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Which tires and tubeless or not loose weight?

6K views 42 replies 9 participants last post by  phlegm 
#1 ·
Hi
i wonder should i buy another S-works fast track and go tubeless or should i go with the turbo tubes? on my Epic 29er carbon expert it weighs somewhere between 11.3-11.4 KG that is 24.9 to 25.08 lbs hard to get an exact reading holding up the bike and as it hangs on the park tools scale.

i have the
SPD PD-T780 Deore XT​
pedals and they weigh 392grams

i am on a diet to loose some weight soi´m somewhat fit for summer riding and beach but i´m not aiming on a fat free super fir six pack body but still lighter than i was in February.
so i am aiming for pedals under 300G/pair.
also how much weight loss are we talking about on the
S-works fast track/Ground Control with turbo tubes vs tubeless?

also how much more fragile does a bike get the more light weight stuff one equipps it with?

/
Pekka
 
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#3 ·
Yes, it is worth the hassle and weight loss for a better ride and less flats to run tubeless. I always thought uber-light tubes were worthless..lots of flats. I assume you have tubeless-ready rims that will not need a conversion (rubber strip)? The weight of a scoop of Stan's is ~50g so figure 1.5 scoops is 75g plus valve stem vs. weight of a tube....its going to be lighter AND more durable AND let you run less pressure while maintaining flat resistance...this is a no-brainer to me. If you are running Specy tires and wheels..its v. simple to convert and most folks can do it with a floor pump.

For tires, I have run:

S-Works Ground Control front/Ground Control rear - great all-condition set-up. Not too heavy.
S-Works Fast Track front/Renegade Control rear - great summer/dry condition set up..very light.

Watch running the S-Works casing in the rear, they are v. light which may translate into tears/cuts etc. in the rear as it gets slammed around more than the front.

For pedals, I am a SPD guy so that eliminates lots of options; just bought some XTRs (Shimano's lightest) which have a claimed weight of 309g..so that is light as I go on pedals. CRC has them for a little over $100.
 
#6 ·
Hello i wonder is it worth the cost to go from Sram PG-1050 Cassette and KCM 10-93 chain to SRAM-PG 1080 and 1090R chain?
i believe it was i save some weight but the cost might not be worth it.
also do i gain any weight going from my Magura MT 6 brakes to XT or XTR?
 
#7 ·
The 1080 cassette if V. expensive..over $200 at the cheapest online places. The XT cassette is ~30g lighter than the 1050 for the same price. On brakes, no idea, weight should be about the last things you consider with brakes.
 
#8 ·
ok let me put it this way will i gain anything going from Magura MT 6 to M987 xtr in braking and in general is it worth the change, or should i keep the Maguras?
is there anything else i can gain weight in except me my self loosing several kilos, without compromising safety on the bike?
I know cutting weight on a bike that is meant to be used for years isn´t always the safeties´t way to go but a light bike is always fun especially as it is so up and down terrain here in this town :)
I guess 11.0-11.4kg´s is a pretty light Epic?
 
#9 ·
No experience with either of those brakes. To me, unless the brakes are really bad I would look to upgrade elsewhere. What bike do you have? Would help if you listed every component.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 
#10 ·
Ok hi teh bike is a Specialized Epic Carbon Expert 2013



S-works prowess mini riser bar
S-Works Bar ends
S-works MTB seat post with adapters
Phenom Pro team edition carbon rails
grips BG contour XL
Pedals Shimano spd-PDT780
Shimano XTR RD shadow
Sram X7 FD
SRAM PG-1050
KCM 10sp chain
Roval Control 29 142+ alloy rims
Tires
S-works Fast track front
Fast track control rear
thinking of going tubeless with 2X S-works Ground Control 2.1

well that´s about it
 
#11 ·
Lose the front der. chainring and shifter...1x10..will drop some weight. Going tubeless will drop another bit. Other than that...you are about as light as you go without significant spending.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 
#13 ·
No warranty issues with changes like this...what possibly could it have a negative effect on? The only thing you should care about in terms of the warranty would be the frame and this has zero bearing on its integrity. This is an very common upgrade. Going 1x10 is v. simple. Remove f. shifter, derailleur, and cable. Replace the rings with a Wolf Tooth direct-mount single ring. You may need to loose loose a link from the chain. The rear derailleur may need some adjustment to the b-tension screw. Enjoy.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 
#17 ·
Avoid the 1080 cassette. I went on a rant about it in a different thread, but the bottom line is that the big ring is ALU and non-replaceable.

Is is super-light, and amazing to look at, but probably not for unsponsored riders.
so does it wear out fast or?
not that the chain and cassette that came with the epic is worn but a lighter chain and cassette but then again the gain of a chain and cassette may not be worth the cost.
 
