Tubeless for the clueless

[Tel]

Hi chaps just ordered a new set of wheels, and as a bonus they come tubed or tubeless, has anyone got any sugestions as to a decent all round tubeless tyre.
I had a look at a cycling show a week ago but could`nt pick one from the crowd.
Cheers, Tel.

[willem]

Tel,

I haven't done it... yet. but this is a great DIY website with lots of good advice.

http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/goodies/go-tubeless.htm

There's another website about "going tubeless cheap" that I haven't got linked on this box... should be easy to find. It's got a better step-by-step for how to do it.

Good luck.    Will

[shovelon]

Here is a CHEAP-GUY tubeless way. Someone posted here.

http://www.nsmb.com/gear/tubeless_12_04.php

Explains alot of the steps.

Personally, I like tubes(less grams).

Terry

[orange]

How about this:

http://www.mtbbritain.co.uk/stans_tubeless_review.html

http://www.notubes.com/

[Tel]

Hi chaps, with my usual flair for good fortune, the lad mailing my nice new wheels had a juggling accident with them and dropped them on his garage floor
(concrete!)and mangled one of the rims. Can you believe he was so happy to have shifted them he was throwing them up and catching them?!!! and I thought I was a Clampit. He`s now refunded my money.
I think my new set of wheels will be UST tubeless to give me the option of running tubes or tubeless, so what I was after was suggestions for real UST tyres, not the Stans route, if anyone already has taken this way up, it seams bit of a faff but I do fancy it.
 Mrs Tel has a new set of wheels on her road bike (spinergys), and because of the lightness on the rim her bike has gone from being quick to turning into a dragster. I know UST tyres weigh more by about the weight of a tube but I`ll be able to run lower pressure, also something to do with resistance between tube and tyre, I`m clutching at straws now, I just want to try tubeless (I`m a tart)
so has anyone got any ideas appart from stop being a tart.
Cheers, Tel

[GrimJack]

I run tubeless, I've used both real UST and Stans - at the moment I have one of each on my bike.  I've got to say, tubeless ROCKS, for a variety of reasons.

You can run less air pressure without fear of pinch flats.  Less air pressure means more grip.  Even with more grip, you still get less rolling resistance, so they are faster.  I've been running them for 4 years now, never had a flat yet.  Admittedly, that might have something to do with the fact that I run Stan's sealant all the time, even in tubeless rims with UST tires.  Stans goo is just plain amazing, I've had it seal two 7mm slices and god only knows how many smaller ones.  Small holes get sealed so fast you never even know they happened.

You'll actually end up with less weight... remember, you get extra weight from the UST tires, but you get to drop tubes from both wheels, any spares that you carry, and don't bother with a pump anymore.  I carried a spare tube and pump for two years after switching, then finally gave them away... I still haven't needed them, and it's been four years now.

Now on to the disadvantages... getting a tire to inflate on a rim is a pain in the ass.  Luckily, once you get it done, you don't have to touch it until it's thoroughly worn out.  If you don't use Stans sealant, every tire I've tried slowly leaks air... enough that you have to add 5-10 psi in a week.

[jimbo]

Here is a CHEAP-GUY tubeless way. Someone posted here.

http://www.nsmb.com/gear/tubeless_12_04.php

Explains alot of the steps.

Personally, I like tubes(less grams).

Terry

I use this exact method.  I've been doing this for over 3 years now.  I've never had a flat.  I've had slow leaks from thorns and had to add more latex but the leaks was so slow I add the latex at home.  I just added more air on the trail.

The only modification I would recommended is to mix latex all at once using a 1 gallon plastic bottle.  It become tedious mixing a little at a time.  My recipe is 1 part latex to 3 parts water.  I also add micro balloons as a leak filler.

I also like to do a dry run before adding the sealant.  By dry run I mean adding air to pop the bead in place without the sealant.  This will save you a mess if there's something prevent the tire to pop the bead.  
If the bead pops than I'll take the valve out and add the sealant.

You may need to keep spinning the tire and adding air as it sometimes takes a while to completely seal the tire.  

The only disadvantage of this system is you can't keep changing tires on a whim.  Otherwise it's a lighter setup, tire seams to conform to roots better and less rolling resistence.

[Douglas_Johnston]

You can run less air pressure without fear of pinch flats.  Less air pressure means more grip.  Even with more grip, you still get less rolling resistance, so they are faster.

Can some one explain how that works..ie less presure AND less rolling resistance?

You may need to keep spinning the tire and adding air ......

Huh .How do you do that?Got a tubless Pump too?

[GrimJack]

A tire in a tube squirms around when you ride, making for extra rolling resistance... also, tube plus tire is thicker than tire by itself, and thicker makes for more rolling resistance.

PS: I run Michelin 2.5" comp 16 tires front and rear, so unlike some people I wouldn't move to a lighter tire if I started to run tubes again.  The rolling resistance benefit would likely be so small that you couldn't measure it if you went to a thin walled tire and an XC tube.

[chainsaw]

I am running WTB Weirwolf Tubeless tires on Mavic UST Tubeless Rims.

I tried Tru Goo Sealant. It dissapointed me. didn't seem to stop the leaks.

I am now running Slime Tubeless. It not only seals the leaks, but I like how visible it is. You can see where you had a leak.

My Weirwolf tires have lots of big knobbies and the knobbies are VERY durable. This is a great tire, but it is heavy.

I think that going  tubeless is the best upgrade I have ever made.

Lesson learned: I weigh 210 lbs.  I was running my tire pressure at 35psi.  Sometimes, when I went over a ledge or boulder, and my front wheel would take a big hit, my tire would  burp enough air, that it caused it to dig in and would do an endo. because of my weight, I now run it at 40psi.  But that is better than the 55 I used to run with tubes. I can really feel the increased traction with the tubeless.

A side benefit to usng UST Tubeless rims? I think that the nipples are MUCH more robust. I haven't lost a nipple or spoke in the year and a half I have been riding this setup. And I have never had to re-true the wheels either.

I AM thinking about going to tube tires and using them with Stans on my Mavic UST tubeless riim, just as a way to save weight, because the Weirwolfs ARE heavy.

[shovelon]

 I think that the nipples are MUCH more robust.

I LIKE robust nipples. :-)

[jimbo]

I am running WTB Weirwolf Tubeless tires on Mavic UST Tubeless Rims.

Lesson learned: I weigh 210 lbs.  I was running my tire pressure at 35psi.  Sometimes, when I went over a ledge or boulder, and my front wheel would take a big hit, my tire would  burp enough air, that it caused it to dig in and would do an endo. because of my weight, I now run it at 40psi.  But that is better than the 55 I used to run with tubes. I can really feel the increased traction with the tubeless.
.

This is an issue with Stan's with Stan's rim strip and to a lesser extent the UST.

Ironically burping is almost nonexistent with the BMX tube ghetto method.  In my opinion this is because the tire gets bonded to the BMX tube with the latex sealant.  I can tell that when trying to remove the tire the BMX tube feels like it glued to the tire and requires a lot of effort to pull it off.  

I think I read somewhere that running foam insulation tape down the middle of the rim minimizes this issue but I've never tried it since I've never had burping issues.

I did a DH race a couple days ago.  While waiting in line at the start the guy behind asked me if I was running tubeless because he could believe how low my tires were.  My tires did fine.  I on the other hand got chucked off the bike on both runs.  I was disappointed that I could not get a clean run in.  

[jeffhop]

ive got a pair of bontrager jones mud x tubeless  for sale cheap, theyve been lightly used but have loads of tread left, im open to offers for the pair.