I can’t be faffed with tubeless anymore, I gone back to tubes on my AM XT rims, do I need to put in rim tape? And do I need to pump up my tubes to 50-60psi so the tyre fits the rim properly, then deflate to desired psi? Only have track pump.

1) Yes, but not the fancy tubeless type, just something to stop the nipples causing punctures.
2) Shouldn’t be necessary if you seat the tyre properly, just watch it as you pump and make sure it looks right.

Thanks andrewh, pretty sure XT’s are smooth inside, no nips.

just get some £2 velox tape just incase.

If they are a tubeless rim then there wont be any spoke holes so you won’t need any rim tape . I would pump the tyres up to 60psi , spin the wheel to make sure the tyre is seated properly and let them down to the required pressure .

I use electricians pvc tape to cover the holes , but have noticed the new stuff isn’t as stretchy.

Ramsey Neil – cheers, I thought as much.

What’s the hassle with tubeless compared to tubes?

It’s probably just me but I’ve had a couple of fails, the repair kits aren’t great, It’s a pain without a compressor, can be a mess. No doubt I’ll probably go back.

“I use electricians pvc tape to cover the holes”

Ditto, have done for years, it’s marginally lighter than the Velox cloth tape 🙂

it can be a PITA, the large hole repair kit is next to useless, getting the tyres on can be a real struggle, the tyres can weep sealant especially when the tyres are old and worn, the sealant conjeals around the large holes making it tricky/messy job to patch them from the inside, having had a few failures and not being able to get the repair kit to work I still have to carry tubes and a tube repair kit but all these issue are completely outweighed by the pleasure of riding without having to fix an inner tube because of a 5mm thorn.

I’v never ran a tubeless set up but it sounds like a messy job and don’t know if i fancy the hassle, I’m constantly adjusting my tyre pressures 40-50 psi for my commute to work twice a week and back down to 25-30 psi for the real riding! can you do this with a tubeless set up? or does all the sealant pi$$ out of the valve when you drop your pressures? I fancy doing it for the benefits of losing some unsprung weight, is it worth it?

I’v never ran a tubeless set up but it sounds like a messy job and don’t know if i fancy the hassle

Just put some new Race Kings on this afternoon

about 5mins all in, no mess, no leaks, no hassle
You won’t have any problem adjusting pressures

For me, it’s fit and forget for a few months and then a sealant top up
It’s so simple, I don’t understand why there are so many people that it doesn’t work for

Going back to tubes? Bad idea.

A few years back at Aston Hill I got a hole in an old tubeless tyre. Put a tube in and attacked the very same trail and was all over the place. Same pressure in the tyre, same tyre but running a tube just removed all the grip.

Have never had any problems inflating Maxxis Tubeless tyres, old ones with dirty rims and a track pump, fine and dandy.

Also to remember when putting a tube into a tubeless tyre, is to meticulously check the inside of the tyre for thorns.