A tubeless tire runs without an inner tube: the rim and tire seal the air on their own, and liquid sealant plugs small leaks and punctures. In exchange for a fussier setup, you can run about 4% less pressure than with a butyl tube (on 28 mm road tires at 165 lb / 75 kg, 52/62 psi instead of 55/64) and pinch flats all but disappear. You need about 50-60 ml (roughly 2 oz) of sealant per wheel on road and gravel tires, and about 105-125 ml (3.5-4.2 oz) on mountain bike tires, topped up every 2-7 months. Here’s what you gain, what you give up and how to get the setup right the first time.
What you need to go tubeless
A tubeless system has five parts, and they all have to work together:
- Tubeless-ready rim. Its profile is designed so the bead (the edge of the tire that sits on the rim) locks in and seals. It can be hooked or hookless (no hook; ETRTO, the European body that standardizes rims and tires, calls it TSS).
- Rim tape. An adhesive tape that covers the spoke holes. Without it, air escapes through the inside of the rim.
- Tubeless valve. It bolts to the rim with a lockring and has a removable core (the valve’s inner mechanism) so you can add sealant and get more airflow when inflating. Almost all are Presta; lengths by rim depth are in the bike valve chart.
- Tubeless tire. Look for TLR (tubeless ready), TLE (tubeless easy, Schwalbe’s label) or similar.
- Sealant, which coats the inside of the tire as it spins.
Many current wheels come with the tape already installed and valves in the box. If you’re unsure of your rim or tire size, the tire size calculator helps you read the ETRTO code.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Seals small punctures while you ride | Won’t seal big cuts or hard rim strikes |
| No tube, so no pinch flats against the rim | Setup is harder and sometimes needs a compressor |
| Lower rolling resistance than with a tube | Sealant needs topping up every few months |
| Lets you drop pressure for more grip and comfort | Changing tires is messier and takes longer |
| CO₂ ruins some sealants |
Schwalbe sums up the main benefit as lower rolling resistance than a tube plus the option of running less pressure without losing performance, which means more comfort and control on rough roads. You notice it most on gravel and mountain bikes, where flats are more common and lower pressure pays off the most. On the road the gain is smaller, and the call depends on how often you flat and how much maintenance you’re willing to do. If you’re choosing a bike, we compare them in gravel vs road bikes.
How much lower you can run your pressure
With no tube, there’s nothing to pinch against the rim, so you can drop a little. In our model, a butyl tube raises pressure 4% over tubeless; latex tubes match tubeless, and TPU tubes (a thin, light plastic) sit 1% higher. Values in psi, front / rear, for a 165 lb (75 kg) rider, from our tire pressure calculator:
| Bike, tire and terrain | Tubeless | Butyl tube |
|---|---|---|
| Road 25 mm, average pavement | 59 / 69 psi (4.0 / 4.7 bar) | 61 / 72 psi (4.2 / 4.9 bar) |
| Road 28 mm, average pavement | 52 / 62 psi (3.6 / 4.2 bar) | 55 / 64 psi (3.8 / 4.4 bar) |
| Road 32 mm, rough pavement | 43 / 50 psi (3.0 / 3.5 bar) | 45 / 52 psi (3.1 / 3.6 bar) |
| Gravel 40 mm, loose gravel | 29 / 34 psi (2.0 / 2.3 bar) | 30 / 35 psi (2.1 / 2.4 bar) |
| Gravel 45 mm, loose gravel | 25 / 30 psi (1.7 / 2.1 bar) | 26 / 31 psi (1.8 / 2.1 bar) |
| MTB 2.4”, very rough trail | 18 / 23 psi (1.3 / 1.6 bar) | 20 / 24 psi (1.4 / 1.7 bar) |
The pressure difference itself is small, 1-3 psi. What matters is rough terrain: with butyl tubes, the calculator won’t let you go as low and warns about pinch-flat risk, while tubeless gives you more margin. Our bike tire pressure guide explains every factor, and the gravel and mountain bike pressure charts give the tubeless number for every rider weight and tire width.
Tubeless setup step by step
- Clean the rim bed. Remove old adhesive and grease; Schwalbe recommends brake cleaner.
- Apply the tape. It should be 2-4 mm wider than the rim’s internal width and cover every hole. Stretch it tight with no wrinkles, and overlap the ends by about 2-4 in (5-10 cm), away from the valve. One layer is usually enough; on rims with a shallow shoulder, a second layer helps the bead seat.
- Install the valve by piercing the tape, and snug it down with its lockring.
- Mount the tire like a normal one, carefully if you use tire levers. Coat both beads with mounting fluid or soapy water so they slide.
- Seat the beads with a strong burst of air. Removing the valve core lets more air through. If your floor pump isn’t enough, use a compressor or a booster pump: you charge it with the floor pump (Schwalbe’s goes up to 160 psi / 11 bar) and release it all at once. You’ll hear one or more pops; check that the bead line sits the same distance from the rim all the way around.
- Deflate, add the sealant through the valve with a syringe and reinstall the core. You can also pour it into the tire before mounting the last section of bead.
