How Tubeless Tires Work, with Stans President Mike Bush [Podcast #264]

How does tubeless tire sealant work? Is carbon a better material for building rims than aluminum? Are 30mm-wide rims becoming the standard?

By Jeff Barber
October 1, 2020 Last Updated: February 2, 2021

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On this Episode

Mike Bush is the President of Stans, a brand whose founder Stan Koziatek pioneered the use of tubeless tires in mountain biking. Today the Stans brand designs and markets its own line of popular wheels and tubeless tire accessories to keep mountain bikers rolling.

For most mountain bikers, tubeless tire sealant is basically magic, and Mike gives us one of the best explanations we’ve heard for how the stuff actually works. Of course tire sealant is just one piece of the inflation puzzle, so we spend a lot of time talking about rims and also tires.

Is carbon a better material for building rims than aluminum? Are 30mm-wide rims becoming the standard? Listen in to hear the answers to these questions and more. There’s also additional info about the Stans brand at NoTubes.com.

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