Tubless alternatives? Experience with conversions?

xand_xand

I really need to go tubeless as im so fed of punctures every time i go out.....
someone said i could do a tube conversion using my existing conti speed kings (something to do with splitin an inner tube, lining the rim, fitting and sealing the tyre and then cutting away the remainder of the tube showing over rim!!!!!!) ? Anyone have experience with this...is it a viable solution or do i need to go out an but new set of tubeless rims and tyres......so that i can use stans / slime et c etc?

Are there any other alternative methods?

Cheers guys

xand_xand

ANYBODY? perhaps im asking a dumb question....pls let me know if i am ...wont be offended.

robmanic1

This is reckoned to be the stuff to use, was going to give it a try myself at some point;


http://www.freeborn.co.uk/shop/components/tubeless-conversion-kits/147-stans-notubes-standard-conversion-kit

Ginjafro

I've used Stans No-Tubes on my Conti Speedkings (suoersonics) and it works! The rubber valve strip is meant to show slightly outside the tyre and you must use plenty of washing up liquid to create a good seal between tyre and rim. This might seem odd but just watch how they use soapy liquid to seal car tyres at any garage. Personally I prefered to pour in the latex sealant directly into the tyre (at the bottom) rather than through the valve, before pushing the tyre fully onto the rim. Now the only way to blow up the tyre is VERY, VERY QUICKLY!! To do this you must use a CO2 cartridge or a decent compressor for instantaneous inflation. Pumps, trackpumps etc are a waste of time but fine for topping up once inflated. Once inflated it may take a little while to get a perfect seal so youl need to shake, roll and squeeze the tyres and let the latex seal any gaps.

Yes it is a bit of a faf and maybe a bit messy but I've not been bothered by punctures and the ride has definitely improved. It is well worth the effort, so good luck and hope this reply is useful. javascript:emoticon(':D')

realnumber 1

Read this, I did it last weekend and seems to be okay so far.

http://www.tubelesswheels.com/howto.html

Its cheap and easy and no great loss if it dosen't work out. There are a few vids on youtube showing how it's done if you search Ghetto tubeless.

mudslinger

What you described is the ghetto method & there is a good video on YouTube showing you how to do it. I considered this but eventually went down the Stans route.

I inflated mine easily just by using a track pump. You have to be careful using CO2 as that can cause the sealant to go "off".

My tips are:

1) Read up about it loads of time so you know exactly what you are doing,
2) You may need to remove your original rimstrip & replace with rim tape as I couldn't get mine to inflate,
3) Lots of soapy water for the seal,
4) Lots of shaking & laying flat to get the sealant to seal the tyres.

I spent a year thinking about it - wished I had done it earlier.

Northwind

Ginjafro wrote:

This might seem odd but just watch how they use soapy liquid to seal car tyres at any garage.

The soapy water's lubricant, not sealant- car tyres don't use sealant at all.

Anonymous

use stans strips (which shouldnt show on the outside of the rim) and use proper ust tyres, trust me.

if you do use regular tyres, co2 will work but remember to deflate and reinflate the tyres with normal air pump to purge the co2 once the tyre is seated.

a track pump is all you need if you use proper ust tyres.

i doubt the system you are describing will work with a regulat 26 inch tub, i think ghetto is done with a 20 inch bmx inner tube.

dave_hill

xand_xand wrote:

I really need to go tubeless as im so fed of punctures every time i go out.....

Just out of curiosity what pressure do you run your tyres at with tubes? Is it pinch flats that you're having problems with?

xand_xand

THORNS bloody thorns!

Think we are gonna try the tubless conversion using 20'''' bmx tubes and no stans!
let you know how i get on.

scoob113

Really interesting that you got this to work with Speed Kings. I've got Speed King 2.3's and i've spent 4 hours trying to mount them onto XM317 rims using a compressor or track pump.

Also interesting to note about the rim tape coming right up the side. The mavic XM317 rim is the narrowest out there, and the No Tubes website confirms using the standard kit will be fine, but the rim strip doesn't come right up to the edge of the rim on either side apart from where the valvle goes through - there's a millimetre or so of a gap on both sides I'd say.

Thing about the No Tubes kit is the website clearly gives a list that says Continental tyres are fine, XM317's are fine and yet it appears to not fit properly. And not many folk will have a full on compressor handy (all I've got is the standard car tyre one which does the job, and works ok here if i remove the presta valve core in terms of shoving air in constantly) so while this obviously works well for a lot of people there are clearly issues with some set ups. I'm assuming it's a combo here of my tyres and the rims (though thousands of folk must have this working on XM317 rims I'd have thought).

Frustrating. Any hints and tips you folks have would be appreciated. i've also tried the No Tubes website forum aswell in hope.

dunker

specialized armadillo elite tyres are fairly puncture resistant.