Apologies, but I’ve been trying to research this on the internet and have just ended up more confused than when I started (which was already fairly confused!). At the risk of winning ‘thickie of the year’, can anyone give me an idiot proof answer to the following?
I have a recent Canyon Nerve which is currently as it came out of the box;
Wheels – DT Swiss M1700 Spline 2
Tyres – Continental Mountain King 2.2 Racesport
There were also 2 presta valves included with the bike so I’m assuming it currently has tubes in it.

1. I think from what I have read that the wheels are ‘tubeless ready’, can anyone confirm this?
2. As the tyres have no markings, I’m assuming they are neither UST or tubeless ready, am I correct?

Can I go tubeless with this existing set up?
If so, how? (will I need a compressor or Airshot type thing?)
Do I need different tyres?

The brief instructions that came with the rims say to remove any rim tape if using tubeless tyres but would this be the same if the Continentals are not ‘tubeless’?

Crosses fingers and retreats to safe distance….

Can’t answer on the specifics of that setup, but

will I need a compressor or Airshot type thing?

Make one of these:

ghetto inflator

I struggled for ages to get mine inflating and made on of these for less than a quid and had both up (almost) first time.

I tried to make a ghetto inflator. I failed. I ended up buying an Airshot in the end. They are good, they work. But they don’t cost 9p.

Worth trying to make one, definitely.

A good tubeless tyre and rim combo should go up with a track pump, just give it a go. Fast and hard pumping is the key!, use the same technique for inflating the tyres 😉

As Chambord says, can’t comment on the specifics but I’ve gone ghetto on one of my bikes and for the other I’ve used a Stan’s kit with a rubber rim strip.

If your rims are not tubeless ready you’ll need to stop the air flowing through the spoke holes (the current rim strip might not be air tight and this is what the Stan’s rubber rim strip does). I’ve used good quality electrical/insulation tape to seal the rim bed and it’s worked fine. Don’t go crazy with layers of tape – you can always build it up afterwards if the tyre doesn’t seal well, otherwise you’ll skin knuckles and rip fingernails off trying to get the tyre on to the rim. AMHIKT. 🙄

You’ll also need tyre sealant (even if the tyres are tubless ready). Stan’s seems to be the best rated on here.

I found this vid very helpful and the only difference is using tape instead of a rim strip:

I also made my own ghetto inflator using the same method that Chambord posted. Worked a treat at seating the tyre beads and saved a lot of frantic pumping on my crappy track pump. 🙂

Thanks for the replies.
So I know I need sealant and a ghetto inflator. If I think the rims are tubeless ready is it worth trying without tape/rim strip first or is that the route to a very messy end?

My bike has the same wheels. I needed Stans conversion kit to take them tubeless. You need the rim tape to seal them. I think the Racesports will be fine though.

I have Mavic Crossmax on my other bike and they were truly tubeless, no rim tape required.

I recently went tubeless for the first time and found it really frustrating until I’d sorted a process that worked for me.
I did two sets of wheels – one TLR and one not, same with the tyres. If I’m honest it didn’t make a blind bit of difference to the end result.

I found the following……
Gorilla tape sealed the rims first time unlike the proper tape which was a disaster.
A track pump was hopeless, I splashed out on an Airshot and suddenly they were sealing first time. That doesn’t mean a ghetto inflator won’t work but I didn’t trust it to hold 140psi which is what I found I needed although I do like the conversion of a fire extinguisher into an air tank.
Remove the valve and use the Airshot to blast the tyre bead into place. Deflate and add the sealant, replace the valve then inflate tyre again.
They weren’t 100% airtight straight away but over the next 24 hours they sealed up.

Your rims are tubeless ready, but will definitely need tape – DT Swiss make a tape, or Stan’s Yellow tape, or Gorilla tape should all work, no need for a rim strip.

You’ll need valves.

Conti tyres are shit for tubeless generally, but thin-sidewalled racesport ones doubly so. I’d get something tubeless ready – Schwalbe, Maxxis or Specialized.

WIth tubeless rims and a set of decent tyres, you might be Ok with a track pump. If not, you can try compressors or airshot/Bontrager pump thingy/ghetto bottle inflator thing.

Thanks all, that’s really helpful, it makes more sense now. I have 2 presta type valves that came with the bike that I assume are for tubeless and I also have a roll of Gorilla tape. Thanks for the advice re tyres, looks like I might be better swapping to something else.
Much appreciated, cheers,
Tim

Now here’s a thought. How do you tubeless rims with holes for Schrader valves? Can you get valves? Did think about motorcycle ones but they are too big. Or maybe a BMX tube opened up?
Got tubeless spec tyres ready to go.

Wheels are tubelss already (taped the whole caboodle).

1. Remove tubes
2. Add valves
3. Add sealant
4. put tyres back on
5. spray sides of tyres with water to aid inflation
6. Remove valve core from valves
7. Attach decent track pump to coreless valve
8. Pump like ****

You might want a test run without step 3 to start – having sealant in a tyre that wont seal is a messy PITA

Thats basically it. The 1700s should go up ok with a pump, assuming the tyres are new.

As your rims are tubeless ready all I would get to make it more successful is some tubeless ready tyres.

I have never had problems inflating any tubeless tyre when using a proper rim. All the bodging around with rubber rims strips and the like is to compensate for the fact the rim was designed for it.
My first tubeless setup was a non tubeless rim with rubber rim strip and tubeless tyres and it was hard work getting the tyre to inflate
Ever since then have used Stans rims and it has never been any harder than inflating a tubed tyre.

patagonian – Member

I found the following……
Gorilla tape sealed the rims first time unlike the proper tape which was a disaster.
A track pump was hopeless, I splashed out on an Airshot and suddenly they were sealing first time. That doesn’t mean a ghetto inflator won’t work but I didn’t trust it to hold 140psi which is what I found I needed…

Horses for courses ‘n’ all that. I found Gorilla tape made it impossible to get my WTB Vigilante on to the rim. Eventually worked back to just a single strip of tape covering the spoke holes (nothing to the edge of the rim) and voila, tyre was just tight enough for the sealant to do it’s job. That was on a Commencal/Jalco rim.

OTOH, my Alexrims needed a couple of layers of tape to get the same Vigilante tyre to seal. Considering the thickness of the tape is only 0.15mm it’s amazing the difference and extra layer can make.

A bit late Patagonia on the ghetto inflator but mine (an Irn-Bru bottle with a few layers of Gorilla tape) holds 100psi without any trouble. Last night it was only inflated to 80psi and was able to seat the beads. 🙂

The trouble with the ghetto inflator is getting it airtight around the valves without damaging the threads of the bottle top.