Going Tubeless for Road: Individual Results Will Vary

The roads where I live just outside Osaka are generally in pretty good condition ( a lot better than the potholes in spring in my hometown of Montreal). Apart from the debris from the factories and recycling center on the route of my daily commute and the occasional poor job of cleaning up after a road accident, things are not too bad. I really feel that getting a flat has as much to do with riding style and just plain bad luck as with the quality of tires that I happen to be using. After doing a good 1500 km on my Schwalbe Ultremo ZX tubeless tires, the inevitable finally happened and I did get my first puncture. I say puncture because the tire never did go completely flat and it was not until the morning of my next ride that I discovered the puncture.

With the rear tire feeling a little soft, I inflated it to prepare for the daily commute only to be greeted with a shower of sealant reminiscent of a decapitation scene from a Samurai drama. Luckily I have more than one bike so the repair job could wait. And that was a good thing because repairing a tubeless tire can be a chore.

The tire obviously got me home but when trying to re-inflate it, the sealant would not hold beyond about 60 PSI.

The puncture was obviously easy to find.

In all fairness, this puncture would have done in any tire (the culprit remains unknown).

Being the paranoid type, I picked up a set of 'special' tubeless tire levers from IRC at my LBS when I bought the tires. The special pointed end is actually intended for mounting the tires and is supposed to help in seating the bead. You can put tubeless tires on without tools but you obviously can't remove them without tools. Any set of plastic tire levers, used with a little care, would have done the job equally well. Fortunately, they were not expensive and they are quite strong.

I am glad I did not have to do this job for the first time on the road. The mess from the sealant was not too bad but it was messy, as in you should remove the remaining sealant before remounting the tire. You would also need to clean out this stuff to install an inner tube (and a recommended rim strip) if out on the road.

What was a bigger problem was the sealant that had hardened along the bead. There was enough of it to make remounting the tires a problem if not removed and it does not come off so easily. 

I prepared the inside of the tire surrounding the puncture in the same way I would prepare an inner tube for patching.

The puncture is much less obvious from the inside but it is there in the center.

I patched the tire the same way I would an inner tube. Unfortunately, you can't verify the quality of your handiwork the same way you can with an inner tube before going about re-installing the tire.

Remounting the tire was actually a little easier the second time around following the instructions I outlined in the first part of the post. Seating the bead around the valve was a little tricky, as before.

There isn't a whole lot of room on either side of the valve.

Pushing the valve in while keeping it oriented then pulling down on it and then tightening the retaining screw seems to make the job easier. It worked for me as no air leaked from around the valve.

With the tire remounted (and new sealant added) and cleaned up a little, there is a noticeable 'gouge' in the surface of the tire. It has held up for 2 weeks of commuting  (250 km +) and a 100 km weekend ride. It holds air quite nicely at 120 PSI much as it did before the repair.

There is a useful review of these tires here: www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/category/components/tyres/road/product/review-schwalbe-ultremo-zx-tubeless-tyre-13-47232#null

The gouge in the tire does make me question the remaining lifespan of the tires. I have done about 12,000 km of touring on a set of Vittoria Randonneurs with only a couple of flats (that I can remember), some pretty reasonably priced tires. That makes these tires truly seem pretty expensive for what I have gotten out of them so far. But this post is more about the tubeless experience than these particular tires.

If you are hesitant to go tubeless because the installation seems daunting, please don't be. Following the manufacturer's instructions is important and it probably does get easier with each attempt.

If you are hesitant to go tubeless because the thought of repairing the tires (especially out in the middle of nowhere on a cold rainy day) turns you off, well it is not really much more difficult or time consuming than repairing or replacing a tube (please disregard any moaning I did earlier in the post). Is the ride a whole lot better? I am not as in love with the ride as some people seem to be but having the option to run tires at lower pressure without getting a pinch flat can be nice and useful. This particular tire, used with sealant did work really well and can provide some really good puncture resistance - individual results may vary.

Going Tubeless for Road: Individual Results Will Vary

After making a wheel upgrade to a set of DT Swiss RR 1450 Tricons (www.dtswiss.com/Wheels/Road-Wheels/RR-1450-TRICON-sup-%C2%AE-sup) the opportunity to go tubeless presented itself. There is already plenty of information on going tubeless for anyone interested in making the switch so I will not bother going into great detail on this.