#16 ·
Welgo WAM-M3 pedals = 310g at $30 from pricepoint.

You can also keep the multi ring set-up and run an ultegra on the back...not as light as the 1x, but an alternative to keep in mind.

I favor the Conti race king (black chili) to anything Specialized has at the speedy side of things.
 
#18 ·
I converted my 3x10 Pivot to a 1x11 using SRAM XO1 with a Next SL crank. Replaced the M1700 DT wheelset with a set of Easton Haven carbons I got on sale for 60% off...Not cheap!! but it dropped 2.1 pounds total. I'm sure removing the front d/shifter/cable must have accounted for over half a pound of that, and that isn't expensive. And I'm not even very WW as I have a dropper post and big tires. Still, at 25.2 pounds it's Moab ready.
 
#19 ·
Do you guys think i can use my big chain ring and use a chain guide to go 1x10sp?
other wise i don´t know how to do it and don´t really know anyone who can here at my hometown, i can get a wolf tooth ring for 1x10 sure but i can´t do the conversion my self i´m not that skilled :)
 
#21 ·
Hi My bike weighs in at 11.37kg´s

i have 2 brand new S-works Ground controls they weigh 570g/tire

but it is the tire thing that is interesting how much do i gain tubeless with those Ground controls against the fast tracks with tubes is what i want find out.

the fast track control weighs 570g the S-works version 530g.
 
#22 ·
Well i´ll ask it anyways how easy is it to puncture when going tubeless?
Lets say i succeed on getting it sealed good and take the bike to the woods what are the odds i get flat tires the first thing i do when getting it out?

i mean do i need tubes and Co2 cartridges with me on every ride i do after converting tubeless and also dare i even try the turbo tubes as they said to be 40g lighter?
 
#23 ·
As a rule, tubeless will have less flats than tubed set-ups. Tubeless also has the partial flat thing...either burping out some air when the tire bead breaks the seal for a moment and reseals right away, or punctures that reseal with the fluid inside the tire. You will want to carry a micro pump in case you need to add air, but you won't have to remove the tire in those cases. If you ride trails with sharp rocks that cut tire side-walls tubeless fails entirely, and you will need to carry spare tubes and tools.
 
#24 ·
If you don't want to walk, carry a tube and CO2 even with tubeless. Its not a lot of weight and it will save you a walk out if you cut a tire. Either get an Awesome Strap and put a tube/lever/CO2 under your seat so its always there or toss it in your hydration pack if you carry one. Tubeless will save you all of those annoying little punctures that flat a tubed setup. I just don't see any downsides..your tires/wheels are designed for it...do it.
 
#26 ·
ok
So when i take plunge for Tubeless which i might do anytime now.
Is it really that easy just put the tire on leave some for the fluid then put in the fluid and put the tire on and take my Specialized floor pump and pump it up to say 3bar?
spin it round and shake it little and then put it on the bike and just go riding?
 
#28 ·
It really helps to have an air compressor to get the tires to inflate the first time. It's not impossible with a floor pump, but can be frustrating some times. When you get the tires to start building pressure you need to keep going until you hear a couple of loud snapping noises...the sound of the tire bead locking itself into the rim. You might find that the new set-up goes flat the first couple of times...keep a pump handy...don't worry about it, it'll seal up soon. The lighter the tires are, the more likely it is that the sidewalls will leak for a while. The last set I did I had to submerge the wheel in water to find the leaks and concentrate sealant on those places.

I hope this post doesn't discourage you...like Phlegm say's, if I can do it, you can do it. Even the times a tubeless set-up goes poorly, the result is always worth it. K.
 
#27 ·
Some wheels, such as Mavic, are easy. Just insert a tubeless valve, put on the tire and fluid, and inflate.

Other rims that have nipple holes require rim tape. Stan's yellow tape has been reliable for me, but some people use various types.

Sometimes a tire won't inflate well. In some cases you can first inflate it old-school with a tube, in order to stretch it a bit, and force one bead into the rim. You may leave that overnight. You can then deflate the tube, carefully break one bead, pull out the tube, add fluid, gently put on the other side of the tire, and inflate again.

A handy tip: some tubeless valves have removable heads, so you can add fluid without opening up the tire.

Also, fluid is technically not needed. It will however fill pinholes in the tire, and help with imperfect seals. It also gives you a chance to limp home without a spare tube as it can sometimes block air seepage from a flat/gash.

I realize it is hard to visualize some of what I'm describing, so have a look online for videos, and Stan's has good ones too.

Edit: If I can do it, you can do it. :)
 
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