[Closed] (Luddite again) - should I go tubeless?

Probably and yes respectively.

Easy half-way is to get a LBS to tape the rim and install the valve, so you can see what it's meant to look like. Then you can swear less as the only problem is getting the tyre to seat, not getting the tyre to seat whilst wondering if you've got a leak through bad taping.

"and I’m lazy."

You should definitely go tubeless.

Just give it a go.

1) wrap the rin with electrical tape, 3-4 layers is plenty, make sure you get right up the sides of the rim so the tyre is sealing against tape not the rim.

2) cut a valve from an old scrap tube, just needs a 5p sized disk of tube left around it.

3) fit tyre and pump like mad

4) if it won't inflate, add more layers of electrical tape until it does, or use a compressor.

5) once you can get it to seat and stay up, remove tyre and add sealant (you could do this at point 3, but run the risk of just making an awful mess and wasting sealant if it doesn't go up first time).

I’ve ragged a set of those rims all over the Taygetos range in Greece, with On-One Chunky Monkeys fiited and I’m still alive.

Mind you, they’re set up proper ghetto tubeless, with split 20” BMX inner tubes. I still think it’s a hard to beat system.

No issue with the rims - they've been great, running true for over ten years of hard riding.

Will take a punt this weekend then! Hurry back for tales of woe on Monday....

Once you've taped the rim I find it helpful to put the tyre on with a tube in and inflate the tube good and hard and leave for a couple of hours.  This really pushes the tape down into all the nooks and crannies.

they’re set up proper ghetto tubeless, with split 20” BMX inner tubes. I still think it’s a hard to beat system.

It's pretty hard to go wrong with ghetto tubeless. Lots of videos online showing how it's done.

I've finally gone tubeless on one bike and the only issue I had came down to the cutting through the tape for the valve. I had air leaking until I cut the hole very carefully with a scalpel.

I’ve finally gone tubeless on one bike and the only issue I had came down to the cutting through the tape for the valve. I had air leaking until I cut the hole very carefully with a scalpel.

Top tip - use a hot soldering iron instead. Not only does it let you create a perfectly round hole, but you can create it to the exact diameter you need *and* there will be no weak points after you finish. In fact, because of the way the plastic melts, the tape surrounding the valve will actually be a bit thicker than before.

Definitely the way to go.

Thanks all - sealant bought. Off I go to the shed (after work)

Give it a go. I was sceptical, and faffed about with tubless rim/non-tubless tyres. Got hem up OK, but the side walls were too porous.  So I got some Proper tubless tyres, and didn’t even need any sort of air-shot boosty thing, just pumped up with a track pump and they popped ontothe rim very nicely.

Vvery noticeable difference in the ride, felt better under acceleration and cornering, despite being a fatter and heavier tyre than all the other regular tyres I’ve had.

I’ve finally gone tubeless on one bike and the only issue I had came down to the cutting through the tape for the valve. I had air leaking until I cut the hole very carefully with a scalpel.

I just poke a Stanley blade through to make a slit, works every time.

Hmm, first attempt was a complete bust. Couldn’t get the bead to sit on the front rim at all, even with a CO2 inflator.

I've been tubeless three times over the last ten years but have always ended up going back to tubes. To clarify, it's always been some form of 'ghetto' tubeless and when it's worked it's felt better than tubes but when it has gone wrong it's been hideous. The worst time was when I took off a tyre that had worked tubeless for months without fault and tried to put on an identical tyre. After three or more hours of every trick in the book and thrashing away on my track pump, I lost it and bike, wheel, pump, tyre and latex all got flung into the field behind the house.

Do I ever learn? I've just bought some gorilla tape, some latex and a Giant Control Tank and will be going for it again on Sunday.

Second attempt also a bust. Bought Tesa tape, and proper tubeless valves, and some Finish Line sealant that was recommended by the chaps at the LBS.

This time was marginally better as the tyre seated and it actually held air - for all of about 30 seconds. It sounded like there was one or two small air leaks, which is what I would have presumed the sealant should have sealed up - but nothing. Gave up, cleaned up the gunk, and re-fitted a tube again.

Having done some reading on the dubious properties of Finish Line sealant, could it have been that?

You were probably nearly there. The sealant can only do its job if it gets to the leaks, so you need to shuffle, spin, flip, spin and shuffle the wheel. This usually will sort it out.

This time was marginally better as the tyre seated and it actually held air – for all of about 30 seconds. It sounded like there was one or two small air leaks, which is what I would have presumed the sealant should have sealed up – but nothing. Gave up, cleaned up the gunk, and re-fitted a tube again.

Time for the high tech stuff, cup of water and washing up liquid and wipe it over the tyre to see the bubbles, or spray it on from a water spray bottle, with fine holes I've even just held my finger over them for a minute to see if it takes. but then off to the shake and spin.

But if it's down in 30s then it's a bit leak so should be easy to spot

Ghetto tubeless FTW here too, it's really easy once you've done a couple. A track pump and proper tyre soap works most of the time but we bought a £70 compressor (handy for other stuff as well) to get stubborn tyres to seat. OH has OKO water based stuff in his tyres and I've got Stans in mine, just because I needed it fairly quickly and I couldn't get OKO next day.

so you need to shuffle, spin, flip, spin and shuffle the wheel. This usually will sort it out.

Hmm, this I did, assuming that a good  shake and spin will help to distribute the sealant.

Sounds like I'm not doing anything drastically wrong though.

Oh well, will try again...

Sounds like I’m not doing anything drastically wrong though.

Not but air leaking out in 30s means it's a big leak somewhere, work out if that is tape, valve or hole in the tyre

I think I will start again (again)!

Get some soapy water over it before you do that and the spokes to see what the problem is before starting from scratch

Good tip - thanks.

If you find it’s the tape leaking then when you redo itnreally mske sure you pull the tape on really tight. I’ve done a few now and after the first attempt where the tape slightly pealed off I went as tight as I could 2nd time and it worked perfectly. That was wtb tape (think the same as Stans and tesa) that was just wonder than the internal diameter of the rim.

I made a hole with a very small micro Philips screwdriver through the tape and just pushed the Stan’s valves through it and did them up tight.

Before sealant they’d go up and pop onto the rim, but they wouldn’t stay up much longer than yours. I popped the sealant in and shook it around a lot on no dramas since.

I find they do lose pressure over a few weeks (not completely flat but maybe from say 25 psi down to 15), but my other tubeless wheels that were setup by the bike manufacturer do similar.

Don't piss about with electrical tape. Buy a proper rim strip. Much easier, less guesswork.