Advantages

Lower Tire Pressure

If you are the kind of person like I am who likes to inflate your tires to the maximum recommended PSI you may have suffered from a "skittish" ride where your (front) wheel seems to be jumping around on every little bit of debris that you can't avoid running over. By riding with tires at lower pressure, the tire is more compliant with debris and the road surface in general so you get a smoother, more comfortable ride. I have always felt that max tire pressure makes my ride (seem) faster but I can't say that riding at 90 - 100 PSI makes any great difference in real speed, in other words,  it does not make me any slower than I already am.

No Pinch Flats

Properly inflating tires obviously avoids this outcome (along with riding style) but tubeless tires eliminate this problem so I do believe this is a real advantage.

Safety

Tubeless tires require a very strong bead. If you have a catastrophic blowout, the tire will not come of the rim, hopefully making it a little easier to come to a stop without crashing. Thankfully I have not had any need to put this to the test but this seems entirely believable. Riding in Japan just about anywhere involves climbing. On a typical weekend ride I'll do 600 - 1000 m of climbing. I find that tubeless tires, if nothing else,  instill confidence on the descents.

Other

Decreased rolling resistance. "There is no friction between the inner tube and the tire" ... Sounds nice in theory. If there is any truth to this, it is certainly not something I have 'felt' in any way while riding. Some people may point out that there is no longer a need to carry a puncture kit or buy/ carry (spare) inner tubes. This is simply not true as fixing a flat on the road will probably necessitate using an inner tube and the patch kit to repair your tire when sealant is not sufficient is the same as you would use to repair an inner tube when you get a flat.

Puncture Resistance

This is a more accurate phrase to use than 'no more flats'. Just as I was planning to post something about going tubeless, I had my first experience with a puncture. This is one of the main points I hope to make in this post. In my limited experience with tubeless tires (about 1500 km on this set), running tubeless tires with sealant can definitely help you finish your ride and get you home. I'm getting to it, please be patient and read on.

Disadvantages

Price - Lack of Selection - Availability

A lot depends, obviously, on where you live. Living in Japan, near a major city, IRC tubeless tires are pretty easy to find and their entry level tubeless tire can be found for about US$52 (LBS or online). Hutchinson tubeless are probably the next easiest to find but are rather pricier at about US$ 75 or so for the Fusion 3s. The Schwalbe Ultremo ZX tubeless tires I opted for were about US$ 55 at my LBS. I don't know of any road tubeless tires for under US$ 50. A good LBS in my area typically has 3 -5 choices of tubeless tires (probably because Shimano's entry level tubeless ready wheelsets are easy to find and usually competitively priced). The situation where you live is probably similar or may be worse; tubeless tires are pretty expensive (compared to ordinary clinchers with decent tubes) and there is not a whole lot of choice, if you can even find them.

Weight

If anything, tubeless tires are a little bit heavier than clincher / tube combinations because of the way they are made. Assuming you add sealant for the tubeless tire, they are even 'heavier'. This is more a topic for weight weenies. Let's just say that if you were hoping to save weight by virtue of not having a tube, there is in fact no advantage (or disadvantage).

Installation

This was the biggest concern I had before going for tubeless tires; the endless horror stories in forums and posts about the difficulty of installing tubeless tires, mainly because tools are not supposed to be used for installation. I am sure that it may difficult for many people. This is really the second point I hope to make in this post. 

Much to my surprise, the installation was easier than for some clinchers I have used. The combination of the DT Swiss wheels and Ultremo ZX tires I used worked very well. With different wheels and tires it may indeed be a lot more difficult (thus the title of the post). If you are put off making the choice for tubeless tires based on this fear alone, please don't be (don't choose tubeless for one of the other valid points already mentioned). 

Installation

There are plenty of good how to videos on YouTube for installing tubeless tires. I found this one from Hutchinson to be the most useful: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBa88zZossE.

The only points I can add to this:

