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  • Tubeless rim strip help
  • drewd
    Full Member

    I’m about 10 years behind the times with my bike, running 26″ wheels with tubes and 3×9 gear train etc. I’ve purchased a tubeless conversion kit but it seems to be too big. I’ve never run tubeless before!

    My rims are Mavic EN321, drilled for Schrader valves, so I ordered a Joes no flats kit that was listed for rims 19 to 23mm, containing sealant, rim tape and rim strips with Schrader valves. My tyres are Geax TNT jobbies.

    I’ve tried using the rim strips, but they’re a bit too wide. The instructions state that they’re suitable for 26″ rims with 23mm internal diameter, whereas mine are 21mm. Larger diameter rims can be narrower, but the CRC description didn’t mention that! When I mount and centralise the strip in the rim then mount the tyre I end up with some rim strip protruding out from between the tyre and the rim.

    I can inflate the tyre with a compressor, and without sealant in they’ve held some air over the course of a week (gone down a bit though), but are they safe to ride with the strip between the tyre and rim (like I think ghetto tubeless split tubes are)? Or am I likely to burp a tyre and lose my teeth?

    I’ve not added the sealant in case they aren’t safe to ride. If they are I will add the sealant and enjoy tubeless, if not I will stick the tubes back in.

    oink1
    Free Member

    I wouldn’t have thought you’d die. Can you not just trim them down a bit with a Stanley knife?? Depends how bothered you are about being able to see the rim strip i guess! 🙂

    orangespyderman
    Full Member

    I wouldn’t have thought you’d die

    No. Or it would be rotten luck if he did. But, I would wonder if the visible tape doesn’t mean the tyre bead isn’t seated properly and so might suddenly change its mind about saying put mid-corner.

    Can you not just trim them down a bit with a Stanley knife??

    ^^ That

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    pembo6
    Free Member

    i had the same thing happen with a Joes kit. Most of the modern rim strips are designed for 29er or 27.5 rims where the strip will stretch more and be narrower. I rode it with a couple mm hanging out for a year with no problem. Eventually I trimmed it down to the rim with a surgical blade.

    in hindsight, i would have trimmed it down BEFORE installing the tyre.

    drewd
    Full Member

    Thanks all. My main concern was burping all the air out of the tyre mid corner and requiring a trip to the dentist. I will trim them down and use them.

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    That’s exactly how the Joe’s kit should be. Trimming them will have no effect on performance but can make reuse more fiddly as they then have to be more accurately centered.

    As a general point, make sure you’re aware of the difference between Internal and External rim width and use whichever is most appropriate.

    drewd
    Full Member

    Ah OK, I may leave them as is and see how they hold up. I can live with how it looks as long as the tyre is seated correctly.

    Yeah, I got the measurement right for the internal rim width. The EN321 is 21mm internal and 28mm external apparently. As was mentioned above the kit can be used on 26, 27.5 and 29″ rims, where the strip becomes narrower as you stretch it over a bigger rim. The packaging mentions this but the CRC listing didn’t.

Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

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