Going tubeless

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9526

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Well, as I’m getting a puncture every other ride and getting loads of grief from my son for not going tubeless, it looks like I’m going to have to bite the bullet.

So the question is, how do I go about it?
What do I need to buy and what are the pitfalls?

I’ve got a Haibike with the standard wheels (29”) pictured here in a sunny Cabo de Gata

F9742CE1-FE5B-4C46-8CA2-12B02D314760.jpeg
 
I can confirm tubeless is the way to go. Ideally you need tubeless wheelset and tubeless tyres. Trying to convert is a pain. Best to visit local bike shop.
 
It isn't maintenance free though - the goo should be topped up every 3 - 6 months or so and I need to remember not to leave the valves at the bottom of the wheel otherwise they get gummed up.
 
I agree with Pappy. For mtb or off road it’s the thing to do. On my road bike it’s not working as the tyre pressures are higher and I still need to pump the tyres up every three days. You will need valves with a removable core to allow easy injection of the goo. I bought wheels for a remarkably reasonable price from Mantel, they are based in Holland but do delivery.
 
As had been said , you need tubeless compatible rims. I tried it with my wife’s bike and it didn’t work as the rims were too (loose). I had had several punctures on my rear tyre and it was going down, a quick top up of sealant did the trick.

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Manufacturers have different clues about the readiness of their rims & tyres being tubeless ready.

You do need proper full width rim tape. And maybe that would help bigtree get his wife's bike tubeless.

Here's a pic of my MTB wheel.
IMG_4704.JPG

It shows the standalone valve, full width rim tape and Specialized's branding method for their version of tubeless parts: 2bliss ready :o

Is gunk optional? It isn't on my rim & tyre as it's part of the air seal.
But some tyres are more robust - less porous.
On those the gunk is just to block holes caused by thorns, etc.

So, not optional then :)
 
And my current history having gone tubeless: -

I've not had a ride badly affected by punctures in ~4yrs.
When I took apart my wheels to check & refill the gunk, I found three thorns.
Worst riding incident is when a sharp rock sliced my rear tyre.
I stopped, shook the gunk around and sort of repaired the hole. 200m later I knew my tyre was going soft again, so I stopped & this time held the wheel so the gunk was pooled over the hole.
That was enough to fix the puncture.

Later I used a tubeless puncture repair kit to properly repair the gash.
 
Most probably best to have a look on you tube..
Its getting much easier to convert now its becoming more common but some tyre rim combinations can still give problems..that's what I'm told but not experienced any problems myself..
I've def had a few punctures but never a flat since converting..
I've pulled thorns out of the tyre and after a quick spin it sealed immediately.. So really happy? ..just keep the sealant level topped in the tyres.. Think its 100ml I add to 29ers..
I also carry a few small co2 cartridges with an valve applicator to top tyres up if I have to when out..
One cartridge will just about inflate one 29 inch tyre from empty to about 20psi if you don't waste any.. But watch for cold burns while using them..
Andy
 
andy63 said:
I also carry a few small co2 cartridges with an valve applicator to top tyres up if I have to when out..
One cartridge will just about inflate one 29 inch tyre from empty to about 20psi if you don't waste any.. But watch for cold burns while using them..
Click to expand...
That's good advice re. the co2 on rides.
At home a regular track pump can seal & pressurise my 29er wheels.
 
Do they do an insert the same as the do with enduro motorbikes.

cant for the life of me remember what they are called.
It stops the tyre going perfectly flat.
Also a pig to fit apparently.

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I just put the sealant in my innertubes and has worked perfectly for nearly two years, (that will put the mocker on them), that is on a roadbike tho.........
 
Silver-Fox said:
Do they do an insert the same as the do with enduro motorbikes.

cant for the life of me remember what they are called.
It stops the tyre going perfectly flat.
Also a pig to fit apparently.
Click to expand...
Mousse?
 
kevenh said:
Manufacturers have different clues about the readiness of their rims & tyres being tubeless ready.

You do need proper full width rim tape. And maybe that would help bigtree get his wife's bike tubeless.

Here's a pic of my MTB wheel.View attachment 385579
It shows the standalone valve, full width rim tape and Specialized's branding method for their version of tubeless parts: 2bliss ready :eek:

Is gunk optional? It isn't on my rim & tyre as it's part of the air seal.
But some tyres are more robust - less porous.
On those the gunk is just to block holes caused by thorns, etc.

So, not optional then :)
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info but it is just the standard rims that came with the Cube Acid 650b.
 
kevenh said:
That's good advice re. the co2 on rides.
At home a regular track pump can seal & pressurise my 29er wheels.
Click to expand...
Yea. I've been told if I have used co2 to inflate a tyre that I should empty it and re inflate with air asap because some of the sealants don't work as well with pure co2..
Don't know if there is any truth in it..just what I've read..?. Air has a fair % of co2 anyway...
Another apparently good tip is to use something like ground black pepper or Finley grated plastics in your sealant.. Supposedly enables a quicker seal and also larger holes.. If anyone can confirm it would be good to know..I've not got any proof yet..
Andy..
Andy
 
Problem is if you hit a pothole or large stone that splits the tyre, rather than a small puncture it will deflate anyway. Also, many that I know that have gone tubeless carry an inner tube as well as they often struggle to inflate quickly enough with a hand pump to seal the rim. Sometimes manage it with a CO2 cannister, but more often than not fail. That then defeats the object for me - but 'm an old fashioned type and I'm happier changing a tube out!

Sorry - just seen that this duplicates earlier comments!

