Going tubeless

I've been running tubeless tyres on my CX wheels from the start - they just make sense to me. No risk of pinch-flats at low pressures (I sometimes take them down as low as 20 psi with no issues) and with Stan's sealant inside, they self-seal most punctures with minimal pressure loss. For the same reason, most MTB riders now run tubeless, and have been for years.

But tubeless hasn't really caught on with roadies. High pressures made it hard to get tyres to stay on the rim, and I guess the benefits aren't as pressing. But the people who are running road tubeless setups generally proclaim it to be "revolutionary" and "the future of road tyres" so after writing off my trusty open tubulars yesterday, I thought I'd take the plunge and fit my tubeless-ready Ultegra road wheels with Hutchinson Fusion 3s and half a bottle of Stan's in each.

The promises:

• A smooth ride, like a tubular setup but without the mess and fuss of glue or tubular tape
• Run at lower pressures for better grip and more efficiency with no risk of pinch flats
• Self-sealing of most punctures without having to, well, mess around

Sounds perfect for Britain's wet, rough, thorny roads...

Hopefully I'll be putting 130 km on these on Wednesday, so that should break them in nicely. From riding around town, though, impressions are excellent so far - they feel REALLY fast, and comfortable to boot.

More soon, once I get some real mileage on them...