Racing cyclocross this season? Here's one of the best tips I think we can give you: set your bike up tubeless. Too many people pay gobs of money for a light-weight high-end wheelset hoping it will give them the competitive edge. Don't get me wrong, I agree with that 100 percent. The issue is when they then throw in heavy slime-filled tubes to prevent flats. Half the time you'll end up with a flat anyway, and you've now added at least four ounces per wheel...that's a half a pound of rotational weight! I've been in so many races where I watch rider after rider pull out to switch a wheel or fix a flat. 9 times out of 10 that ruins the race for you. But not me...I haven't had a flat in a cyclocross race since switching, and I'm running about five years on my mountain bike without a flat. Without a doubt, when done right, tubeless works!
Most of the wheels you'd use in a cyclocross race will have to be converted to work right. The Stan's No Tubes conversion kit is affordable and works great. Last year I road the Bontrager RXL wheels with a Stan's kit and the Hutchinson Bulldog tubeless tires. I never had any leaking issues or flats. Some wheels come ready to go. Mavic and Shimano have good tubeless options that only require a tubeless tire and a specific stem. So if you haven't jumped on the tubeless bandwagon yet, at least look into it. Talk to someone who uses it or call us up at the shoppe and talk to us about it. Oh, and one more thing: have a great cyclocross season!
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