Going Tubeless, Tyres and Rims?

[drcarlos]

I had a puncture last night in the gloop and dark changing it was no fun. So I'm thinking of going tubeless on my 2 modern bikes (possibly even the CB Anteaus), using the ghetto Gorilla tape method. I know my tyres on the Kona Dawg are Tubeless ready as they are marked this way and so are the ones on the CB.
On my Cube 29er I have a set of Schwalbe Racing Ralph/Nobby Nic in the performance line. I bought them last year just as the Addix compound seemed to be taking over topspot in the range. Neither are marked as tubeless ready but both are the folding type. Could these be used Tubeless or do I need new tyres?
Also my Rims, I have DT Swiss MA 1.9 on my Cube, Sun Ringle Equalizers on the Kona and Wolber AT-18's on the CB. I've been doing some reading I'm not sure if any of them will work at all.
Is this a stupid idea or something worth pursuing?

Carl.

 

[LongboardSi]

It may be painful and frustrating, but if/when you get it going it's *probably* going to be worth it. Use plenty of sealant, coat the beads well too. Good luck!

 

[drcarlos]

Maybe I'll try one set of tyres first and go from there. looks like it could cost about £25 to buy 1 litre of sealant and some Gorilla tape.

Carl.

 

[PeterPerfect]

This is one for the weight weenies.

Not worth the hassle imho.

Stick to a good quality puncture resistant tyre and a quality slime tube and you won't go wrong.

This is the time of the year when all the farmers and land owners are hedge cutting along towpaths and bridleways so you're always at risk of large thorns and sharp edges from the industrial cutting machines they use on tractors these days.

I've seen so many people in my local LBS with tubeless not holding air.

Unless you're proficient at fitting them and using the right sealant, personally I wouldn't bother.

 

[d8mok]

Re:

On the flip side I run tubeless on my 2 trail bikes and touch wood haven’t had a puncture yet. My canal blast bike has a puncture a month and is on normal tubes. Tubeless is great

 

[drcarlos]

I think it's a worthy experiment. I wasn't looking at it for the weenieness more reliability as several of my riding buddies are tubeless and haven't suffered with punctures at all, so was just looking to attain that sort of reliability.
My concern was around Tyre/Rim capability and what the real differences are between tubed rims/tyres and the tubeless equivalents. Is it just a label and a few pounds per part or are there real design differences?

Carl.

 

[d8mok]

Re:

Why not try it ? Some sealant, valves and tape and it’ll probably work. People have been running ghetto tubeless for years now.

 

[mattr]

Is this a stupid idea or something worth pursuing?

Worth pursuing, the DT swiss and SunRingle rims should be ok, i've done a wide assortment of both manufacturers rims over the last ~10 years and not yet failed, some have taken a couple of goes. But all are up and (still) working. Not sure about the wolbers!
Many Schwalbe tyres are tubeless ready even though they aren't marked as such. Even if they aren't, they are still remarkably easy to get seated and inflated. Top tips include turning the tyres inside out over night to flatten them out (so the beads meet the rim with a little more pressure) and scrubbing the inside of the tyre to get rid of the release agent so the sealant wets the surface and seals quicker.

This is one for the weight weenies.

It's generally no lighter than a decent tubed set up, but then, it's not generally done for weight savings. It's done to improve traction, reduce rolling resistance and improve puncture resistance. All three of which it does well.

Not worth the hassle imho.

It's only generally a hassle if you try and do things out of order, or try some ridiculous knackered old combination of tyres and rims.

Stick to a good quality puncture resistant tyre and a quality slime tube and you won't go wrong.

Neither of these things actually exist.

I've seen so many people in my local LBS with tubeless not holding air.

As many as you see asking to have punctured tubes replaced? If you follow some fairly basic guidelines (which are published all over the net) you shouldn't have any significant issues, unless you try some ridiculous knackered old combination of tyres and rims.

Unless you're proficient at fitting them and using the right sealant, personally I wouldn't bother.

I wasn't proficient, now i am. And it really is a game changer. I'm currently several years away from my last puncture on the MTB. And can run low pressures and lightweight tyres with no concern about further punctures.

 

[drcarlos]

Re:

Thanks that's a great reply. Very encouraging. Think I'll buy some tape a litre of sealant and have a crack on the dt Swiss and sun ringle rims. If it all goes well I'll have a crack at the older wolber ones for a laugh.

Carl

 

[james1985]

My new bike (Shwalbe Nobby Nic) I swapped to tubeless before I rode it.

I would no longer use tubes on any bike I actually ride.

When I converted my Kinesis on older Mavic Crossmax rims, I had some trouble inflating the tyres air just escaped rather than tyres popping onto the beads. I put the original rim strips back on over the top of the Stans tape and they went straight up.

I fit the tyres, blow them up to seat the beads and then fill sealant through the valve, then re inflate.

I do always carry a tube, just in-case a tyre is damaged beyond the capabilities of the sealant.
If you do ever need to fit a tube, check the tyre carefully, as you will most likely find several thorns in it.

It really is amazing how it transforms a bike, and seals punctures.

I prefer Orange seal endurance sealant (doesn't last as long as regular Orange seal) but I check it every 2-3 months and everyone I know uses it.