Experience of fettling a Thorn Audax Mk4 with tubeless tyres

[trailplanner]

Very please with my new Thorn Audax Mk4, especially with tubeless tyres.  The effort is worthwhile, the bike is very comfortable and fast!

https://wp.me/p5oyVA-1bd

How are other forum members getting on? Particularly any tips I have missed fitting G-One, Pro-Ones to DT Swiss rims?

[geocycle]

Very nice blog on the audax. Looks a lovely build. I’m also not quite sure why thorn fit tubes to tubeless tyres, belt and braces I suppose. Glad you are getting on well with the Schwalbe pro ones.

[PH]

Nice write up, plenty of info without being too wordy.  I'm likely to return and look at some of your other articles. 
Everyone I know who's gone tubeless tells me how good it is, but I don't have any suitable wheels and barring accidents I'm not likely to need any in the foreseeable future, so I'll just have to look on with envy.  I watched a rider on our CTC group fix a tubeless puncture with a worm thing, I was surprised how easy it looked abd took the same time as swapping a tube, not something to be scared of.
Your two bikes do give you a great spread, IMO just the right level of overlap, where you could use one for most of what the other does, while it's still obvious which would be better for a particular ride.
I hope you have some protective tape under where your bags attach, it's tough paint but it isn't immune from rubbing.  I used a little top tube bag on for a couple of thousand miles and it's worn the gloss off, I should have known better.

[leftpoole]

I have a pair of wheels by DT Swiss which are for Tubeless tyres.
No use worrying about because I will always use tubes until proper tubeless tyres are available. The ones now have to be filled with that Slime type stuff in case of punctures, which is supposed to self seal. What is the point? If tyres are correctly pumped up rock hard, then punctures should very rarely occur!
John

[PH]

If tyres are correctly pumped up rock hard, then punctures should very rarely occur! John

That's old skool John.  The point is - lower pressure increases comfort with no loss of speed, and increased comfort is seen by some as a good thing.
If you, like me, are happy enough without, then maybe it has no point for us.  But are you not curious to try?

[leftpoole]

I am 70 in a minute or two, in actual fact, July.
I know as much about tyres and pressures that nobody will come up with recycled ideas about tyres that will dissuade me from what is the best!
Comfort? On a bicycle? Brooks saddles of course.
All cycle related information is recycled year after year after generation. It all comes round again, look at the instances of drop bars after years of that MTB stuff!
Me? Always drop bars except my Raven Sport Tour which I persist in tweaking weekly, that means altering in tiny detail the actual relationship of the bars which are those 'special' Thorn risers recycled from,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Happy days,
John
I hope all are well and coping. Maximum 20 miles is considered local in my countryside area.

[PH]

I know as much about tyres and pressures that nobody will come up with recycled ideas about tyres that will dissuade me from what is the best!

It's good you're happy and I don't think anyone is trying to persuade you of anything. 
I am considerably jealous, I wish I knew it all. 

[leftpoole]

I know as much about tyres and pressures that nobody will come up with recycled ideas about tyres that will dissuade me from what is the best!

It's good you're happy and I don't think anyone is trying to persuade you of anything. 
I am considerably jealous, I wish I knew it all.

Sarcasm is a form of wit apparently.
But it is the lowest form.
John

[trailplanner]

Worm things? I'll have to google that.  I am guessing similar to the method used on tubeless motorcycle tyres, which I am familiar with.  But if you lose too much pressure it will be a devil to reinflate if the beads have popped off.

If I were to do a multi-day super lightweight trip I'd fit inner tubes and perhaps wear out the collection of Marathon Supremes I have from the 1990s that are quite possible to old now to use.  The tubeless Pro-One's and G-One's ride so well they increase the pleasure of cycling in my view. The bike just glides along and I have to look twice at the Garmin to see I am going faster than expected.  My Strava times seem to confirm that, or maybe I am getting my fitness back.

[PH]

Sarcasm is a form of wit apparently.
But it is the lowest form.
John

Are you quoting Oscar Wilde at me?
Or half quoting to be accurate, the full version is
"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, but the highest form of intelligence." 

[leftpoole]

Sarcasm is a form of wit apparently.
But it is the lowest form.
John

Are you quoting Oscar Wilde at me?
Or half quoting to be accurate, the full version is
"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, but the highest form of intelligence." 

I was not quoting anyone ( that I was aware of) actually. I was simply referring to a common quote which seems suitable.
John

[John Saxby]

Easy, guys, easy.

It's well known that levity is the soul of wit.

Cheers,  J.

[leftpoole]

 

[trailplanner]

2,000km on tubeless Pro-One - first puncture.  Not that I noticed until I got home and found my frame had a respray!

Picture attached.

Overall I am very pleased but had to buy a booster pump to fit these a second time.  G-One's are for winter, Pro-One's for summer, forcing a 6-monthly change of sealant.

They are more expensive, but I really value to increased comfort and speed.

[lewis noble]

V interesting thread . . . . I somehow missed it first time round.

And my own experience with the Audax, mine is Mk3R, is similar, very stable, predictable and reassuring in it's handling.  Not only at higher speeds, but at lower plodding-slowly-up-steep-hills speeds ; mine is quite happy below 3 mph as well as at 40.

Thanks for posting.

Lewis