- Inflate and spread the sealant: spin the wheel and tilt it in different positions so it coats the whole inside. The seal finishes as you ride.
- Reinflate after 24 hours, as Schwalbe recommends, once the sealant has closed the pores in the casing.
Don’t use CO₂ cartridges for the first inflation: Schwalbe warns that they ruin its sealant.
How much sealant and how often to top it up
Per-tire amounts from Stan’s NoTubes, from its chart for Original sealant:
| Tire size | Sealant per tire |
|---|---|
| 700 × 28 mm | 50 ml (1.7 oz) |
| 700 × 32 mm | 55 ml (1.8 oz) |
| 700 × 40 mm | 60 ml (2 oz) |
| 650b × 47 mm | 80 ml (2.7 oz) |
| 27.5 × 2.4” | 105 ml (3.5 oz) |
| 29 × 2.3” | 105 ml (3.5 oz) |
| 29 × 2.4” | 110 ml (3.7 oz) |
| 29 × 2.5” | 125 ml (4.2 oz) |
Schwalbe recommends a bit more of its own sealant: 60-90 ml (2-3 oz) for 23 to 60 mm tires and 90-120 ml (3-4 oz) for 62 to 100 mm. Each brand calculates for its own product, so follow the one on your bottle.
Sealant doesn’t last forever: it dries out. Stan’s says it stays liquid for 2 to 7 months and needs more attention in dry climates. Schwalbe gives the same range for its sealant, or about 1,200 miles (2,000 km), and notes that temperature makes a big difference. In practice:
- Check it every 2-3 months in summer or if you live somewhere dry, and before a race or a long trip.
- To test it, Schwalbe suggests poking the tread with a needle and spinning the wheel: if the hole doesn’t seal, add sealant. A quicker check: shake the wheel next to your ear; if you don’t hear sloshing, it’s running low.
- If you store the bike for a long time, leave the valve at the top so sealant doesn’t clog it.
Log the date of your last top-up in My Bike or in your maintenance schedule by mileage.
Hookless rims and inserts
Hookless rims are tubeless rims by design. They come with two non-negotiable rules:
- Only tubeless tires approved for hookless. Schwalbe lets you mount its TLE and TLR tires with or without a tube, but never conventional tires.
- 72.5 psi (5 bar) maximum on the road, per ETRTO, and even less with wider tires. Following that standard, Schwalbe lowers the limit to 65 psi (4.5 bar) for 30-34 mm, 51 psi (3.5 bar) for 40-44 mm and 44 psi (3 bar) for 45-54 mm. If your rim maker lists a lower limit, theirs rules. Many manufacturers also recommend nothing narrower than 28 mm.
Inserts are foam rings that sit inside the tire against the rim. They protect the rim from rock strikes, support the tire when you run very low pressure and, if you lose air, let you ride home carefully. They add weight and make mounting harder, so they’re mostly used for enduro mountain biking and very rocky gravel.
Common mistakes
- Narrow, wrinkled or reused tape. A common cause of slow leaks. If it’s damaged, replace all of it.
- Too little sealant. With less than your size calls for, it won’t coat the whole inside and punctures won’t seal.
- Forgetting to top it up. After a few months the tire may hold nothing but a dry crust. If you flat and it doesn’t seal, that’s probably why: our guide to fixing a flat explains how to use a plug or an emergency tube.
- Going over the hookless limit because the rear feels soft. If your weight calls for more than 72.5 psi, move to a wider tire.
- Riding without a backup plan. Carry a spare tube, tire levers and a pump: no sealant will close a big cut or a hard rim strike.
- Dropping pressure by feel “because it’s tubeless.” You can run a bit softer, but not half. Calculate yours and adjust 1-3 psi at a time.
Frequently asked questions
How much sealant do I put in a tubeless tire?
According to Stan's NoTubes, 50 ml (1.7 oz) for a 28 mm road tire, 60 ml (2 oz) for a 40 mm gravel tire and 105-125 ml (3.5-4.2 oz) for a 29 × 2.3-2.5" mountain bike tire. Schwalbe recommends 60-90 ml (2-3 oz) for 23 to 60 mm tires.
How often should you replace tubeless sealant?
Sealant stays liquid for 2 to 7 months, depending on heat and humidity; Schwalbe also puts it at about 1,200 miles (2,000 km). Check it before a race or a long trip, and more often in summer or dry climates.
Can you put a tube in a tubeless tire?
Yes. Remove the tubeless valve, wipe out the leftover sealant and fit a regular tube. It's the fix when sealant can't close a big cut. Schwalbe allows its tubeless tires to be run with a tube even on hookless rims.
What pressure should I run with tubeless tires?
About 4% less than with a butyl tube. For a 165 lb (75 kg) rider on 28 mm road tires, around 52 psi front and 62 psi rear (versus 55/64 with tubes); on 40 mm gravel tires on loose dirt, around 29/34 psi.
Can you seat a tubeless tire with a floor pump?
Sometimes, especially if the tire fits tightly on the rim. If the beads won't pop up, you need a strong blast of air: an air compressor or a tubeless booster pump, which stores pressurized air and releases it all at once.
