Technical Tuesday: Tubeless Conversion

May 31, 2010 at 18:17

On today's Technical Tuesday we're going to show you how to convert your standard tire and wheel combo into a tubeless setup. Inside you'll find a great How-To video running you through the entire process.

Read on...

The time tested combination of a tire and tube has treated us well over the years, but the traditional system does have its drawbacks. A tube will always be more susceptible both to pinch flats and holes from thorns, rocks, and any other troublemakers that may be hiding on your local trail. More and more riders are turning to tubeless setups to avoid these troubles, but not all wheels and tires are manufactured with this in mind. Thankfully there are many kits out there that allow you to convert your standard wheels and tires to be able to avoid using tubes. We'll be converting our Maxxis tire and DT rim using Stan's NoTubes yellow tape, tubeless valve stems, and tire sealant. Watch the video below to see how it's done!

Keep in mind that you may be voiding your tire's warranty by converting it to tubeless if it is not designed to run as such. If you're good with that, then continue on!

Tools needed: Floor pump or compressor, rag, and a knife.

Watch the video to see how to do a tubeless conversion:

You need to upgrade your Flash Player
Click here to install it

Views:20178 Faves:100 Comments:20 Add to my Favorites

A floor pump is all you need to seat some tubeless setups

Step by step instructions

43 second mark - With wheel in bike or stand to hold it in place, clean rim thoroughly so the rim tape has the best possible chance of creating an airtight seal

1:11 mark - Pull rim tape very taunt as you apply it to the rim bed

1:37 mark - Overlap tape by 6" and cut with sharp scissors. Use edge of tire lever to be sure that the tape is fully stuck to inside curves of the rim bed

2:02 mark - Using a sharp knife, cut a small "X" to open the tape the is covering the valve hole. Be careful not to cut any extra beyond the hole

2:13 mark - Install the tubeless valve stem and tighten it securely with the lock nut

2:20 mark - Seat only one side of the tire, just as you would if you were installing a tube

2:31 mark - Hang the wheel off your handlebar or bike stand with the valve in the 6 o'clock position

2:42 mark - Add the appropriate amount of sealant for your tire size

2:48 mark - Keeping the wheel in the same position (valve stem at 6 o'clock), use both hands to install the bead evenly around the tire, finishing at the 12 o'clock position

3:08 mark - Add air. Certain tire and rim combos may inflate quickly with only a pump, while others may require soapy water or a compressor to get them to seal

Past Tech Tuesdays:

Technical Tuesday #1 - How to change a tube.
Technical Tuesday #2 - How to set up your SRAM rear derailleur
Technical Tuesday #3 - How to remove and install pedals
Technical Tuesday #4 - How To Bleed Your Avid Elixir Brakes
Technical Tuesday #5 - How To Check And Adjust Your Headset
Technical Tuesday #6 - How To Fix A Broken Chain

Have you found this tutorial helpful? Share any of your hints or tips below!

Visit Parktool.com to see their entire lineup of tools.

Must Read This Week

1. Why No Y? 51971 reads
2. At Home With Sam Hill 35098 reads
3. Fabien Barel presents #1 - At home and on dirt with Cam Zink 29681 reads
4. "In Good Company" - A film about the importance of mountain biking to a community 28988 reads
5. Movies for Your Monday 28048 reads
6. Graham Agassiz's New Zealand Adventure 25980 reads
7. Ian Morrison, meet Steve Smith - Video 23705 reads
8. Anticipation Pt. 2 - Early season shredding in the Whistler Bike Park - Video 22026 reads

98 Comments

Score Time

+ 20

swan3609 (Jun 1, 2010 at 0:27)

to those that havnt gone tubeless yet.. Dont waste money on the tubeless kits.. Buy a bottle of stans and some 20 inch tubes and you can do the same thing.. Just slice the back of the tube up and it works the same as the tape.. once you have set the bead, just trim the excess tube off and it is ghetto tubeless.. tubeless for way cheaper..

