# Tubeless or tubed - Weight difference?



## Special Eyes (Feb 2, 2011)

I'm considering going tubeless for the first time with a new wheelset on order at this time. I believe the rim weight would be about the same since so many wheels are tube/tubeless compatible now. I would save on the tube weight itself (maybe 80gr for the Conti Race Light or 52gr for the conti supersonic) but there is the tubeless stem and the sealant, of which I don't know the weight. I spent a lot of dough for a light carbon wheelset, a 1-200 gram difference being a substantial cost differential. I don't want to lose that advantage by going tubeless. Is this a big deal?


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## myhui (Aug 11, 2012)

Why not go tubeless tubular? My whole family rides on tubeless tubular. We are five star Uber customers.


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## ericm979 (Jun 26, 2005)

Last I checked, tubless tires weighed more than regular clinchers, negating the weight savings from losing the tube. If weight is all you are concerned about you should add up the weights for all the components before making your decision.


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## Special Eyes (Feb 2, 2011)

No, it is not all I'm concerned about. Performance and comfort are priorities. I'm curious and knowing this will help make a better decision all around.


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## Blue CheeseHead (Jul 14, 2008)

Tubeless setups generally weigh slightly more than a good folding tire and tube.

The tubeless stem and 1 1/2 oz of sealant is ~ the weight of a tube. As others have stated a tubeless tire is typically heavier than a similar quality clincher.

While I have not done a complete comparison of my setup with tubless vs tubed, I expect the tubeless to weigh 50+g more per wheel. I find it an acceptable differential...others may not.


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## Maglore (Dec 24, 2012)

There is no or very little weight saving to be had by going tubeless over a normal tubed set up. In fact, a lot of the tubeless options available are heavier and then you have to add in the 30g of sealant you'll need to add for puncture protection.

The benefits of tubeless are fit-and-forget puncture protection (to a point) and a lower rolling resistance. I run Schwalbe One tubeless and the ride is also noticeably better in terms of comfort.

You are not going to notice an extra 30 - 40g on your wheels. Lateral stiffness of your wheels is far more important in terms of feel than a weight difference equal to a large gulp from your water bottle.

Also, in my opinion, fitting super-light inner tubes is a false economy and not a sensible place to be saving weight for general riding.


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## bobonker (Feb 12, 2011)

GCN's take on road tubeless:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nit55MSaFJ4

Sonny


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## ghettocop (Apr 19, 2014)

Do it and don't look back! Road feel and tire profile is greatly improved. It's hard to explain, but you can really "feel" that there is one less thing rotating in your wheel.


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