Our ultra long-term review of the TUbliss system for enduro motorbikes.
In our group, most of us have used TUbliss for five to seven years now.
We will look at how TUbliss works.
Its reliability.
Whether TUbliss will suit you or not.
And a few handy tips.
What is TUbliss?
It is a conversion that allows you to throw away your tubes.
Underneath the red plastic is a high pressure tube.
This is pumped up to 100psi and provides a very secure air-tight fit.
Then you just pump your tyre to the desired pressure.
The advantages of TUbliss?
You can fix punctures in two minutes, using a tubeless tyre repair kit.
Also, you can continue riding with a flat tyre if needed.
TUbliss strengthens the sidewall of the tyre enough to keep riding even with no air pressure.
Obviously the handling is affected, and you don't want to hit rocks or tree roots at speed.
But as an experiment I did an entire ride with zero air pressure and had no issues.
TUbliss acts like a huge rimlock too.
There is no chance of the tyre slipping as long as the high pressure tube is correctly inflated.
Combined with the firmer sidewalls, this allows plenty of traction by using low air pressures.
In our group, most of use three to four psi in the tyre carcass which provides incredible traction.
Faster riders usually have six psi or higher.
How reliable is the TUbliss system?
We have five riders in our group.
They have used TUbliss for at least four years. In our experience it is great.
Me? I have used it on two motorbikes over the past seven years with no issues.
I used TUbliss on my Beta Xtrainer for five years
and it still worked perfectly when I sold the motorbike.
A friend used his for six years but eventually found his rear system was rusting.
However, it turned out to be his fault as he had stripped the
surface off the red plastic's steel cable and it eventually rusted through... after six years.
Scott had no issues for his first three years...
until he entered a hard enduro competition and hit sharp edged
rocks so hard it punctured the red plastic and the high pressure tube burst.
He knew this was a risk as he kept the air pressure low to get maximum traction.
What about other riders?
You can see occasional complaints from riders who say the system leaks air slowly.
I suspect in most cases it is because the instructions aren't followed correctly.
Or the owner is trying to fit a used tyre...
this often leads to slow leaks.
Will TUbliss suit you?
We think the three main options are tubes, TUbliss or mousses.
Old fashioned tubes?
These work fine if you don't want to run low air pressures,
you don't ride aggressively in rough terrain, and you don't mind fixing punctures if they occur.
Mousses?
These are great for serious race events.
Or if you are a skilled aggressive rider slamming into logs, rocks and ruts at speed.
Then you have average dirt muppet...
the weekend warrior who wants great traction,
adjustable air pressure, and easy puncture repairs.
TUbliss can be a real game changer for the typical dirt rider.
So will TUbliss suit you?
We have a whole video dedicated to this.
Here is the summary.
Some long term tips?
I would recommend keeping at least 3psi in the tyre.
If you run lower than this, the internal part of the tyre
can rub on the red plastic and leave marks.
Given enough time, you would probably wear through the red plastic shield.
TUbliss recommend using a new tyre every time to ensure an air-tight fit.
However, we have fitted used tyres often.
We use 'Tyre Slime' to help with an air-tight fit.
It can be a good idea to do this even with new tyres.
As mentioned, TUbliss strengthens the tyre's
sidewall and lets you even ride the motorbike with zero air pressure.
However, this depends on the strength of the sidewall.
If you use a trials tyre, the sidewall will be too soft.
On the other hand, you may find some heavier knobbies have very stiff
sidewalls and you will be running very low air pressure if trying to maximise traction.
Can you use TUbliss on the road?
In the USA, they technically need to be DOT approved.
And TUbliss has not pursued this.
But whether a cop is familiar with the relevant laws,
and the actual TUbliss system, is an interesting point.
In other countries?
I don't know.
Do your research.
So... what do you guys use?
And why?
Keen to hear your opinions.