BigRidah (Jun 1, 2010 at 10:21)

Or buy XC tubes and a stans injector, but 30ml in each tube, inflate, put baby powder on the tube and inside of tire. No flats!

iamamodel (Jun 1, 2010 at 17:43)

BigRidah, that has not worked for me - wouldn't seal a small thorn puncture.

BigRidah (Jun 1, 2010 at 20:13)

Fair enough.

thiago (Jun 1, 2010 at 22:09)

Way to go swan3609. But I've noticed 16" works better.

ertman Plus (Jun 2, 2010 at 18:11)

I've never seen a tubeless conversion done with only the yellow tape like this before. If this works, it would be just as cheap as the "ghetto" tubeless conversion (about $10/wheel plus sealant.)

thiago (Jun 7, 2010 at 5:50)

What else have you seen?

ertman Plus (Jun 7, 2010 at 18:48)

I've only seen the tubeless done with the rubber liner - either a Stan's liner or a ghetto tubeless system. I wouldn't think that the yellow-tape-only method would provide any protection from "burping" the tire on the trail...

thiago (Jun 8, 2010 at 9:33)

Hummm got ya now. For one momment I misunderstood it.

[Reply]

+ 19

Booizzle (May 31, 2010 at 22:34)

great tech tuesday as always nice to be getting a little farther in the progression too

[Reply]

+ 13

stever (Jun 1, 2010 at 7:04)

So, did he actually use the word, "betwixt"? Really? Bewixt? Hahahahah! Don't mind me though, I'm just being cantankerous.

mikelevy Mod Plus (Jun 1, 2010 at 15:52)

Just don't be facetious.

iamamodel (Jun 1, 2010 at 18:02)

I am curious as to the choice of 'betwixt' as well. I thought it may be a Canadian or Provincial usage as most English-speakers would use 'between'. I'm not being facetious, just curious. The only time I spent in Canada was at Whistler which was hardly a cultural experience for me as it was full of bloody Aussies!

'Facetious' - AFAIK is the shortest word in the English language that uses all vowels in alphabetical order. The second shortest word is a tie with 'abstemious' and some other word I can't remember.

+ 11

stever (Jun 1, 2010 at 18:55)

Don't worry Mike, just joking in good fun here. If I knew how to type anything other than Smile

I would have inserted that emoticon. In all honesty, I did appreciate the video. I've used Stan's rim strips, but it was nice to see the use of their rim tape/tubless valve combination.

And iamamodel, ya, I really don't know who in the modern english-speaking world still uses that word, hence why I was joking around. I get the impression that the word might be old-english, and that might, on the rare occasion, still be used in the american "deep-south", when people of lesser-education are seeking to sound more educated.

[Reply]

+ 12

kev1n (Jun 1, 2010 at 0:31)

Well, This really opened my eyes to how easy Tubeless is. I think i might actually consider it as an alternative to tubes.

+ 10

kevinthelilbiker (Jun 1, 2010 at 1:41)

Only because the hard parts arent shown. using a hand pump can be a real pain trying to get your tires to pop at times. If using tubless tires (recomended) they are tuff to get onto the rim usually. Sometimes you can try to set your tire 5 times trying to get it to seat right but maxxis tried to hate on you and made the UST minnion so tight that no amount of soap on your deemaxs will help.

Tubeless can be finiky and anoying at times, but hey its what I run so dont be overly discurraged. Just be prepared to spend a bit of time on it, also take care to not use metal tire levers as it may put small dings in your rims that lead to slow pressure loss.

Lighter, faster rolling, lessens pinch flats, but not always easy.

WAKIdesigns (Jun 1, 2010 at 3:47)

It is not only a sin of maxxis. Furthermore it is a good thing it sits tight, so it's harder for the tyre to open an release air while i.e doing cutties or skids.

