Tubeless is one of the greatest revolutions in mountain biking, but few bikes off the showroom floor are shipped with it. That's why it's important to know how to convert your tires correctly while avoiding the many possible pitfalls.

Many years ago, ill-fitting wheels and tires were commonplace and some combinations were a recipe for disaster. So if you are using older components, you have to be absolutely vigilant about the advice given in the video below from the Global Mountain Bike Network. But with modern equipment, tubeless setups are more reliable now. So users that had a bad experience 5 years ago should not be afraid to jump back in.



Now that you've seen how to properly set up a bike tubeless, it's worth revisiting why tubeless is so good in another video from GMBN. Aside from avoiding flat tires and fixing them on the fly, there are other benefits. Check this video to learn more.



The only caution to this is the sealant inside the tire has a limited life span, typically 3-6 months depending on the climate where you live. It either disappears or it becomes watery and loses its effectiveness. Also, it will clog your valve making inflation difficult.

Proper care has to be taken to replace and refill the sealant in the tire periodically. Otherwise, you'll constantly be dealing with a flat tire in the garage or the trail. Also, the valve core has to be removed and cleaned periodically. However, we suspect that this area is where we'll see a lot more evolution and development with regards to tubeless systems. Stay tuned.