I've exhausted every other resource and I'm still getting flats. I've only been racing
(on occasion) for a few years, and I all ready have more DNFs due to flats than
I can count on both hands.

Time to switch to something bulletproof.

I'm trying to find something bad about tire balls. All I can dig up is they occasionally
pop a few cells here and there.

Most Pro's and top A guys in our club run BIBs. But they seem pretty pricey and
don't last nearly as long.

Can someone give me some advice?

Thanks in advance.
-Nick

I prefer Ultra HD tubes but I would probably pick Bibs if I had to make a choice like you .  Just replace several times a year.

Tried both and prefer BiBs.  I only use it in the front with an ultra HD in the back.  I will get a season out of one, avoiding tarmac which kills the mousse.  Keeping it well lubricated helps a lot too.

dgcars said:

Can you please explain why you prefer the bibs over tire balls?

I should also mention I bought a second set of rims that will only be used for racing.

I preferred the feel more so with the michelin moose.  I've had failures with the balls over a 2 day event and it is a real pain to change.  I always felt the bike tracked differently, which I didn't like.  I ride enduro and hare & hound and this combo suited me best.

http://www.nuetech.com/

Awesome! Great system and you can run on a flat if needed. I have a back and want a front. Love running 8-9 psi in my back. Traction is great.

4strokes_rule said:

I was going to post that, too. I haven't tried it, yet but I want to. Looks like a really good system!

I am currently running BIB mousse up front and Michellin UHD out back. I really like the feel of the BIB on sharp square edged hits. I have been wanting to try the Tire Balls but every time I get ready to purchase them something else needs to be replaced on my bike that is more essential. Search on TT for the Mike Sigety (sp) write up on the mousse vs. tire balls vs. tubliss system, I think he explains it best and wouldn't be surprised if you make your decision after reading his write up. The thread can be found in his Erzberge write ups.

Go bib.

I will say I have never tried tire balls.  The concept seems OK, but the potential for problems is always there.  Pop a couple and things seem out of whack and you need to replace them.  A bib is maintenance free.  A top local pro has been running tire balls up front and a bib in the rear, but two DNFs recently in one day because of busted balls have swayed him to bibs front and rear.

Expensive, yes.  Hard to install, hell yes.  But what else can give you virtually peace of mind?  I tend to like my front bibs when they are dead.  The bite and grip I get is better, and I tend to like the dead feel they give.  Just because it goes dead doesn't mean it is dead forever.  For the front, I picked up the tip of slicing the bib and inserting another section of bib (6-8") which will entend the life of the existing bib, making it feel more like a fresh one.

The last bib I took out was in fact 8 seperate sections of older bibs that I had pieced together.  It lasted me the life of a front tire, about 8-10 races.

Use a ton of lube.  If it is greasy and slippery, it will work.  Vaseline, KY, axle grease, whatever.....lather it up thick and throw it on.

I had great luck with my bibs, they do have a different feel to them, some guys don't notice but i liked it. Tire balls seem like they'd be a headache so I haven't bothered.

I've seen enough guys have problems with the Tubliss stuff that I personally wouldn't consider it.

I've been running tire balls f/r all season with great results.  On average the rear tire holds 25-30 balls and a front holds 35-40.  If you DNF with that many balls in there your maintenance sucks.  I just tore my rear tire off yesterday to put a new one on (it had been on there for about two months) and had six balls flat out of the 26 I had in there.  I never would have known if I hadn't torn it down...couldn't feel it at all.  So at $5/ea it's going to cost me about the price of a tube to replace those six with new ones.  My front had two flat....again I would have never known without tearing it down.  I run nitrogen in them just because I have that option.  I've varied pressures from 5-10psi and find myself at around 6.5-7 now.  They hook up awesome and feel the most different to me when hitting sudden objects like rocks or logs...they don't seem to bounce off of them as bad as tubes seem to.  I haven't tried bibs yet so I can't compare, but I hope to at some point.  

The TBs make tire changes take an extra 15-20 minutes probably between checking/adjusting the psi of each one and lubing them.  If you're good at changing tires to begin with I don't think they make it any harder, though.  Just my 2 cents.

TommyB 754 said:

Just curious, what problems are people having?

I just got mine and am about to put a second tire on. I had no problems so far, but again, only one tire so far.

My buddy has a full season on a set with no failures. He races a bunch and is an agressive/fast rider. Only problem was when he tore a hole in the tire. The TUbliss system stayed in place and held the tire tight to the rim. He said he could hardly tell it was flat and finished the race on it (rear tire).

I use mine in tight, gnarly single-track. I just like the extra traction @ low psi, and less weight than a HD tube.

I can see how a Bib would be fool-proof though.

I have had the Tubliss system front and rear for a little over a year now. They are nice for reducing the number of flats, but you still get them (especially if riding over sharp lava rocks etc.). I like them because I get about 5X less flats than with ultra HD tubes, I can still play with air pressures and when I do get a flat I can fix it in under 2 min with a tire plug and CO2 inflation system I carry with me. Still, for a racing specific setup, if price was no issue I think I would go bibs.

Bridgestone makes a ultra hd tube that is not your standard hd tube. They are very heavy but with 12psi I have yet to get a pinch flat. I have ripped of the stem off before but I have two rim locks on the rear of the 450 to prevent that now. Good luck.

http://www.rockymoun...rodFamilyId=311

newp500 said:

4mm thick??? Do you even need to put air in that thing???

I've pinched a BS UHD in a MT43 trials tire. I was only running 8 or 9psi though and it was rocky.

Tubliss has a major advantage over the alternatives in that it improves traction and performance of the tire.  Way lighter than HD tubes and no risk of pinch flats.  If you do get a puncture flat, it's easy to fix with an automotive tire repair kit.  I've been running them for over a year with NO problems.

Tubliss is a bit spendy up front, but so far seems very durable over several time changes for me.

Tire balls and mousse are just stupid because you can't adjust the tire pressure.

bryawn said:

Try fixing a 2" cut from a sharp edge hit with an automotive tyre fix.when you are 25 miles from the start finish area.  Mousse's might be "stupid", but they will always get you back.

bryawn said:

Umm... you can totally adjust tire pressure with Tire Balls with the number of balls you put in the tire. BIB's are prolly somewhere around 13#'s and less depending on how long they have been used. Also... I have heard of Enduro X guys drilling holes in BIB's to soften them up if needed. (Stupid is spending lots of money for a system that will show you how many other ways you can get a flat)