It is above all the sin of Mavic which for some unknown reason does this row in the middle of the rim in a rectangular shape, unlike i.e Easton or Shimano who use smooth circular section in that row, so the tyre pops uout to the edges much easier.

kevinthelilbiker (Jun 1, 2010 at 15:22)

Yea i kno its better in the end just a bit of a momentary frustration for me. Tried redoing the rear wheel 5 times with a good air compressor and a tun of soap and every time part of the tire refuses to come out of the rectangular valley of the rim. So frustrating.

fr112358 (Jun 1, 2010 at 17:49)

Hey I have a question. What happens when you wear out the tread on the tire and it's time to replace the tire? How easy it is to remove the tire and put a new one on? Does the Stan's stick like glue to the rim making it impossible to redo once it had hardened?

kevinthelilbiker (Jun 2, 2010 at 1:40)

NO! while stans does create a seal it does not "glue" your tire to the rim. Changing tires just requires fresh stans sealent scoops and reseating the new tire. Not sure how long the yellow tape lasts though you might want a fresh strip while your at it.

Lester22291 (Jun 2, 2010 at 19:13)

yeah the stans isnt an adhesive to seal the tire around the rim, the air pressure itself does that, it just fills in little cracks or punctures in the tire, so the tire is just as easy to take off as it would be without having stans in it. so if you get a flat on the trails, you can just put a tube in it without a problem and reseal it later.

[Reply]

derfmtb (Jun 1, 2010 at 8:27)

I dont understand why they tell you how to either do really simple things or things that not many people will do.
They should tell people how to do usefull things that effect riders all the time.

+ 12

Steezysix (Jun 1, 2010 at 8:44)

Like how to fix a puncture or replace a chain? Oh, wait they did that already. Maybe you'd like them to do a series of videos specifically for you and the problems you're having?

derfmtb (Jun 1, 2010 at 8:50)

Stop being a dick, you know what i mean, Fixing a puncture is a simple thing.

DARKSTAR63 (Jun 1, 2010 at 9:26)

Lets hear some examples..........derfmtb, what do you fancy for the next piece??? We all want to know what your big idea is.

derfmtb (Jun 1, 2010 at 9:40)

I have no big idea, i was just saying, Converting to tubless isn't really something alot of people will be doing.

Steezysix (Jun 1, 2010 at 10:50)

They might now - I've always thought that converting to tubeless was a bit of a black art - but seeing how simple it can be makes more people think about giving it a try.

DARKSTAR63 (Jun 1, 2010 at 11:10)

On the money Steezy, thats what these things are supposed to be about.

karl-burkat Mod (Jun 1, 2010 at 11:19)

derfmtb. Write down your suggestions...The videos put together are from suggestions from people, saying 'do usefull things' isn't too helpful.

WAKIdesigns (Jun 1, 2010 at 13:06)

karl-burkat. Whatever you guys show here I am 100% happy about, so you know I just write a suggestion for future stuff:

I wouldn't mind if you guys show some tips how to fix a broken chain without a chain breaker using only stuff you can find in the woods (You could turn it into a competition Wink

send a vid how you do it Big Grin

) That survival kind of wisdom could have saved some days for me, like last week Wink

I'm sure it's doable

[Reply]

deadatbirth (Jun 1, 2010 at 7:31)

notubes.com video is a little more thorough for those who need it:
http://www.notubes.com/support_movies.php

[Reply]

bainbridge (Jun 2, 2010 at 0:59)

Its a pretty good video however it miss out 2 very important steps from my experiance with Stans:

1: Using soapy water to helps the tire pop out and seal against the rim. It also help you to spot where the tire is leaking from because of the bubbles it creates. Which will allow you to....

2: shake the tire to allow the sealant to cover the tire and seal between the rim & tire. Going for a ride does not do this well enough.

I've done quite a few Maxxis 2.5 DH High Rollers and they are a bit of a bitch to do. I just cant get them to seat properly without a compressed air line and soap, it may be different with xc tires. I've done them on MTX and deemax rims and they both work about the same for me.

It takes a bit of time but I have never had problems with them once sorted. You really have to get them leak free the first time. If not its very hard to get them sealed if there is a small leak more than a day of so later unless you remove the valve cores and inject more sealant.

My maxxis seemed to leak from some of the little rubber spike things in the side walls from the moulding process. You would never notice that without soap and riding your bike would probably not solve this.

