Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Inner Tubes in a tubless tire

I have a semi-dumb question.... is there any reason that I cannot run an inner tube in my current tubeless tire? I had a flat today from a very small puncture which I fixed with a plug. A new tire runs about 100.00 (Kenda Kruz) the same size inner tube 170/80-15 costs $25.00 plus stem for about $7.00.
My bike is a 2010 BA with standard cast wheels.

Yes, you can for certain run a tube in a tubeless tire. But it's waaaaaay easier to fix a puncture in a tubeless tire than fix a puncture in a tube, so I'm not quite following your logic here. To fix a tube you have to get your bike up on a stand of some sort, pull the wheel, break the tire away from the rim, extract the tube, patch the tube, put it all back together again then re-inflate. With the tubeless you insert a plug, re-inflate and you're on your way (in most cases).

First of all Cycle gear has 170/80-15 tubes for $12.99 or so. Never thought about the valve stem when going from a tubeless to a tube. I mean isn't the hole in an alloy rim much larger than one designed for a tube? Maybe not. If not then why would you need to buy a valve stem if you want to slip a tube under your tire?

Lastly, you want the tube for added insurance against leaks?

The tire should be plugged patched. Patched from the inside and plugged through the carcass. To do this the tire needs to be dismounted. Then you have to find a shop with the patch plug that will do it for you. or purchase a kit that alow YOU to do the same thing, without breaking down the tire.

Stop & Go's Pocket Tire Plugger plus CO2 Inflation This kit includes four 16gram CO2 cartridges. It takes 5 cartridges to inflate the rear tire enough to hobble to a pump.

I recently ordered Stop & Go's Pocket Tire Plugger - For All Tubeless Tires. Since this kit doesn't include inadequately sized CO2 cartridges, an order was placed for genuine innovations monster air chuck which includes two 45gram CO2 whippets that will inflate the same tire in the place of five, 16gram ones. Kinda big $$ but should one on the road repair be needed, the cost savings alone more that recoup the what would now seem as a paltry up front cost.



Stop & Go uses mushroom heading plugs that seal from the inside out and through the carcass. imho much better than a simple gooey black piece of rope!

The tire can be patched on the inside... that's how we repaired them at the dealer where I worked. I don't trust plugs..

Maybe he has a wheel that needs a tube, like mine, and wants to run a tubeless tire on it, like an Avon AM41 Front Tire. That is what brought me to this thread at least.

the way I understand it, all tubeless tires can run tubes, but no tube tires can run tubeless

If you are concerned about running a tubeless tire with a plug in it, it can be done. Not necessarily recommended but a lot of people do it. Tubeless tires are usually very easy to fix on the road. I always carry a plug kit and co2 bottles. This is really designed to get you to a place where the tire can be repaired properly from the inside with a proper plug/patch. There are some sophisticated repair plugs that do just as good a job with a "button style plug" without having to remove the tire, as removing the tire and patching from the inside.