Five things I learned from going tubeless on my road bike

Reasons to consider ditching tubes for road cycling

What you need to convert to road tubeless
(Image credit: Greg Kaplan)

Road tubeless tire and wheel technology is nothing new for mountain, cyclocross or gravel bikes. Road cyclists have been slower to adopt this technology—and I am firmly in this camp—until somewhat recently.

Initially, I was skeptical and did not see a need to go tubeless on the road. My rationale was a lack of choice of tire options, the perception that tubeless tires are harder to install and messier to maintain than clinchers, and I know how to change a tube quickly. As a cyclist who started racing on tubulars and moved to clinchers years ago, I just did not know much about using tubeless tires and sealant for my wheels, but I saw plenty of YouTube videos of sealant mishaps, and heard some riders complain about maintenance woes.

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