I usually pump them to 50-60psi just to get them seated and sealed, use soap to find the leaks and shake till all the leaks are gone. I think it take 30-60 mins per tire to get a perfect result. The Stans video is also very usefull

kevinthelilbiker (Jun 2, 2010 at 2:04)

second all of this^^^ the soap method isnt even a secret its in the instruction manual with most ust rims/wheels

[Reply]

bermrider (Jun 2, 2010 at 8:10)

tubeless works great for xc riding. any type of aggressive riding allows for the tire to burp, wich causes you to loose your stans fluid so sealing your tire on the trail becomes a pain. Use tubes for more reliability. I struggled with different tires for tubless dh/fr and had no luck finding a good solution. but they work great on my xc bike.

[Reply]

home-team (May 31, 2010 at 19:49)

good tech tuesday mike, i might have to try that out ...

[Reply]

seraph (Jun 1, 2010 at 14:14)

Here's another surefire method for getting a new tubeless or non-tubeless tire to seat perfectly. After you install your tubeless rim strip, install the new tire with a tube and inflate it to its maximum PSI rating. Leave the tire inflated for a day or so (if you have the time). When you're ready, deflate the tire, unseat the bead at the valve, pull out a part of the tube, cut it in half, and pull it out. Then install your tubeless valve stem, add your sealant, reset the bead, and air it up. It should seal almost instantly.

[Reply]

Joebohobo (Jun 1, 2010 at 0:12)

hmm. its alright

[Reply]

shenyyc (Jun 18, 2010 at 18:53)

What do you do to make sure the valve stems themselves do not leak. I was putting on two tubeless sets today and after dipping the wheels in a large tub of water I noticed my biggest leaks were through the valve stems. It was worse when the presta top screw was tightened than when it was left open and this seemed a bit bizarre. Do I need to go and purchase some new valve stems? The leak was slow and steady and only noticeable under water. Its not like you could hear it hiss or anything like that when it was pumped up to 40 pounds.

allmountainventure (Nov 9, 2010 at 4:35)

I dont use the tubless specific valves because they seem a bit inferior to me, and the rubber block/seal seemed too small. Get an old presta tube and cut the valve out leaving a circular piece (about the size of your middle fingernail) so it makes a good seal and wont pull through the hole.

Before you screw the nut on the other side slide a small rubber washer over the valve so when its tightened the whole thing is under load. I found this cured the leaky valve problem.

Its also cheaper because if you have been running tubes you'll have loads of old ones full of holes and pinches to cut the valve from; then all you need is the rim tape and the latex.

The main advantage I have seen from tubless is zero flats (in over two years) and being able to run with "softer" tyres. I say "softer" and not lower pressure because although the pressures I run are pretty much the same as with tubes the tyres seem to run softer.

[Reply]

crazyXCsquirrel (Jun 1, 2010 at 11:51)

Quick question here:

If going tubeless allows you to run at a lower psi, will it allow at least 18psi? Because that's what I currently run on my front tire (20psi in the back) with tubes. I never have issues with pinch flats on the trail, so would converting be of any benefit to me?

Good how-to btw. Smile

mikelevy Mod Plus (Jun 1, 2010 at 15:57)

You have to be careful regarding standard single ply tires and non-UST rims combined with very low pressures. A standard tires bead is not designed to have stay put at such low pressures and can unseat under hard cornering or awkward landings. This is one of the advantages of a tire with a proper UST bead, it's less likely to suffer from this.

[Reply]

jengah (Jun 1, 2010 at 13:03)

Why don't the top pro's ride tubeless? The lower weight and less rotational mass must be GREATLY outweighed by some big negative. I think it comes down to not being able to reliably use tire pressures lower than around 28 pounds. Thoughts?

mikelevy Mod Plus (Jun 1, 2010 at 16:02)

I think a lot of it comes down to sponsorship commitments, as well as weight considerations for the XC guys. Being able to quickly swap tires as the course changes before the race or quali's also plays a part I suspect.

kevinthelilbiker (Jun 2, 2010 at 2:00)

I think its because you see alot of the pros running super low air pressures with dh tubes and soft rims that will bend instead of poping a tube. They can handle going through a set of overly soft rims when the day is done. Most people on here cannot afford that luxury. A good dent in the rim is a possibillity for pros and UST setups almost instantly fail in situations where the rim dents.

