I have never experienced one.
When tubeless were introduced the reaction was similar to when crank
handles were deleted (I'll bet most of those reading this thread don't
even know what a crank handle is). As I recall the technical argument
was that tubeless ran cooler which was better.
In fact, whenever a tubeless gets a puncture, there is a 90% liklihood
that a fube will be fitted as part of the repair. I think the main
reason for tubeless is, simply, that you save the cost and bother of a
tube. It was auto manufacturers who made the switch to tubeless.
When a puncture occurs - as I say, very rarely - if you are lucky you
pay for a repair. If you are unlucky you are up for a new tyre.
I remember when I bought a Saab about 15 years ago, looking at the
ridiculous thing which passed for a 'spare'. But the salesman pointed
out just how infrequent punctures were. True. so I bought it, still
have it, and have never used the spare (the only puncture was from
hitting a pot-hole in Sydney and two wheels went so it was an NRMA
job).
There is from time to time talk of 'run flat' tyres and they are bound
to come.
But the dominant fact is that punctures are so infrequent that they can
be treated like lightning or aircraft crashes - things which may happen
but are not worth worrying about.
So the tubeless/tube issue is a non-issue. You buy tubeless and
probably put a tube in if, and when, you have a puncture.
Traumatic punctures which present as blowouts - instant deflation - are
even rarer. In over 50 years of driving I have never experienced one.
When tubeless were introduced the reaction was similar to when crank
handles were deleted (I'll bet most of those reading this thread don't
even know what a crank handle is). As I recall the technical argument
was that tubeless ran cooler which was better.
In fact, whenever a tubeless gets a puncture, there is a 90% liklihood
that a fube will be fitted as part of the repair. I think the main
reason for tubeless is, simply, that you save the cost and bother of a
tube. It was auto manufacturers who made the switch to tubeless.
When a puncture occurs - as I say, very rarely - if you are lucky you
pay for a repair. If you are unlucky you are up for a new tyre.
I remember when I bought a Saab about 15 years ago, looking at the
ridiculous thing which passed for a 'spare'. But the salesman pointed
out just how infrequent punctures were. True. so I bought it, still
have it, and have never used the spare (the only puncture was from
hitting a pot-hole in Sydney and two wheels went so it was an NRMA
job).
There is from time to time talk of 'run flat' tyres and they are bound
to come.
But the dominant fact is that punctures are so infrequent that they can
be treated like lightning or aircraft crashes - things which may happen
but are not worth worrying about.
So the tubeless/tube issue is a non-issue. You buy tubeless and
probably put a tube in if, and when, you have a puncture.