[Closed] Wheelset for retro

If you want a tubeless wheelset, why are you trying to resurrect a 24 year old bike ?

I don't even know if anyone made tubeless ready rim-brake wheels. It's possible early 8 series Mavic rims were sealed, but disc rims have been the norm for about 10 years now, as has tubeless.

You can of course attempt to run old rim-brake wheels with a tubeless strip and sealant, but don't forget tubeless rims have a shallower side/bead area as they don't need to accommodate a braking surface. If you try to run rim-brake wheels tubeless you'll either have a nightmare getting the tyres on, or getting them to seal in the first place.

In short, I wouldn't bother. I'm actually building a new rear wheel for, by coincidence, a 1994 MTB, and purchased a new Mavic 321 rim, which is one of the few rims I could get for V-Brakes. But I'm quite happy sticking with inner tubes. I'll not be taking anything that old on the sort of terrain that warrants tubeless.

If you want a tubeless wheelset, why are you trying to resurrect a 24 year old bike ?

No reason you can't use modern tech on an old bike, and tyres/tubes are a great candidate as they fit retrospectively and improve performance.

<span style="color: #444444;">I’ll not be taking anything that old on the sort of terrain that warrants tubeless.</span>

It's not about the gnar, tubeless gets you faster rolling, reduction in weight (maybe/maybe not), more comfort, more grip and self-sealing for punctures, why not take advantage?

FWIW Mavic 819s did come in a rim brake version, but good luck finding any!

Some of the Mavic factory wheels (CrossMax etc.) were also UST/tubeless compatible, as were some options from Bontrager etc.

But they're all on the 'hard to find list', your best bet is find a wheelset to suit your taste and budget and then convert them using rimstrips (or ghetto method if so inclinded).

Has worked for me to tubeless various rim brake bikes over the last decade or so, tyres haven't been any more troublesome to fit or seal than on disc type rims with the same conversion...

Mavic XM317 are still fairly available (some places turn up silver ones now and then too), and the XM117 is still in production

Get yourself over to retrobike.co.uk and put up a wanted post. someone will sell you a wheelset in no time

I’m using Mavic 261 rims/Nobby Nics  on my 1988 Kona Explosif, set-up ghetto tubeless using the split 20” tube method, which I reckon is the most secure anyway.

No harder to do than anything else that I’ve used, to be honest. It’ll work fine with most rims, in my experience.

The 261’s that I’m using are Schrader drilled, btw, but it makes no difference.

Amedias - I am a big fan of tubeless, but just because someone gets a wheel running without an inner-tube doesn't mean it's better. Tubeless works better with wider rims and proper UST/TR tyres. Things have improved a lot recently with rim shape. I still have Stans rim strips/sealant on 3 of my older bikes, and to be honest compared to my newer tubeless wheels, they're not great, and that's despite them having disc-only rims (old design though, hence faff). As they require rim-strips, the rolling weight is the same as with an inner tube. Talking of which, Pro-Tour road riders don't ride tubeless, so it can't be that important for rolling resistance (yes, they use tubulars, but those still have the equivalent of an inner tube inside them). The other reason proper tubeless wheels are faster is because the rims are lighter and stronger. You don't get that doing 'ghetto' on old rims.

I doubt nedster will find anything but skinny rimmed wheels, and even if he does get some decent fast running TR tyres (e.g. Schwalbe SuperGravity) he'll most likely struggle to fit them and get them to seal. I'm only saying this from experience, as sometimes the hassle of trying to get 'old and new' tubeless working doesn't outweigh any 'perceived' benefits. Don't forget, you still end up carrying a spare inner tube and tyre repair kit when riding tubeless. Anyway, good luck to nedster if he wishes to go down this route....

stans ztr 355 work with rim brakes, the disc version just had the rim painted black iirc?

@DiscJockey, I can't help but think after reading that you've completely missed most of the points I was trying to make...not to mention some misunderstandings about tubular tyres and why tubeless can have lower rolling resistance.

Tubeless does improve things on skinny wheels.  You can still drop pressures and get lower RR.

Two things.
1) if youre planning on running 8speed I think I have an old CAT hub with Mavic 217 on it but it's the XT that 9speed cassettes wouldn't fit on.

2) I don't agree with what disc jockey is saying about tubeless not working on older wheels. I've got a 2.3" Purgatory running on a Mavic 321 with a cut tube and it's a dam site better than running a tube. I've run a rubber queen in the same way without issue. Yes it's not as good as a top notch modern wide rimmed setup but it's still better than an inner tube (thorns being one of my particular motivations for tubeless of the designed that way or ghetto persuasion).

Sorry CAT = XT
Darn auto correct

Mavic used to make some factory ust wheel sets for rim brakes at least into 2004 and in silver but can’t remember the model name. They were the light weight xc ones in silver.

Stans also did rim brake rims in silver for while

Cheers everyone, only fancied goin tubeless as all the other bikes in the fleet are tubeless and fancied a silly summer epic on a rigid retro across the Clwyds but I suppose for one or two rides I can deal with tubes, saying that the rubber on it is that hard probably bomb proof anyway.

Tubelessing your retro wheel doesn't need to be a drama, as suggested above just go the old skool 24" split tube method or hunt down a pair of rim strips.

I'd agree with amedias that there's still a point to tubelessing any rim.  Sure, fancy modern wheels might be lighter than retro stuff, but it's not just about the rotating mass.  Likewise, rim profile has changed a lot but that's less of an issue if you're going to make an effort t ouse period correct tyres as well as they'll simply be on the rim shape they're designed to perform well on.  Not having a tube in there changes the way the tyre rolls and deforms.  It'll genuinely grip and roll better whatever the rim is.