Saw some pics posted elsewhere with examples showing how low a pressure Hill has run and its almost as shocking as how shitty a condition thoes 1750 rims are in after a world cup race day. Deffinatly not a sponsorship issue as even the pros running maxxis tires on deemax wheels choose to run tubes.

mikelevy Mod Plus (Jun 2, 2010 at 8:27)

I've heard different takes on tire pressures that the World Cup level guys are using. I've read in interviews that some guys run upwards of 40-50 psi and let the compound and tread pattern do the work, but I've obviously heard of more guys running very low pressures (low 20's). Would possibly make a good story if someone went around at a WC event with a digital tire gauge??

kevinthelilbiker (Jun 2, 2010 at 12:30)

agreed

[Reply]

ash238 (Jun 1, 2010 at 11:12)

I've used stans & gone tubeless in the past, but now back on tubes. Folding Schwalbe Timo signiture tyres weren't designed for tubeless conversion. Also guys, don't buy the Stan's kit, buy just the sealant & buy a size down tubes with the threaded collar valves. Pull them tight around the rims & trim off the excess. Money saving tip for yourselves.

[Reply]

adam-mitchell (Jun 1, 2010 at 0:58)

this may sound like a stupid question....but what is the difference? Smile

adam-mitchell (Jun 1, 2010 at 0:59)

(between tubeless and non tubeless)

+ 13

xltrider (Jun 1, 2010 at 1:14)

tubeless doesn't have a tube inside the tire to hold air. the tire holds the air itself. you need sealant because the air can leak out through the interface between the tire and rim and the tape and the rim.

with a tubed setup, there is a tube inside the tire that contains the air and doesn't need sealant. tubed tires can be more prone to pinch flats and small stickers and thorns that poke holes in the tube. the sealant in a tubeless setup seals smalls punctures from thorns and stickers quickly.

flack94 (Jun 1, 2010 at 1:15)

you can ride lower tyre pressures without getting pich flats

dast (Jun 1, 2010 at 1:40)

I don't know why people say that. I'm running the Clutch SX UST, and I need to have at least 35PSI in it, not to rip the tire of the rim. Still it weights a bit less, no pinch flats and (in my opinion) it grips better.

GrantR (Jun 1, 2010 at 1:56)

I found I don't like going much below 30 psi with a 2.3 in the back or the tire starts to feel squirmy to me. Helps a ton with pinch flats, and ust tires seat better as well as have a more substantial sidewall than typical single plys so they hold up to rocks better.

bbakus (Jun 1, 2010 at 2:13)

ok but guys wait! what happens when conditions on trail are changing and I have got only one set of wheels? Is it still easy to change tires on "tubeless" rim like that?

WAKIdesigns (Jun 1, 2010 at 4:01)

It is easy but everytime you change you have to deal somehow with the white sealant swimming in your tyre. Furthermore, especialy with this "Ghetto UST" using nonUST tyres you will get plenty of sealant dried with gluey surfaces. This is a result of sealant sealing the system during first period after installation. My general opinion is get bloody proper UST tyres.

My advice is: use one, allround type of tyres or get another wheelset as long as you are really seriously into DH racing. For freeriding 1ply tyres in UST system will be enough, and lower rotating mass gives you better fun from every ride + gets you to your riding spot faster and less tired. For DH racing you can't get away with 1ply, you have to have 2plies.

ALLROUND TYRES: Maxxis Swampthing, works totaly fine in dry, and well should work for you in any mud as long as you are not going to fight for first 3 in Polish DH elite... If you find it difficult to come in first 10 of hobby on DHC, save yourself pain of changing tyres instead of riding.