• The 'tool' used in the video to apply the water / soap solution costs about US$ 10 at my LBS. Unless I actually wanted to carry something with me on a ride for emergency repairs, this tool is a waste (some people will carry a small container of talcum powder for installing a tube when on tour, kinda like that I guess). I just mixed up a 50 - 50 solution of water and liquid soap for washing dishes and applied it by hand. The solution does make a huge difference. The 'special' solution sold by some companies for installing tubeless tires also seems to be completely unnecessary.
• I had to purchase a valve core removal tool. It was not included with any of my purchases (wheel, tires, sealant). You will need one and it sucks to start a job and not have all the tools.
• I used to install clinchers starting at the valve as this part of the tire seemed the most difficult to seat. With tubeless tires in particular, this is a bad idea. Absolutely finish at the valve, the 'extra' tire material you have to work with will help get it on. 
• I found wearing gloves gave me a better grip on the tire and probably saved some skin.
• Once I got the tire on the rim, I pushed the valve up into the tire and then tightened the retaining screw to put it back into place. I found it easier to seat the tire next to the valve this way. It can be a tight fit (see pictures part 2).
• CO2 cartridges are pricey where I live. Schwalbe claim that the Ultremo ZX tubeless tires can be initially inflated with a floor pump. I am not saying it was easy, but they can be. Out on the road would be another story.
• I used Hutchinson's Protect'Air Max sealant in my installation. After deflating the tires, removing the tires, removing the core from the valve, adding the sealant and replacing the valve core, it is important to move the tires around or else the sealant will come up through the valve and make a nice mess (and make the core of the valve rather 'sticky' for subsequent inflation - you can guess why I am adding this comment).

The next biggest worry I had and of equal or greater importance is what would happen when I eventually had to remove the tire for repair. How difficult would it be to remove the tire and how messy would it be to deal with the sealant? This is the subject of the part 2 of the post.

Final verdict on Shimano Ultegra Di2 6770 upgrade ?

My Ultegra Di2 6770 upgrade adventure started because of degradation in the shifting performance of the Ultegra 6700 RD on my 2 year old Lapierre Sensium 300. I replaced the cables and housing once using Shimano SIS 41 cables and housing. Rather embarrassingly I discovered the replacement set of housing to be in rather poor shape.

Maybe my eyesight really is failing but I did not notice how bad the condition had become until I flexed the cables and saw signs of rust. I have never experienced anything like this on mountain bikes or with older Shimano equipment. I have a set of Tiagra 4500 brifters on an older commuter bike. I have replaced the cables and lubricate them occasionally but the cable housing has lasted for years. The cable routing for the Tiagra brifters is quite different and does not require any sharp bends. 

As the cable and housing originates from the side of the brifter, the cable routing is not concealed under bar tape but the housing seems a lot happier and shifting performance seems to require less maintenance over time. Yes, I could have replaced the cables and housing (and been more vigilant about maintenance) but the possibility of going through this again was a real turnoff. 

Even on sale, the Ultegra Di2 6770 upgrade kit is not cheap. The upside:

• More comfortable brake/shift levers, especially if you have smaller hands.
• The travel of the shift is no longer an issue as you are just pushing a button (Shimano seems to recognize this is an issue for some as the Ultegra 6800 brifters require as the Ultegra 6800 brifters require "30% less" travel").
• Once set up, there is no need to tune the RD or FD or worry about cable maintenance. I have not needed to touch anything over the first 1000 km.
• The trimming function of the FD is as good as advertised. The mechanical Ultegra shifters do have trim but this just works so well, even in the chainring / cog combinations that you are 'not supposed to use'.
• The FD really does shift quite happily under torque. I find I don't have anticipate or think ahead when making gear changes. It is nice not to hear the grinding noise coming from the chain and chainring when executing a shift a little too late or early (and thinking about the wear you are putting on your components).
• Being able to shift easily when off the saddle is actually really nice for climbing.
• I am not a weight weenie but being a smaller and lighter rider, I am not completely immune to weight concerns either. If  you are wavering between something like the Ultegra 6700 and Ultegra 6770 Di2, the weight difference is not noticeable, at least to me. 
• The RD and FD do make a little noise but with the wind you get when riding, I just don't hear it. 
• The battery seems to last as long as Shimano claims (think the RD stops functioning first to help get you home if you neglect to check the battery)

There really is not much to complain about. The downside:

• At least for this iteration of Di2, there is not really any feedback, either in noise or feel when changing gears and it is true that you  wonder at times if you have changed gears or not. 
• In summer, I have had no problem with mis-shifts. The buttons are offset and you can feel the difference in texture. I don't know if it will be as easy in winter with thick gloves on.
• I have found that changing wheels, even with the same cassette, does sometimes  require a little tweaking but it is done the same way as the original setup and requires no tools.
• The RD or FD will be a lot more expensive when or if they need replacement due to a crash or some other mishap (there is a crash mode that temporarily disables the RD for protection - nice touch).
• I hope I don't have to test the RD with a bent derailleur hanger. I would still hesitate to do any touring with this setup.

