I got a UST tyre delivered by mistake. I ordered a regular one and ‘they’ gave me a free upgrade. Now I’m wondering if I should attempt a ghetto tubeless conversion. I say ghetto as I don’t have tubeless specific rims. Is it really as easy as the online guides I’ve seen make out?

i’m feeling tempted to try this as well
the following link seems like a good way of doing it
http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/f19/ghetto-tubeless-conversion-diy-tips-tricks-240026/

I’ve done the tape and the BMX tube methods, both work ok, but ultimately more faff than I found it worth (not owning a compressor). I don’t get many flats or the pinch or thorn variety so I’ve gone back to tubes, and I didn’t notice any real difference in feel.

Both of these methods worked with standard non UST or TR tyres.

Is it really as easy as the online guides I’ve seen make out?

it can be…

you need a 9p-ghetto-inflator-bomb to remove luck from the equation.

here’s a thread we wrote earlier

heres the gorilla tape method

Tech How-To: Ghetto Tubeless for Mountain Bikes

I’ve never had ghetto work reliably enough that I considered it a good idea tbh. That was on 717s (er, probably, might have been 719s at that point) and then 5.1s. I got the Mavics to work sort of OK, with much fannying around with tape, and pretty high pressures.

Question,
I have quite deep rims with a narrow channel in the middle and when installing proper tape its a proper pain in the backside to get it seated properly, I gave up after lees than a quarter of the way round.

If I’m using proper (Bontrager) rimstrips & valve, do I need proper tape or can I use insulation tape under the rimstrips? Insulation tape is thin enough and stretch enough to rim in the rim nicely

Yes it can be really easy. The only tricky bit is gettingt he beads to seal. A compressor or 9p inflator makes that bit easy too though, but some tyres go up ok with just a track pump if you are lucky.
Rim strips are not necessary. Electrical tape on its own will do the job.

Before you tape up make sure it’s good and clean. I always clean the rim with white spirit and let it dry before I tape the rim with gorilla tape.

I’ll give it a go. making the 9p inflator looks like half the fun.

Panaracer Fire XC non-tubeless and BMX inner tubes with fully threaded valves. Mines been working for 3 years.

I really must get round to taking the tyres off and cleaning out the dried up spaff out. There must be at least 10 inner tubes worth of weight in there. But then the tyres are probably so full of holes they would be fit for the bin.

I’ve only managed to seat a continental rubber queen, the rest, even ust don’t seem to want to seat, I mean they go up easy with the compressor but then as soon as I take compressor off it just goes loose inside the rim 😕

20″ bmx tube for me and a 2l coke bottle. Only had one occasion where a puncture never sealed but there prob wasn’t much sealant left in it. Quick top up and a co2 blast and back riding.

Thanks for the info hs125, I’ll have to give it a go.

I got the proper rim strips as it was cheaper than buying either a valve or an inner tube at the time.

I was sceptical at first but it’s proper easy to set them up with BMX tubes. Which is pretty much the same as buying Joes rim strips