Maxxis Highroller: have them love them, even in really wet conditions, as long as it is not muddy on steep stuff (I.e. Wisla DHC)

DARKSTAR63 (Jun 1, 2010 at 9:22)

Waki, Im with you on this one. I agree on your all around tire theory, I will also add that my official stance on this is......ghetto tubeless is a waste of time and money. The beads dont seat well enough on most traditional wheel tire combos. Your gonna be burping air on every 2 foot drop unless you run like 40 lbs of pressure......and if you are doing that then......well then you wont have a pinch flat prblem anymore will you?? If you want to go tubeless......I think its tits, but you neet UST rims and Tires. Otherwise, run tubes.

bbakus (Jun 1, 2010 at 10:01)

Don't attack me Waki Smile

I was just asking... Anyway thanks for your reply.. One thing is pretty silly.. Don't call Swampthing universal tire... I had 3 sets of them. It has got too short side blocks, and that's the reason why they easily lose they grip in corners. They're quite good but definitely you can't call them universal tires. If you're looking for allround tyres try new Schwalbe Mudy Mary in gooey gluey. Thank you Smile

WAKIdesigns (Jun 1, 2010 at 12:38)

I don't attack you where did you get that one from? I just gave you my advice as politely as I could.

Gluey softy compounds not for me. I'm too poor rider to really get something out of advantage they give and I like my tyres to last for some time. I'm too old for performance speculation, just want to get out to ride my bike without tweaking anything by it Smile

Schwalbe in general is too expensive for my tastes.

Darkstar 63: I think ghetto UST with proper UST tyres is a damn good thing, much better than getting a wheelset with ust rims (what I did actualy). There is no spare UST rim fitting my likes: XM819 too weak, EX823: way waaaaay too heavy. Ex721 or En521 with ust conversion tape would be perfect for me. proper UST tyres are tighter and they are not gonna go off the rim easily as the regular ones.

Personaly I also say: f*ck low pressures, I like my rims too much, and well getting a dent in an UST ain't a good thing... and If I struggle to qualify to final run on a local race, grip increased by low pressure won't help me either so... screw it!

I run Maxxis Highrollers 2,35" 1-ply LUST 70a on XT Am wheelset, super satisfied can do pretty much anything on them. Since I'm not racing 1ply is more than fine.

bbakus (Jun 1, 2010 at 12:45)

" If you find it difficult to come in first 10 of hobby on DHC, save yourself pain of changing tyres instead of riding. " It was a little bit offensive Wink

but anyway, sorry Wink

Now I know why you speak english so well Smile

It's all about living abroad Wink

Thanks for your answer.

DARKSTAR63 (Jun 1, 2010 at 12:49)

Waki just sounds offensive, he means well Wink

WAKIdesigns (Jun 1, 2010 at 12:55)

Demn that was a misfortunate comparison, nothing personal... should have said: if someone finds it difficult he should bla bla bla. I have no bloody idea who you are and on which position you come on DHC so why should I say that Smile

I also say that because I am old and agreed to my inner self I ain't gonna make a MTB racing career either XC nor DH, so I just want something that works as: fit and forget Smile

DARKSTAR63 (Jun 1, 2010 at 13:36)

I understand the logic.......Im almost 27,I will say this, in my experiance 2 ply tires FEEL better on the downhills if your moving fast, not an issue with 10ths off the clock. They deflect of rocks in a different way. I have run, as a rule of thumb, a 2 ply in rear because it feels more stable through heavy rock gardens. That being said, I just ordered some Maxxis Minions in a single ply with EXO sidewalls front and rear and cant wait to see If I like the feel. @850 grams per tire Im excited about the weight loss, but may resort back to a 2 play in back if they feel squirmy.

Downhillrider441 (Jun 1, 2010 at 13:52)

From a racing point of view, alot of people change their tyres in a race weekend (conditions etc) so is it a pain or easy enough to change from tyres i.e do you just repeat the selant part or once its done you can change your tyres as much as you like nice and quick?

rexluthor (Jun 1, 2010 at 20:09)

You can run lower pressure without pinching, yes, but anything less than about 32 psi and I am guaranteed to dent the hell out of my rims. Now that more tires on coming on the market, especially in the 1.5 ply variety (Specialized is killing it with their large range of 2Bliss BTW), I'm liking tubeless.

