msylvan said:
...and I don't dispute any of the problems they had over the years. IMHO, many of the problems were aggravated by people trying to use tires and rims not designed to be tubeless because they didn't want to spend the money for proper parts.
However, at this point if you buy any UST Standard rim, and use any UST Standard tire from any manufacturers they work fine and do deliver on puncture resistance, compliance, grip, and the ability to run them at low pressure.
Micheal,
I rode a tubeless wheelset for two years. It was a Mavic 3.1 UST Disc rim mated to a King Iso hub wheelset. Additionally several friends ride UST, and I work at a shop part-time. So, I have lots of experience with UST. I think you are omitting some rather large issues still remaining.
1. Installation is a nightmare on many UST Tires. Certain brands can be a disaster to mount even with soapy water and steel DH levers. On the trail, getting a UST bead on and off (to insert a tire) is not really feasible for most riders.
2. Weight problems. While UST tire manufacturers made outrageous weight claims, the digital scale in the shop doesn't lie. UST tires are much heavier then regular tires and tubes. That additional weight is all rotating weight too. Often I saw UST tires weighing 100+ grams more then claimed.
3. Leakage problems. Unless you add additional goop (which adds even more weight, mess, hassle, and difficulty of swapping tires) many UST tires leak air disturbingly fast- especially if they are "light" UST tires.
4. Fun with Stan's goop and the PITA of mounting a tire with it. Also the large group of people who had quite bad experiences with it (burping sidewalls, failed mounts, ect). Honestly it is a expert wrench only product, and not for people without patience and spare time. While a good skilled mechanic can make it work nicely, overall it is not ready for the general population's use.
5. UST tires are more expensive on average.
However, for people who pinch flat alot, or ride nasty conditions calling for low pressures- or for people riding rougher courses on AL framed race bikes, UST is certainly worth considering.
But, since my new ride came without UST tires- I have been surprised to find that I haven't had any additional pinch flats or grip issues with the regular tires over the UST ones.
Coolhand