And by performance we don't mean 5 seconds off your local loop, we mean more comfort, more grip, more control, more security.
Worth the faff? The answer is both Yes and no.
Yes, if you like minimalist kit and tend to buy quality tyres and don't change them very often.
No, if you like to buy cheap tyres and mostly use your bike for commuting through glass strewn streets. Or you are a serial tyre swapper and change them for whatever the conditions you are going to ride.
For me there is a whole lot less faff if you have new tubeless specific good quality rims and use new good quality tubeless specific tyres (don't get the lightweight versions of the tyres unless you race).
Putting part worn tyres onto dented rims tends not to seal very well if not at all.
Forgot to add that you are more likely to dent your rims riding tubeless due to the lower pressures used, might not be a problem if you're light or ride light. I've never had a rim fail on me yet though 🤞
ah, but there's an insert for that 😉
having said that, I tried inserts for a year or so but haven't bothered recently (but I didn't get rim strikes before going for inserts either)
The answer, although I've spent the last half hour replacing knackered DT Swiss rim tape which left me pumping up a soft rear tyre every five miles in the Lakes yesterday, is yes!
I spent a lot of time (and a bit of money) trying to convert my MTB and my commuting bike a few months ago.
My conclusion was that it was incredibly 'finicky' trying to get the rim tape 'just right' to get a seal and the bead of the tyre rubbing was easily pushing against the rim tape (during inflation) disrupting the seal.
I'm sure I could have got it right eventually but I called it quits. It didn't give me much faith in tubeless.
My conclusion was that it was incredibly ‘finicky’ trying to get the rim tape ‘just right’ to get a seal
Don't use tape then. It surprises me that everyone uses it - it seems to be the main cause of issues. I use rim strips.
It didn’t give me much faith in tubeless.
Right but most MTBers are riding around with it all the time and find it great, so that should give you some faith no?
Don’t use tape then. It surprises me that everyone uses it – it seems to be the main cause of issues. I use rim strips.
Duly noted. I couldn't get the tape to stick very well and the rims had a channel so strips may be a better idea.
TBH it's 2020, I have to admit I was assuming that people would be using tubeless rims. I've converted non-tubeless rims but it's a different game to doing the real thing and basically you lose a lot of the certainty. Not something I'd want to do again
My daughter's bike had TLR tyres and rims, I thought it was just going to be a case of popping the valves in. But the tape the rims had on was just fabric traditional rim tape so I had to do my own. I ended up keeping the fabric tape and covering it with electrical tape. Wasn't as good as using strips, where they usually just go ping pang and stay up.
Are rim strips universal for rim specific?
So I've just finished resurrecting my much-neglected, 10-year old Giant Anthem X4 full-sus, and now want to convert it to tubeless after trying and loving it on my gravel bike.
It's still got the original set of 26" wheels with Mavic XM117 rims (not tubeless) and Panaracer Fire-XC Pro 2.1" tyres (not tubeless either).
The first cost-concious idea that I've already tried is splurging £9 on some Joe's No Flat rim strips and trying to convert the current wheels/tyres, sadly with no success.
I'm now thinking the next logical idea from a financial pov would be to try some tubeless ready/UST tyres on the original wheelset with the rim strips.
If that doesn't work, I'd have to go the whole hog and find some 26" tubeless wheels (at which point I might not bother at all and go back to tubes).
The trouble is, finding an inexpensive pair of 26" tubeless tyres and/or a set of tubeless wheels is proving to be somewhat frustrating, as the world has moved on.
Does anyone have a pair of 26" tubeless ready/UST tyres for sale, or even a whole wheelset? Or can recommend an online deal that won't end up costing more than the whole bike's worth?!
Still yet to try on road bike tubeless ready wheels (Hunt) or any sort of ghetto on the fatbike or the new Marasa hybrid... More than anything, I'm too much of a frequent tyre changer.
molgrips
MemberBut the tape the rims had on was just fabric traditional rim tape so I had to do my own. I ended up keeping the fabric tape and covering it with electrical tape.
Better to remove the fabric and then tape straight to the rim- electric tape works great tbh but 2 wraps is usually a good idea.
