Tubeless vs Latex Tubes/Talcum Powder Setup

[Squigs]

I have been considering going to tubeless over the past few months and I was going to order a set of tubeless tires this week but after reading the Pro Bike section in Mountain Bike Action the other day I am considering going with another option. In this pro bike section they were interviewing Stephen Ettinger and talking about his bike setup. Instead of running a tubeless setup he uses latex tubes and lots of talc powder to reduce friction which stops the pinch flats. He also says it is better because he can't burp the tire either.

I have a few questions:
1)Does anyone use this setup and if so does it stop pinch flats?
2)I am also a very light rider (54kg) and if I go tubeless and run low pressures will I be likely to burp a tire?
3)And finally does anyone run Maxxis Ikon Tubeless Ready tires and do they seal up easily?

[silentbutdeadly]

1) No. As for talc preventing pinch flats...it might where the rims being used are quite wide but as an XC rider I tend to have 19-23 mm rims and tyres out to 2.2...at low pressures that is pinch flat territory if running tubes.
2) Burping depends on more factors than just weight and pressure...regardless...my full bike weight (bike, gear, me) is around 115 kgs and I run tubeless. My ghetto tubeless setup went round Ourimbah XC in the low 20's PSI with no dramas (29 x 2.0 at the front 29 x 2.1 at the back) and there was burping with some latex loss but almost no pressure loss...and the tyres went flat to the rim on more than one occasion. If I'd have run tubes I'd have been quickly walking.
3) No. Probably..as most tubeless ready tyres seem to seat OK to most rims (especially if you have a compressor).

[alf]

Not entirely sure as to how talc will prevent a pinch flat. If you do run some tests I would be very interested to hear of your experience.

For me tubeless with a good quality sealant is a must. I could not possibly tell you how many punctures I have gotten in the last 18 months or so; but judging by the number of spots on my tires with sealant plugging the holes it is several tens. I have only had to stop and rotate a wheel to submerge one puncture in sealant once for about two minutes.

Burping air is usually related to very hard cornering with low pressures. I'm not that quick through the corners so it is not something that bothers me much.

[Squigs]

Thanks for the reply guys. Have decided to just go tubeless because that seems to be the way to go and I can't find much on the internet about the latex tube/talcum powder setup.


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[lardass71]

Talc will work with any tube whether latex or rubber, it's used so the tube can move and slide within the tyre casing and it will prevent pinch flats, I used this setup for a very long time in all aspects of riding including downhill, if your going tubeless, do it properly, don't waste money on wheels that can be converted to tubeless, get ones that are tubeless ready, your tyres will seat much easier, as for burping, it's no biggy,

[Duck!]

I've used Maxxis Crossmark bog-standard foldable tyres setup tubeless with no problems at all once fitted. They were a bit tricky to seat due to the quite soft beads not too happy to seal without persuasion, but they got there in the end. Tubeless-ready tyres will be fine.

[DarrylH]

I'm running Crossmark TR on XT rims and the set up is much easier than using rim strips. Just beware that Shimano (and others I suspect) say not to use sealant that contains ammonia as it can damage rims. I used some old Joes for about 3 months but am now running Caffelatex ammonia free.