Tubeless vs. Tubes: What’s Best for You?

📅 What’s Inside This Week

1. Main Feature: Tubeless vs. Tubes – the pros, cons, and what to run.

2. Gadgets of the Week: Ryder Slugplug Dual and TPU tubes.

3. Shorts: Seasonal tire pressure tweaks.

4. MTB Video of the Week: Endurance Masterclass.

5. Industry Insight: SRAM’s new Universal Brake Mount – what it potentially means for your next frame.

🚲 Tubeless vs. Tubes: What’s Right for You?

Think of tube tires like your reliable old flip phone — simple, familiar, and no-frills. Tubeless? That’s the sleek smartphone: faster, grippier, and self-healing.

1. 🧵 Tube Tires

   • ✅ Simple: Easy to install, patch, and replace.

   • ✅ Affordable: Tubes are budget-friendly.

   • ❌ Flats: Pinch flats and punctures are common.

   • ❌ Higher rolling resistance: Slower and less efficient.

     

     I used to only replace tubes if they had no place left to stick a new patch.

   🧪 Tubeless Tires

   • ✅ No pinch flats: Sealant seals small punctures on the go.

   • ✅ Better grip: Run lower pressures for improved traction.

   • ✅ Lighter: No tube = less rotating mass.

   • ❌ Trickier setup: Requires sealant, tubeless tape, and patience.

   • ❌ Needs upkeep: Sealant dries out and needs replacing every few months.

   

   Too good. When tubeless setups go wrong.

   🧐 Still a Case for Tubes?

   Yes. They’re still the best choice if:

   • You ride older, non-tubeless rims.

   • You're on a tight budget.

   • You want the simplest emergency fix.

   • You’re in freezing temps where sealant struggles.

   • You prefer fewer moving parts.

   👀 My take? Tubeless is worth the hassle. But I still carry a tube just in case.
   

   

   Neigh, no tubes for you good sir. Fare thee well.

   🛠 Gadget 1: Ryder Slugplug Dual

   Ryder Slugplug Dual – Your Quick-Fix Plug Buddy

   Puncture? Plug it. This clever dual-ended tool lives on your bike, not in your pack.

   • One end holds thin slugs (for XC and trail tires), the other thick slugs (for bigger gashes and e-MTB tires).

   • Pre-loaded with plug strips, and fits neatly on your frame using a seat stay or bottle cage mount.

   • Super fast to deploy when time matters most.

   ✅ Cheap and Lightweight
   ✅ No rattles
   ✅ Works with CO2 inflator setups

   🔗 See the Slugplug Dual

   🧠 Trail Tip: Practice using it before you ride. When you’re on the side of a trail with a leaking tyre, muscle memory is gold.

   

   🛠 Gadget 2: TPU Spare Tube

   TPU Tubes – The Backup You’ll (Almost) Forget You Packed

   If you're running tubes or tubeless and still carry a tube (you should), make it TPU.

   • 65% lighter and more compact than traditional butyl tubes

   • Fits in tiny saddle bags, your back pocket, or your tool wrap

   • Durable enough for real-world trail abuse and will get you home

   Perfect for XC, trail, and enduro riders who don’t want to feel like a camel hauling gear.

   ✅ Minimal bulk
   ✅ Packs tiny
   ✅ Doesn’t degrade like latex

   💡 Pro tip: Keep it in a small ziplock with talc powder to make installation easier when things get messy.
   

   

   So small. Image: Bermstyle.com

   🎬 MTB Video of the Week

   Kelen Grant – Over 100kph on the snow!!
   Insane cornering, control, and fitness. This long vid is an eye opener to how torturous a downhill stage can be. The MEGAVELANCHE is the dream enduro.

   

   👕 Shorts: Real Talk

   Q: Should I adjust tire pressure with the seasons and specifically for winter?
   A: Definitely. Cold temps = more dense air and so lower air pressure. Always recheck PSI before cold rides. For E-MTBs, add 2–4 psi to support extra weight.

   

   🧯 Industry Insight: SRAM’s Universal Brake Mount (UBM)

   Adapters, be gone.

   Yup, it looks like it’s coming. SRAM’s new Universal Brake Mount (UBM) is a fresh brake mounting standard designed to simplify caliper installation across MTB frames and forks. Think UDH, but for brakes.
   No more Post Mount or Flat Mount adapters — just a direct bolt-on interface.

   Why this matters:

   • 🔧 No adapters = fewer parts and faster setup.

   • 📏 Cleaner frame integration and better alignment.

   • 🛠 OEM-friendly: expect it on high-end bikes from end 2025 (maybe 2026) onward.

   • 🔄 Backward-compatible with existing SRAM calipers.

   ⚠️ Heads-up: You’ll need a UBM-compatible frame or fork. It’s not retrofittable — so keep this in mind if you’re frame shopping soon.

   
   

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   Happy trails,
   Francoin