Kirk: Your character appears to be slightly egotistic, anti-social and completely geeky. But he is also uber-adorable, so we have to work together to present him beautifully. I LOVE Mr. Knuckles 😛 – let’s position him as the Sheldon (The Big Bang Theory) of the biking world! 😉

My views are a tad different from those of other people. The biking community and I, in particular, disagree a lot. But then it isn’t easy to accept that someone else has smarter and more creative ideas. No worries, with time, everyone will realize my one-of-a-kind genius!

In the event that I am sounding like a real snob and an asshole, just remember that most of the stories you are about to read are derived from actual experiences and actual accounts that we might or might not have seen and heard!

My job – and I do this better than anyone – is to enhance your biking experience by sharing the best tips and tricks. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to follow what I say.

Now, there are many things you can put in a tire to fill it up- most people use air (Surprise!)! Meanwhile, I have been experimenting with other forms or fillers, such as spray insulation, jello, water and air combination, and various types of sealants. Well, that’s just how I roll!

But just putting sealant in the tire doesn’t mean it will not become flat. Also, remember that the amount of sealant is not proportionate to the level of luck you may or may not have with getting a puncture!

If you are going to use a sealant, make sure it does not have a tendency to deteriorate your tube or tire. And keep in mind that some sealants may get stuck in the valve stem and cause a slow leak.

This can be easily checked by a little spittle on your finger. If a bubble is created from air leaking, simply remove the valve stem and clean out the offending sealant and replace it. This can happen immediately after you inflate the tire so you want to check for the leak or that next day could be a frustrating experience. Imagine waking up to a flat tire! (never happened to me!)

Sorry, I got off on a tangent, but I simply enjoy sharing my bottomless well of knowledge!

Anyway, let’s get back to topic now!

You might have spent several sleepless nights – tossing and turning on your uncomfortable beds, with tears streaming down your cheeks – trying to solve the world’s most pressing problem: should I have a tubeless setup or should I opt for tubes in my bike?

Many people use tubes, which is a fine way to keep a tire inflated. In fact, Thorn Resistant tubes can be a great detour-ant for any sort of foreign object that might want to penetrate your tire and ruin your biking experience.

So is tube always better? If not, when are tubeless bikes a better option?

Here is the deal, cats!

First, get a more comfortable bed because too much tossing can hurt your back! Then ask yourself: what am I going to do on this bike?

If you are going to ride around the neighborhood looking for ladies in tight pants watering their lawns you don’t need a tubeless set up. (Good for you though!) If, instead, you are looking to run less pressure to gain more traction so you can corner like you are on rails, then you are a candidate for tubeless.

A guy came into my shop looking to use a tubeless setup for his speedy ride. I happily agree to help him out. Little did I know what my decision would cost me!

When I get around to fixing it up a few days later, I take off the wheel and instantly realize that something just didn’t feel right. The wheel was unusually heavy.

“Huh?” I said to myself (I do that sometimes – nothing wrong with it, right?)

I put the tire lever on the bead and pried it open, and what I saw left me scratching my head!

Gobs and gobs of wild grass, flora and fauna came out of the side of the tire. It doesn’t take a genius like me to guess that he enjoyed circling trails!

His Ghetto tubeless setup had failed and he did not have a backup tube to set it right again, so in his infinite wisdom he filled it with the vegetation from the trail-side.

I was impressed and disgusted all at the same time – mostly because I had to clean up the huge mess I had just created.

Hey Peepsles! If you are gonna do something, take the time to do it right, because as my Ma used to say, “There is never enough time to do it right the first time but there is always time to do it twice!”
Thanks for reading. Always remember not let go of your bars, and for sure don’t be a Kludge Knuckle Jones!

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