Apologies if this has been asked before but I can’t find the exact answer and don’t want to waste money!

Basically I have a new set of hope hoops on stans flow rims. What do I need to buy to set these up as tubeless, there are that may product I’m not sure. Do I need the yellow tape or the black roll with valve or both?

How much better is it to run a tubeless specific tyre?

Cheers

You just need yellow tape. Don’t need tubeless specific tyres depending on your riding…

The kit below has everything, and the videos on NoTubes.com will explain it all better than I could.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=49111

Cheers guys, so what is the black roll with valve for?

do you do radness ?
(I think proper tubeless tyres burp less because they seat better, and I’m told that burping happens mostly when radnessabounds)

Black roll with valve is a rim strip – mainly for use with non-Stan’s rims to make them tubeless. Not necessary for Flows.

(I think proper tubeless tyres burp less because they seat better, and I’m told that burping happens mostly when radnessabounds)

UST tyres can actually seat worse on stans rims…the burping happens because the thinner tyres have less sidewall support so tend to roll more when being aggresive.

I find the best option is something like a maxxis EXO. Its around 850g and has a thicker sidewall (more like 1.5ply)so it supports being run tubeless better. I still run lighter tyres, but you gotta keep the pressures up (25-30psi) to stop them squirming too much.

Radness? I basically ride natural stuff in the pennines and peak district and throw in the odd trail centre….

Cheers honourablegeorge – just watched the video, you’ve just saved me £35… 😀

I find the best option is something like a maxxis EXO. Its around 850g and has a thicker sidewall (more like 1.5ply)so it supports being run tubeless better. I still run lighter tyres, but you gotta keep the pressures up (25-30psi) to stop them squirming too much.

I run Highrollers 2.35 like this, think I’ll give them a try!

wait so the yellow tape is just tape? can i just use any kind of airtight tape around the right width? i have sealant, i’ll just buy some valves right?

You can- at least 2 of my rims have standard (good quality) electric tape, as I ran out of yellow tape for one and damaged the tape on another. It’s not quite as good- it’s easier to damage when changing tyres which is a pain and it loses its stick over time- but it works fine.

You can also use old inner tubes instead of tubeless-specific valves apparently, though I’ve never tried that.

Use the proper yellow tape.
This is less “compliant” than insulation tape; it will resist air pressure deforming the tape into the spoke holes (where it will probably tear).

I’ve had an ‘insulation tape blowout’ at a spoke hole – had three layers of tape and it had been fine for about three years.

Yellow tape is neater and lighter, but it is certainly possible without.

Use the Hope kit as linked. I’ve tried other tapes but the yellow tape is best. Prepare the rims as per the video on Stans website, clean and really stretch the tape for a good tight fit. Make the valve hole small so the valve has to enlarge it, fit a tyre with an innertube to ensure the tape is well stuck down. A compressor really helps when fitting a new tyre tubeless for the first time but a good track pump works with a bit of effort. Don’t inflate a tubeless tyre over 38psi on Stans rims they tend to pop off and cover the room in sealant.

I have two sets of Hope Hoop Flows – one with yellow tape and one with the rim strip. Both work perfectly. It’s harder to get a tyre on the rim strip set as the strip is thicker than the yellow tape, and I would guess that it’s heavier. But both work so I see no reason to change either for the other.

Top tip. If you do go for the black rim strip option put a wrap or two of electrical tape under it just in case you have to fit an innertube at any time.

3m strapping tape is really good, it wottn deform like elec tape, just need 1 wrap and a good overlap.

+1 for the 3M ‘Tartan’ tape.

As I was too tight to buy the kit from Stans, I raided my spares box to see what I could use to go tubeless.

3 sets of wheels with Stans rims on, all with electrical tape & UST valves – been ridden on for 18 months now. All hold pressure & work as expected.

Won a Stans kit and chucked it on a 4th set of wheels, didn’t work properly! Irony!

Strapping tape is good until you have to replace a spoke and then it’s a nightmare to get off again which shows how well it sticks. I’ll never use it again.

stuartanicholson – Member
UST tyres can actually seat worse on stans rims…the burping happens because the thinner tyres have less sidewall support so tend to roll more when being aggresive.

I find the best option is something like a maxxis EXO. Its around 850g and has a thicker sidewall (more like 1.5ply)so it supports being run tubeless better. I still run lighter tyres, but you gotta keep the pressures up (25-30psi) to stop them squirming too much. See, I understand that lots of people don’t like UST exactly because they have extra material in the sidewalls in comparison to the same model as a non-UST

IMO/E The main difference in UST, though, is the bead which has a lot more rubber at the point of contact between tyre & rim and so shouldn’t (doesn’t IME) move so easily when the carcass is pulled about under cornering

Tartan tape.. this 19mm clear stuff?

http://www1.conrad-uk.com/scripts/wgate/zcop_uk/~flN0YXRlPTM4MjMyNzQ3NzY=?~template=PCAT_AREA_S_BROWSE&glb_user_js=Y&shop=UK&zhmmh_lfo=&zhmmh_area_kz=&product_show_id=545759&gvlon=&p_init_ipc=X&p_page_to_display=fromoutside&~cookies=1&gclid=&cookie_n%5B1%5D=uk_insert&cookie_v%5B1%5D=8V&cookie_d%5B1%5D=&cookie_p%5B1%5D=%2f&cookie_e%5B1%5D=Mon%2c+23-Apr-2012+18%3a01%3a56+GMT&scrwidth=1680

As others have said electrical tape can blowout at the spoke holes. This happened a few times to me on my road bike, and it took a while for me to work out what was going on as the slits in the tape weren’t visible unless I pulled them apart. I guess you use much higher pressure in road bikes but it’s not worth the risk of a spontaneous puncture and head scratching, just to save a few pennies.

The Stans tape is great stuff – lightweight but a lot sturdier than electrical tape. I gather you can buy a roll of it for cheaper than from Stan, but the £20 Hope/Stans kit was what I used and it worked fine for both my wheels.