How many spare tubes do you carry?

[Jurassic]

I was just wondering how many spare inner tubes you tubeless users carry during a trip? I can't bring myself to leave home (bikepacking) with less than two but I'm guessing that this will be regarded as overkill by many BBers. Do you take one tube and some spare Stans fluid? Sticky strings? No spare tubes? I'd be curious to hear what people do (I think I need to try and get away from my current "what if?" mindset tbh).

[rich.mike]

I bring 2, saw the result of someone slashing a tyre wall on BB200 a few years ago, no amount of sealant will fix a 2 inch tear!

[Moder-dye]

I'm not tubeless, but I take 2 tubes plus patches.

When you're tubeless and start taking tubes, plus plugs and fluid and things for tubeless doesn't it suggest tubeless is not worth it on longer trips??

I keep thinking about it, but then aren't sure its worth the hassle? I could see it being great in an area where loads of thorns/hedge cutting is an issue. But I know punctures isn't the only reason for tubeless, its pressures too.

[whitestone]

One plus a small bottle of sealant, some anchovies (strings), tyre boot and a sewing kit.

A big slash in the side wall is going to be a showstopper tubed or tubeless, the best you are going to be able to do is patch it up and hobble back to your car, base, wherever.

[Oli.vert]

Question regarding sewing kit - I'm new to these paper-thin tyres so got little experience with tyre sewing...what gauge thread and needle size are you using? Any pics for reference?

2 tubes here. And a wrap of gaffer tape. And a flat section of milk bottle.

[sean_iow]

I've got some dental floss, a needle it fits through and a thimble. I must of seen it recommend somewhere as I wouldn't of thought it up on my own. Can also be used to clean teeth

I carry 2 tubes on a multi-day, the second tube adds 174g to my kit. I'm tempted by Tubolito but can't quite bring myself to spend that much on tubes to hopefully never use.

Tubeless here because of the thorns. When I had the front tyre off recently there were 3 thorns showing on the inside, and that's just the ones that stayed in the tyre. I pulled a section of hawthorn out of the tyre on Saturday that was making the distinctive clicking sound as it hit the fork on the way round. Rode off and the hissing stopped after a couple of wheel revolutions. Down here at this time of year tubes wound mean stopping to fix a puncture every other ride.

[voodoo_simon]

When you're tubeless and start taking tubes, plus plugs and fluid and things for tubeless doesn't it suggest tubeless is not worth it on longer trips??.

Go on then, why do you think that?


Tubeless and will carry 1 or 2 tubes to answer the op

[Scattamah]

1 tube on short rides. 2 tubes on long rides when I'm going to be in the middle of nowhere with a long walk out if things go wrong with tubeless at both ends.

Greetz

S.

[Jurassic]

Hmm, so it seems I may not be being overcautious carrying two tubes then, I was kind of hoping to be told to TLS and cut down to one. I've found that I get hardly any punctures running tubeless (the lack of pinch flats is particularly welcome) but on the one occasion when I have had a puncture that the Stan's fluid didn't fix instantly it was a PITA and very messy to sort out.

[fatbikephil]

I bought a tub tyre repair kit from planet x - good strong thread and needles. There is a you tube vid doing the rounds on how to repair sidewall slashes with thread, superglue and a bit of inner tube without breaking the tyre bead - sew up slash superglue patch over it and then pump up tyre - sealant will stop any residual leaks and you can keep riding.

I still carry 2 tubes tho as I'm paranoid

[Moder-dye]

When you're tubeless and start taking tubes, plus plugs and fluid and things for tubeless doesn't it suggest tubeless is not worth it on longer trips??.

Go on then, why do you think that?


Tubeless and will carry 1 or 2 tubes to answer the op

Well, just because you're taking everything you'd take if you had tubes in, plus more with fluid, worms, bradawl of whatever.

As I said I understand the benefit of tubeless for thorns and less pressure with no pinch flats, also weight if you're racing. I've considered trying it ghetto on my MTB, but punctures are not so common up here due to thorns/hedges (as we have none) and I don't usually run pressures down to pinch flat levels. Saying that I've had two punctures in the last week Though that's also really just 2 punctures in the last year

[Asposium]

One

Used to be two; though from TLS training dropped one.
My inner "what if" monster wants to take a second spare; however, the TLS kicks in.

[slarge]

1 tube and gas canisters when racing (short courses), and 1 tube and a pump on normal rides, then 1 tube, pump and patches and tubeless repair kit on longer rides. 2 tubes on multi day rides, along with pump, patches, tubeless repair and small pliers. I use tubeless setup, but am losing faith with sealant as it seems to be milky and not have the sealing bits in recently.

[Mariner]

One but then my tyres say 'Protection' on the side.
%$£" that means I will have two punctures tomorrow.

[Jurassic]

One

Used to be two; though from TLS training dropped one.
My inner "what if" monster wants to take a second spare; however, the TLS kicks in.

The chances of getting two flats that require a tube are thin but I really struggle overcoming the "what if" monster. Must try harder!

[Asposium]

One

Used to be two; though from TLS training dropped one.
My inner "what if" monster wants to take a second spare; however, the TLS kicks in.

The chances of getting two flats that require a tube are thin but I really struggle overcoming the "what if" monster. Must try harder!

upon getting a second puncture, get out the repair and......

[BigdummySteve]

One, tiny and only 45g! I do take a small bottle of sealant as well.

[wriggles]

I hate walking. Two, but will be investing in the "Tiny" soon.

(Plus anchovies and patches, but no sealant)

[ScotRoutes]

One. Plus a standard puncture repair kit and a tyre boot.

That's based on my experience of having very few punctures. No bike I've set up tubeless has ever punctured and I've never slashed a tyre.

[chris n]

One, along with anchovies, patch kit and tyre boot.

[benp1]

Same as many others - one spare tube and plus anchovies. I also carry some dental floss and a needle

[whitestone]

Slight deviation: if I was running with tubes and not getting many/any punctures then I wouldn't bother going tubeless. For new wheels then I'd go tubeless unless I had reason not to.

With tubeless I've had three "incidents" in nearly four years: the first was on the fat bike, by the time I'd stopped the tyre was almost deflated but whatever had caused the problem had gone/was left behind and the sealant had basically done its job and I just pumped the tyre up. The second was on the hardtail and was probably a large nail, fixed it with an anchovy. The third was on the single speed with CX tyres, I think I had too little air in the tyre and the rim got dinged and the tyre then wouldn't hold air, needed an inner tube.

The tubeless specific kit looks a lot but isn't really that much weight or space.

[Zippy]

The other big thing about tubeless that no-one seems to have mentioned is being able to run lower pressures without issue. You also don't punch flat as easily if you've messed up your landing over a drop or whatever.

Re tubes - I'm similar to most, will bring two on high risk long walk if it goes wrong trips, otherwise 1 tube and a plug kit. Always a plug kit, and ever since using the larger plugs you c bulk buy in packs of 100 for less than a fiver, I don't even wince at the cost of using them!


113 (23-04-2018) by Chris Reeves, on Flickr

[99percentchimp]

Running tubeless in anger for the first time this weekend so all the above has been great and got me thinking about a 'long walk' prevention strategy..
Esp. a tubeless repair kit and spare sealant as well as a spare tube.
Ta

[spectraken]

This summer I'll be going tubeless for the first time on a big trip (BC Trail in Canada), but I'll have 2 tubes with me, a 2oz bottle of Stans, a tubeless repair kit, CO2 canister, needle and thread and some Park tyre patches. Obviously not leaving much to chance!