I find swapping tires dead simple, but obviously not as quick as tubed. And like others have said, some tires seal up much easier than others so it can be a painful experience. 2.2 Rubber Queens almost had me off of tubeless for life they were such a pain to pop.

WAKIdesigns (Jun 2, 2010 at 1:46)

yes Downhillrider441 agreed, I sort of forget sometimes that in race mode, nothing else counts, you want to win you want best toys to do it, it doesn't matter whether you need to change tyres 5 times a day and it's fine to get your hands ans face, covered with sealant as long as you want to get the best possible result.

I also tend to forget that thanks to guys that are really into racing, we have good racers coming out of that attitude, and thanks to those guys, we "grey zone" people get better products Wink

Gsnickets (Jun 2, 2010 at 6:09)

where do you get bloody ust tires from? sounds very unsanitary.

WAKIdesigns (Jun 2, 2010 at 6:29)

CRC, they are pretty sanitary. What is unsanitary is the amount of sealant needed for Ghetto UST to work. Not fun to get white liquid all over you...

Gsnickets (Jun 2, 2010 at 23:13)

bloody tires just sound messy, and like you might have CSI on your ass after a ride.

WAKIdesigns (Jun 3, 2010 at 1:07)

a non messy thing is, you puncture less. With a non UST, regular tube system it is your personality becoming more messy through frustration expressed by bad language after getting a puncture while you were in the flow on singletrack, or worse: during your race run.

[Reply]

DrSanchez (Jun 1, 2010 at 8:02)

You have to run more air because you are losing the structural rigidity of the tube not being inside the tire. That volume has to made up by adding more air. That's the biggest myth about running tubeless is that you can run less air. Without the tube your tire with conform to the ground at higher pressures compared to a tubed tire. Rolling weight and lack of pinch flats are other factors in tubeless advantages. I've been running tubeless tires for 8-9 years now.

nato (Jun 1, 2010 at 9:47)

True, you run a higher pressure that FEELS like its lower cause the tire reacts to the ground better. The tire will roll fast but still be supple over bumps. Ghetto tubeless for 4 years with no flats for me.

WAKIdesigns (Jun 1, 2010 at 13:01)

Getting a dent in UST rim won't help performance either... if someone is racing at top level, he can speculate air pressures, but otherwise, he should save himself some money and time for getting a new rim, especially when using factory wheelset.

[Reply]

bigburd (Jun 1, 2010 at 9:01)

Tubeless is a pain the in the arse , if you go out far you need to carry a spare tube just incase you slice/gash the tire which is totally counter productive in terms of weight saving

nato (Jun 1, 2010 at 9:53)

You should be carrying a spare tube regardless of what set up you are running. Rotating weight is 3 to 4 times more noticeable then weight that is not spinning.
My 4 years of Dh with no flats on the Ghetto tubeless set up is PRODUCTIVE regardless of the weight savings.
Not to mention the much improved ride quality.

bigbigbike (Jun 1, 2010 at 19:55)

assuming that all liquid weighs 1g per ml minimum(water) he used 2 scoops I would think to be about 50ml each so that is 100ml = 100g and then for ghetto tubless half a tube so lets assume a standard 20" tube weighs 150g you are up to 175gs a DH tube weighs 300g so I can see savings there but I run a 1-1.5" tube that weighs 112g in my Tubeless tire and it never flats. There is little to no weight savings with tubeless just feel.

nato (Jun 1, 2010 at 20:44)

I only run run tubeless in Dh tires with a 2ply casing. Tire size 2.5 to 2.7"
If you run a little wee tube in a big tire it will probably fail.
If you run on rough terrain with big tires and do not want flats or dead feeling wheels then tubeless is the way to go.
"JUST feel", the whole reason i ride is for the feel.

bigbigbike (Jun 1, 2010 at 20:55)

I never said tubless wasn't good I have run both and for the terrain around here I prefer tubes. I run a Tubeless tire with a 1-1.5 overinflated which reduces the amount of available tube for pinching due to the tube membrane being pulled taught being stretched.