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Silver-Fox said:
Do they do an insert the same as the do with enduro motorbikes.

cant for the life of me remember what they are called.
It stops the tyre going perfectly flat.
Also a pig to fit apparently.
Click to expand...
They do..my son does a lot of downhill competition type stuff. He runs inserts so that in the worst case scenario if he looses the air he can still finish the stage..
He also says they are a right pain to fit with the tyre... But in competition I believe they are commonly fitted..
Andy
 
We also have Haibikes and I can't remember the make of tyres they come with, Michelin comes to mind, however after about 5 punchers, we scraped the tyres and put Schwalbe tyres on, never had another puncher. ? Bob.
 
I have Slime in my tubed tyres. Never had a puncture yet, yet, again yet. Also some years back, No.2 son used to ride his bike to school and the lane to the school was lined, I think, with hawthorn bushes. I was doing at least one puncture per week, before the slime, never did one again. Like anything it's not perfect, but really helps a lot. :gum:

Brands - Slime | Halfords UK

Slime Sealant helps to quickly repair bike punctures and tears. Browse the Slime tyre sealant range at Halfords, including tube sealant and repair patches.
www.halfords.com www.halfords.com
 
My basic repair kit i carry for tubeless riding..
I decided not to carry a spare tube.. My thinking was if I have to carry a spare tube I might as well ride with tubes..
Can think of nothing messier than trying to pop a tyre off a rim that's been ridden tubeless to try and get a tube in while out on a ride..
That's was my thinking..
IMG_20200506_171459.jpg
 
I used to use latex tubes when I was a ride leader for the New Forest off road cycle group lighter then conventional tubes but they seal around anything that goes through the tyre, the only problem is they are slightly porous so need topping up more then butyl tubes.
 
Stans no tubes conversion kit. Just Google it and there’s loads on YouTube too.
My lad runs Stans and he never gets a puncture, I get them quite often with tubes. I must get around to doing my bike at some point.
 
I have 2 haibikes that i run tube less with standard tyres and rims and this is how i do it

Remove tyre and inner tube from rim
Fit 24" inner tube over 27.5" rim this fits like a tight elastic band
Now cut the 24"innertube down the centre all the way around and fold it over the rim so it hangs over each side
Now refit your tyre only, once fitted pull the cut inner tube outwards away from the rim
Now remove valve core and inject about 250ml of stans sealant into the tyre via the valve using a syringe
Refit valve core blow tyre up and spin wheel for a few minutes to get the stans fluid all around the inside of the tyre
Get a sharp Stanley blade and trim back the cut inner tube to about 5mm from the rim
Job done
I have been using this system for 2 years on 2 bikes never had an issue pulled thorns out and tyre just seals itself
 
Silver-Fox said:
Do they do an insert the same as the do with enduro motorbikes.

cant for the life of me remember what they are called.
It stops the tyre going perfectly flat.
Also a pig to fit apparently.
Click to expand...
Mousses
 
Lanerboy said:
I have 2 haibikes that i run tube less with standard tyres and rims and this is how i do it

Remove tyre and inner tube from rim
Fit 24" inner tube over 27.5" rim this fits like a tight elastic band
Now cut the 24"innertube down the centre all the way around and fold it over the rim so it hangs over each side
Now refit your tyre only, once fitted pull the cut inner tube outwards away from the rim
Now remove valve core and inject about 250ml of stans sealant into the tyre via the valve using a syringe
Refit valve core blow tyre up and spin wheel for a few minutes to get the stans fluid all around the inside of the tyre
Get a sharp Stanley blade and trim back the cut inner tube to about 5mm from the rim
Job done
I have been using this system for 2 years on 2 bikes never had an issue pulled thorns out and tyre just seals itself
Click to expand...

That is dammed clever, I salute you ?

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Looking at the spec of your bike the factory fitted rims look like they should be fairly easy to convert to tubeless.

I run tubeless on my MTB never had a puncture but the tyres do lose pressure overtime.
It is possible to burp the tyre and lose a little air when giving it the beans on the trail.

The proper setup is tubeless ready rims in my case DT Swiss 29” carbon rims and Bontrager team issue 3 tubeless ready tyres filled with Stans no tubes.
The new stans sealant has bigger particles to improve the sealing capabilities.
By going tubeless I can run my tyres at 25 psi on the trail for better grip or 30ish on the road, bike rides far better without the tubes.
Takes about 5 minutes per wheel.
To fit them you mix up a bucket of Soupy water and brush the rims and bead of the tyre with the bubbles this acts as a lubricant as tubeless ready tyres are really tight fitting to the rims.
Take out the valve from the valve body put the tyre on and pump up the tyre until the rim pops on with a frighteningly load pop if your not used to it.
I can do mine with just a track pump.
Deflate, add the sealant, valve and pump up, then shake the wheel to distribute the sealant.
Make sure you have the correct valve for your rims as some are shaped for fitting to specific rim profile.
Muc Off now sell their own tubeless sealant, which I will try when I run out of my supply of Stans.
There are several kits available to convert tyres to tubeless.
An alternative is to fit inner tubes with slime already in them or there are inner tubes with removable valves so you can add your own sealant.
 
Lanerboy what type of riding do you do.

Just wondering what punishment your tubeless solution takes
 
A few weeks ago we bought new bikes, before anything else, converted to TUBELESS, first time ever, so easy, the bike came with tubeless ready rims, tubeless ready tyres and in the supplied toolkit tubeless ready valves. I just bought a 500ml of tyre sealant, enough for 2 bikes and a top up....3 x 29"/2.4"and 1x27.5"/ 2.8"......so far so good....I will top up as and when I need too...must carry one of those tubeless repair kits for larger holes.....to save you counting, I typed tubeless 6 times, that because it's the way to go....
 
May have missed it some where. But do road bike have tubeless tyres.
Looking for a new bike here

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