Stan's No Tubes

I'm a late comer to the No Tubes party. You see, I've never really hated tubes, so tubeless tires didn't seem like that much of a big deal. Well, I finally drank the Kool-Aid and I'm loving it. I'm rockin' a set of Stan's ZTR Arch 29'er wheels with 3.30 hubs. I've only had a couple of rides on the wheels, but I'm liking the lower tire pressure.

To be honest, setting up tubeless tires seemed like a pain in the arse to me, and that's one of the main reasons I've been buying and using tubes; simplicity. Well, while tubeless tires ARE a bit more time consuming to install & inflate, it wasn't as bad as I had feared. The No Tubes Web site has plenty of videos and instructions, and even I could do it. Using rims designed for tubeless use IS easier than converting standard rims, and that's what I'll be doing next, but for now, I started with an older pair of Bontrager tires with the Arch rims, and it was a snap.

The tires held air, seated easily, and overall, worked like a charm.

I DID, however, get a flat the other day. I was pretty bummed until I saw the magnitude of the hole in the tire...

First, I found the hole on the surface of the tread, and a good amount of Stan's goop was spewing out. The hole looked pretty big, so I wasn't as annoyed as I was initially (well, I was annoyed that I got a flat, but I wasn't annoyed at the Stan's set up). I didn't fully realize how big the hole was until I popped the bead of the tire off the rim and found a stick, nay, a log, INSIDE the tire.

There it is; it's next to the valve stem for scale. Good stuff.

So, I guess, I understand why the Stan's didn't self-seal. I honestly don't know how I got that stick through the tread of the tire, but I'll bet I couldn't do it again if I tried, not that I will.

Other than, that, so far, the Stan's system has worked quite well. I'll update this page with more info about the No Tubes products as time goes on...

Singletracks Bike Shop, Fruita, Colorado

Fruita, Colorado is a mountain biking hot spot--with trails like Joe's Ridge, Mary's Loop, Kessel Run, and hundreds of other epic miles, throughout the area, it's someplace definitely worth visiting. I've been there a couple of times, and I've usually gotten my gear and whatnot from the local shop, Over The Edge (OTE) Sports. OTE is a major force in Fruita as Troy Rarick (OTE owner) is responsible for many of the local trails. On a recent visit, the shop was even kind enough to let my buddy and I ship our bikes there and store our cases while we were in town. For that, we're thankful.

However, on our next trip, we'll be using Single Tracks, the OTHER bike shop in town. The vibe I got from OTE was not nearly as friendly or welcoming as in Single Tracks.

For example--while putting our bikes together, OTE "kindly" offered to let us assemble them on the sidewalk next to the shop. However, while packing our bikes to head home, Single Tracks let us use a work stand and other supplies (with a constant, " do you need anything else?").

The prices were reasonable (not trying to rob the tourists), and the staff was super helpful.

With only two shops in town, your selection is already limited, but I would definitely head to Single Tracks for a "no attitude," customer service oriented experience.