[Reply]

linga115 (Jun 1, 2010 at 13:44)

heres a cheaper way

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRM7gq1fcoQ />
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwON2VxZL0g&feature=related

[Reply]

djzmowens (Jun 1, 2010 at 9:16)

i put my tubless on my rims, and i didnt put enough sealant in the rim, how do i break the bead to get more in, is there another way?

nato (Jun 1, 2010 at 9:49)

Pull out the valve core if it is a schrader and squirt some in with a syringe.

WAKIdesigns (Jun 1, 2010 at 13:12)

It also helps if you can inflate you tyre with an air compressor. Obviously because it inflates tyres much much faster than any hand pump, so sealant seals stuff better too.

[Reply]

SHARK555 Plus (Jun 1, 2010 at 11:08)

tubeless is feels so good, tried it with my mavic/maxxis, will never go back!

[Reply]

MCHardmanUK (Jun 1, 2010 at 10:23)

Can't really see the point, I can get a lightweight tube and folding tyre to weigh less than a UST setup and getting a puncture isn't really that big a deal with folding tyres, tyre comes off by hand and a new tube in takes minutes.

[Reply]

clarke658 (Jun 1, 2010 at 3:13)

dumb question but would it be smart to do this on a street/park/dirtjumping ss bike? aha

Cmontjumper (Jun 1, 2010 at 6:20)

i run it on my SX for jumping and its fine. if you can find tubeless street tires, im sure itd be fine, just no major hucks to flat. cause they way it works is it keeps the air in by the tire staying attatched to the rim. if you do something and your tire completely flattens when you land, air will come out and you will have started a leak. my front wheel is tubeless specific, but my rear isnt and its been fine so far! i say go for it if you have the few extra bucks

[Reply]

DirtWarrior (Jun 1, 2010 at 13:35)

I'm thinking about going tubless for snowshoe. Is it really worth the extra money for DH? Will it hold up to the pounding!?

JKSR (Jun 1, 2010 at 17:40)

Depends on your riding style or level your at, most pros dont go tubeless cause its unreliable at their level of riding. To aggressive on the rough stuff, sharp rocks etc.. failure, burping blown off the rim holes in sidewall that no amount of stans will seal up. This is what I hear, I never tried tubeless personally. Going to try the xc tube filled with stans see how that goes.

oldskoolbiker (Jun 2, 2010 at 21:42)

I run tubeless all season at snowshoe. No problems. I've got mine setup with Sun EQ 31 rims, and Maxxis Ardent DH tires. Then I use tape, and a valve cut out of a presta tube. I use home made sealant instead of Stans.

[Reply]

ZakAttack (Jun 1, 2010 at 15:41)

What is that hose? going from the seat down?

bloodypalace (Jun 1, 2010 at 15:46)

you can adjust the height of the seat on the fly.

[Reply]

jserg (Jun 1, 2010 at 1:03)

Is he using Tubeless tyres or regular ones?

wilson12359 (Jun 1, 2010 at 1:54)

I am also curious to if you can just use any tyre or does it have to be tubeless????

AshKinnard (Jun 1, 2010 at 2:23)

It looks like a good thing to do but yeah pretty confusing like could i just use normal minions?

seraph (Jun 1, 2010 at 2:50)

You can technically do a tubeless conversion on a rim with any tire. However some tires will not hold a tubeless bead because of siping on the sidewall or bead.

alexad (Jun 1, 2010 at 10:21)

You can use normal minions but only 2 ply for long use.

mikelevy Mod Plus (Jun 1, 2010 at 15:51)

The tire I used was a standard non-tubeless Maxxis Ardent

[Reply]

Dj4me (Jun 1, 2010 at 2:57)

How much does the conversion cost, roughly?

mikelevy Mod Plus (Jun 1, 2010 at 15:51)

Here in Canada a bottle of Stan's is around $22, as is the yellow rim tape.

[Reply]