Ghetto tubeless without the cut innertube method – experiences?

I’m going to try out a ghetto tubeless soon but found some mention of doing it without using the smaller tube cut open eg:

Sounds good but anyone got any direct experiences?

I’m running an inbred tubeless without a cut tube to act as a rim strip.

I cut the valve out of an old tube … left with valve stem and approx’ half inch square of the tube. This is fitted into the valve hole in the wheel (a dab of silicon sealer between the rim and the half inch of tube won’t hurt). Then 3-4 full wraps of insulation tape around inside of wheel. Fit tyre, add 200ml of which ever sealant you like, blow tyre up. Job done.

I think there can be only one outcome:

(I’m pretty sure it’ll work fine. I re-ghettoed my wheels using sticky backed foam draught excluder to fill the rim valley, I still used a tube, but the tyres were so darn tight, no reason why they wouldn’t work without the tube I reckon. I don’t think they’d be more or less prone to burping either)

i cant get the basterd tyres to seal without an overlapping tube. track pump only mind.

if i could get it to work i would use it on all my bikes. but i cant so i dont.

I’m going to experiment with the gaffa tape method on the next set of wheels I do… although I do wonder if without the rubber strip the tyres will be more likely to burp as if the bead is pressed away from the rim there is nothing to stop air escaping.

My suggestion if you are having trouble inflating the tyres is to get some nylon tape and tie it around the circumference of the tyre, pushing the centre of the tyre into the bed of the rim. This forces the bead out into the rim. The tyres inflate easily with a track pump then. You could do the same thing with a ratchet strap too I beleive…

I used this method on a couple of wheels, and managed to get them both done completely within about 15 minutes. Compared to the hour and a half I had been trying before giving this method a go!

Other options seem to be to use foam tape along the rim bed before taping the wheel up but I have not tried this method.

Good luck!

Good idea nick – I had thought of something similar with a tube of pipe lagging but yours is more convenient 🙂

What’s the point of the foam tape? to push the beads of the tyre up?

still s8tannorm – 200ml? Sounds like more than most people seem to be using – I was planning on 100ml ish.

Couldnt get it to go with a Track pump, but worked fine with a Compressor. (24″ tubes on a 29er with Standard Ardent Tyres )

Gone to stans rims+yellow tape now. They are ace

done it with good quality electrical tape (sticky) & worked fine.

stan’s yellow tape is shyte & the biggest waste of money ever. isn’t it like £11 for a role?

200ml is just an amount I’ve been using, a certain amount will leak out as the tyre seals. I figure 100ml to start may not leave enough in side once inflated … this could be utter rubbish mind.

I tried this but couldn’t get it to work, even with a compressor. had to go back to using rim strips

stan’s yellow tape is shyte & the biggest waste of money ever. isn’t it like £11 for a role?

probably right, but after spending 130 quid on rims/ valves I didnt want to take any chances…and it does work. (track pump plus dry non-ust tyres went up ok )

Used this method using electrical tape and some reinforced packing tape I bought for a couple of quid from ebay. Easyish to set up, inflated with track pump – has worked flawlessly for a year.

I used Bontrager valves which I had from using Bontrager rims before but have treated myself to some Effetto tubeless valves as the Bontragers are basically fubared.

I spent a couple of years messing with various permutations of duct tape when I initially went tubeless in about 2003.

IME it’ll be perfectly air tight if you can get it too inflate. Mostly I ended up using CO2 to achieve this, since a track pump was inadequate. I never did try the draft excluding strips to block out the valley, but I’d imagine that could certainly help with the initial inflation. I found that I used more sealant overall too.

It’ll depend on your individual tyre, rim and pressure combination, but in general terms I found them quite a bit more prone to air burping and sudden deflation than something with a better bead interlock or a rim strip.

Eventually I moved to stans rims, which seems to give me most tubeless options.

EDIT:

stan’s yellow tape is shyte & the biggest waste of money ever. isn’t it like £11 for a role?

Is it? I must go and tell that to the two pairs of wheels I’ve been using it on for the last three years.

So when taping, are you just sealing the valve holes or is the tape extending up the rim sidewalls? I’d have thought that tape on the rim sidewalls where they tyre contacts could provide a better seal than tyre bead directly on the metal of the rim.

It didn’t seem to make much difference when I was experimenting – I was using Mavic 519’s by the way.

i tried to get as close to the edge of the rim (bead hook) as possible with the tape.

i tried the ratchet strap thing and that didnt work.

i need to try again as i think its the best idea as changing tyres is easier and cheaper than a new bmx innertube each time.

maybe now its dark and wet i`ll spent more time fettling than riing so i might have another go – the rims all set up its just got a tube in it!

I converted mine using the electrical tape method earlier this year.
DTSwiss X420SL rims and Spesh 2Bliss tyres.

They went up really easily with just a track pump, but I have had 2 instances of the tyre burping and me ending up on my butt. Both times on the front tyre and I wonder if this is due to the bead being very slack on the rim. It goes on with virtually no effort. I suspect a tighter tyre might resist burping a bit better.

EDIT – I did 2 runs of electrical tape around the tyre initially; one right against one side, then the next run on the opposite side. I tried to get as close to the sidewall as possible without putting tape onto it. I then stuck a third loop around the centre of the rim to reinforce the tape over the holes.

the burpiest tyre i had was a right basterd to get on the rim. the looser big earls didnt burp. on one crash/dodgy landing i even got leaves under teh rim stip but hte tyre was sealed to the strip!

Lol!

Similar has happened to me.

I find the BMX tubes re-usable. I just don’t trim them too close to the rim. I believe they are there to prevent burping as the seal remains intact even if the tyre bead leaves the rim.
My favourite is the Bontrager system,though. Their rim strip mimics the shape of a UST rim and so holds the tyre bead up and in contact with the rim hook. Even a deflated tyre is difficult to disengage from the rim.

Is there any way to go tubeless without adding the equivalent of a lightweight tube in sealant?

I like the idea of tubeless, but I don’t fancy the goo.

Clubber,

Buy_the_proper_kit_you_tightwad.

It’s a piece of piss to do and saves all the fapping around with foam tape/electrcal tape.

I’ve actually already got a ‘proper’ kit, thanks – just interested to try out the ‘tightwad’ method 😉

Is there any way to go tubeless without adding the equivalent of a lightweight tube in sealant?

UST rims and tyres and a lot of luck.

clubber – Member

I’ve actually already got a ‘proper’ kit, thanks – just interested to try out the ‘tightwad’ method

🙄

i used that method on my bonty rims and it worked perfectly – it wouldn’t work on my FSA rims though

Well, I’ve got one ‘proper’ kit and want to do 4 wheels so…

What’s the point of the foam tape? to push the beads of the tyre up?

To fill up the rim ‘well’ without having to use reams and reams of leccy PVC tape, so the tyres are a v snug fit and will inflate initially easily. Similar idea to proper rims strips I suppose. The strip I used is narrower than the rim bed, so the bead can still fit into the entire bead. Foam backed tape is a lot lighter than tons of PVC tape.

To fill up the rim ‘well’ –

i find that all you need to do to get good inflation is fill the edges, well depth helps fitting the tyre, but reducing the depth between base of sidewall inner and bead is all that’s needed. wiping a small amount of artshop latex around the tyre and rim bead helps too.

i guess it depends on the tyre / rim cobio and i only use UST tyres on converted rims, but have done DT, mavic and stans with an old valve from an inner tube, leccy tape and bit of liquid latex and had no leaks, burps or other issues.