The tire pressure flexibility that tubeless provides a user is a benefit to mountain bikers. But standard tubeless has a weight penalty that many mountain bikers, including Keith, don't want to pay. Keith designed the Tubeless Ready System to offer the same reliable bead/rim interface of standard tubeless tires but he removed excess weight from the tire casing.

Standard tubeless tires have an extra layer of rubber either on the inner surface of the casing or on the outer surface. This extra layer of rubber takes the place of the tube and seals the casing. It also adds weight to the tire. This extra layer of rubber is thin and breaks down so eventually air leaks directly through the sidewalls. They resist punctures slightly better than tires with tubes but they still puncture. The idea behind Tubeless Ready Tires is pretty simple. Lose the extra material in a standard tubeless tire and instead of that use a sealant to keep the air inside.

Tubeless Ready tires have the same bead design as a standard tubeless tire, making them easy to install and hold air well after they are mounted. The beads are a tight fit on the rim so it is difficult to unseat them and lose air out on the trail. But TR tires don't have the extra layer of rubber on the casing that adds weight to standard tubeless.

Much of the development process behind TR tires was finding the right sealant for this application. Thick glycol based sealants (like Slime) don't work well in tubeless tires. They are too thick to cover the inner surfaces properly. They might work if you use a lot of sealant, as much as 150 grams (1 cup) and there are situations that might be appropriate for a conservative approach like that (where there is a possibility to have large punctures or small pinch ruptures). But for most situations this much sealant adds too much weight to the wheel. Latex based sealants (like Stan's) work well if they are mixed properly, but they turn into a solid blob of rubber in a fairly short time. This isn't an issue if you change tires often, but many folks don't.

Bontrager's Super Juice is the ideal sealant for tubeless bike tires. It is thin and runs around on the inner surface of the tire quickly and thoroughly. This thin glycol based sealant was originally developed for long haul trucking so the drivers don't have to check their tire inflation pressure all the time. Super Juice doesn't cure in a short time like latex so it doesn't develop clumps that require frequent maintenance.

Use Super Juice for Tubeless Ready tires if you want the lightest possible tubeless setup with a reliable bead lock. But we also recommend that you use Super Juice in standard tubeless tires for added flat protection. All tubeless tires leak air in a few novel ways. Leaks around the bead are not uncommon. Air molecules are small, so any imperfection in the tire bead or rim surface will let air through the gap that forms there. And, as a tire is used, the layer of rubber applied to the inside of the casing starts to break down. Small imperfections form in it and it leaks. A small quantity of Super Juice stops these leaks. It fills the microscopic gaps in the casing and the leaks around the bead and stops the air loss.

Bontrager offers Tubeless Ready tires in most of our most popular tread patterns at the same price as a standard Kevlar tire. Try Tubeless Ready if you want to run a lightweight tire system that runs at low pressure and limits your exposure to flat tires. Use Super Juice in all Tubeless Ready tires but also in standard tubeless if you want to improve your flat protection.

Quick Facts:

• Lightweight tires with a tubeless bead
• 100 grams lighter per tire then standard tubeless
• 50 grams lighter per tire then standard tire and tube combination
• System integrates tire and sealant
• Operates at low pressure for better traction