Conclusion, if any:

I still feel a little guilty for spending money on components that give some convenience but do nothing to make you go any faster. The concerns about frame compatibility, appearance, weight, ease of installation and use are, in my opinion, not really a problem. I was hoping to read something or be told something either by a fellow rider or a staff member at one of the LBSs that I deal with that would convince me this was a good decision. I enjoy riding my other bikes, all with mechanical groupsets, just as much, but in different ways. If you upgrade your bike to Di2 or buy a new bike with this groupset, I'm sure you will not be disappointed. Ultimately, the decision does come down to personal preference and whether or not you can afford it.

Ultegra Di2 6770 Installation

Armed with the instructions that accompanied the various components, the tech documents from Shimano mentioned in my last post and this YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HdFmgAqv0g the installation was easy and went very smoothly. There is not really much to add to this but the following may be helpful.

Brifters

I have small hands and am quite happy with the size of the Ultegra Di2 6770 brifters (right, Ultegra 6700 left).

The transition from the brifters to the handlebar is noticeably different and I found I needed to re-position them after my first ride. If there is ever a time to do a test ride without installing handlebar tape, this is it. As mentioned in the instructions, the wire can be connected to either terminal. Reading through the instructions is actually useful in this case to avoid that moment of doubt. The extra terminal is for those who want the optional "satellite switch" or the PC connector (SM­PCE1)­.

Shimano made an effort to make the installation that much easier. The terminal rotates outwards to facilitate the connection.

As mentioned in the instructions, you can wrap the wires around the base of the brifter to take up any unneeded length in the SM­EW67­A­E (sorry, no picture). I needed to do so as I have smallish handlebars. It all covers up rather nicely with bar tape.

External vs. Internal Wiring

Before deciding to take the plunge and do this upgrade, I read endless posts about how ugly the wiring was.My frame is not Di2 ready and has (partial) internal cabling for the rear brake only. As the warranty on my frame has already expired (Lapierre mysteriously offers a one year warranty on its frames in Japan versus the 5 years it offers in other countries), I considered drilling holes to do the wiring internally. The wiring for internal or external is the same, the rear junction only is different and sold individually if you were ever inclined to change your setup SM­JC41* (built­in type)/SM­JC40* (external type). After completing the wiring externally, I really can't see why so many people are complaining about the appearance.

I suppose it helps if your frame is black. The wire covers are quite flexible and adequately sticky (they have not budged after about 1000 km of riding in the 40 C degree hell that is Osaka's summer). Washing down the frame as suggested before installation as suggested is definitely a good idea.

Wrapping the excess wiring under the BB is a pain but the wiring is very flexible. I am not saying this is the best wiring job ever but it is very secure and who is ever going to see it?

The wiring is considerably smaller than cable housing so again, what is the big deal?

The battery was my biggest worry, as in where to put it. It is much smaller than I expected but it requires a little space to remove. I have seen it installed under the bottom bracket on some Di2 ready frames (which seems like a great place for the battery to get as much water as possible).  I have also seen it installed on the left chainstay.

Sorry, Don't remember where I found this picture to give credit. I also have a Garmin cadence/speed sensor in the same position. This bike may have eyelets to screw in the short battery mount (SM­BMR1­S). The battery mounts are a little pricey. I tried setting it up this way with zip ties. The zip ties would interfere with mounting the battery in the short battery mount however. Water seems like less of a problem but it might get knocked around a bit (?). So despite the space problem, I mounted the battery with the long water bottle type mount.

Not a lot of space but I have only removed the battery once so far for recharging. I had to use the bottle cage adapter ­(SM­BA01) to move the water bottle cage on the seat tube up about 10 cm.

This results in a tight fit for the water bottle on the seat tube but it works. These Polar insulated water bottles are pretty big but I find I need them in summer. All of this just means that if you have a bike with similar geometry that is on the small size, where you choose to mount the battery might require some forethought and some measurements but it is doable.

How big are the derailleurs? How do they look?

Yeah, they are bigger. Looks, of course, are very subjective. They are very nicely finished, they look like high quality components. Personally I do not care about the weight difference, at least in this case.

Installing them, following the instructions, was a breeze. The support bolt for the FD is difficult to find (see instructions) but aside from that no problem. Shimano's instructions indicate moving the RD to the 5th cog on the cassette and aligning the RD from that cog for the initial adjustment. I found that when I did that, the FD would not shift onto the largest cog. I set my RD by starting from the 4th cog and everything worked perfectly. Now that I have lived with this upgrade for a while, was it worth it?

To Di2 or not (or an expensive solution to a simple problem)

My 2 year old Lapierre Sensium 300 was due for an overhaul. The Ultegra 6700 groupset that came with the bike worked pretty flawlessly for the first 10,000 km or so of riding but even with regular maintenance, I found myself having to constantly tweak the bike to get smooth gear changes. Another new set of cables and outers alone might have done the trick but maintenance is an opportunity for an upgrade, right? With the Ultegra 6800 already available and Ultegra 6870 looming, prices for the Ultegra 6700 Di2 upgrade kit came down in price enough that I could talk myself into justifying the expense. So, is it difficult to install? Is it worth it?

A note on buying

If you go the online route as I did, you may wonder when comparing offers if the upgrade kit is complete. A little homework is in order. This link for Shimano's technical document for dealers will help in identifying the individual components (and give help with installation as I found the included documentation lacking detail).
 http://techdocs.shimano.com/media/techdocs/content/cycle/SI/Ultegra/UltegraDi2/6770Di2_DM_EN_v1_m56577569830770172.pdf. The upgrade kit I purchased included the following:

①デュアルコントロールレバー・・・・・・・ST-6770 × 1 (dual control levers, set F/R)
②フロントディレイラー・・・・・・・・・・・・・・FD-6770-F(直付) × 1 (FD, braze on)
③リアディレイラー・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・RD-6770-SS × 1 (RD, SS as in short cage)
④バッテリー・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・SM-BTR1 × 1 (battery)
⑤バッテリーチャージャー・・・・・・・・・・・SM-BCR1 × 1 (battery charger)
⑥バッテリーチャージャー用ケーブル・SM-BCC1 × 1 (battery cable, in this case for Japan)
⑦エレクトリックケーブル(ﾊﾝﾄﾞﾙ周り)・・SM-EW67A-E × 1 (cables to brifters with junction)
⑧エレクトリックケーブルセット・・・・・・・・SM-JC40-M × 1 (rear - under BB - external junction)
・ﾊﾞｯﾃﾘｰﾏｳﾝﾄ SM-BMR1-L (long battery mount, under bottle cage)
・ｴﾚｸﾄﾘｯｸｹｰﾌﾞﾙ EW-SD50(950mm×1、500mm×1、300mm×2) (electric cables)
・ｺｰﾄﾞｶﾊﾞｰ(ﾌﾞﾗｯｸ) SM-EWC2(300mm×3、50mm×3) (electric cable covers)

As the front derailleur comes in braze on only, a suitable "band adapter" or braze on adapter (SM­AD67) is required and not included. If your frame does not have a braze on mount for your FD like mine, just measure the diameter of the seat tube and order the appropriate adapter. Everything else needed for the installation was included in this kit. Although not mentioned, the "required" tool for installing the cables is included and found in the box containing the cables (hey, ya never know). All of the bundled upgrade kits I have seen come in "M" or "L" lengths. Just for reference, I am about 5'6" (167 cm) and have a 49 cm frame in the Lapierre, the "M" was just about perfect for my frame. Check this Shimano tech document for how you should measure your frame to determine the correct cable length:
http://www.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/tech_support/tech_tips.download.-Par50lparsys-0034-downloadFile.html/10)%20Di2%20Wire%20Kit%20Instructions.pdf. You can always buy different length cables after - they range from 150 - 1400 mm in 50 mm increments - but they cost around 20 dollars each if you can find them. Shimano says the cables can't or should not be cut. I'll leave it at that. The battery cable is country specific, cables for outlets to match other countries are available if needed (like I bought this online from another country or want to travel with my bike). The battery is external only for Di2 6770, whether you go internal cabling or external. Most of the upgrade kits I have seen do not offer a choice in battery mounts. There is a short mount for Di2 ready frames (SM­BMR1­S). As my frame is somewhat small to begin with and this model Lapierre has "compact geometry", I did need to move the bottle cage on my seat tube up a little to accommodate the battery. If this is you, you might need the "bottle cage adapter" (SM­BA01). This is not included. I have seen bundles that do not include the wire covers for the external wiring kits (SM­EWC2). You get 3 long and 3 short (see above for length). I only used half of them for the installation on my bike. Nothing worse than starting a project and finding something missing. I spent a lot of time to figure out just what I needed. Hope this clears things up a little. With this part out of the way, onto the installation.