What to Buy to Go Tubeless ?

I’ve 2x 29 Purgatory Grid’s and need to change them to Tubeless.

How much is it going to cost ?

If I get an Airshot and a Tubeless Kit and I’d have everything I need ?

Which Tubeless Kit is recommended ?

Apart from the rather high initial cost, does it not cost that much every time you need to change tyres ?

I’ve used gorilla tape and Uberbike valves on my wheels.

Regards inflation look at this thread:

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/tubeless-inflator-recommendations/

It depends mostly on the rims, if they’re tubeless ready then you probably don’t even need a kit, just some cheap valves, some tape and some sealant

(I bloomin hate Gorilla tape, it works great but cleaning it off is pretty much the crappest job in biking)

I’m in agreement about gorilla tape, when you replace it it leaves loads of residue. Planet X are selling valves, goop and tesa style tape for much cheapness. I even think they have combined track pumps and tubeless inflators going cheap.

I think I paid about £15 per wheels for my lbs to set it all up for me. I hate taping rims and valves cost half that so it’s well worth it.

I used wtb tape on my wtb tubeless ready rims – think it was £7 a roll for 11 metres which will do quite a lot of wheels. I put in stan’s tubeless valves which were about £10. Whack in a load of sealant and you’re done.

Ive got an airwave combined pump and tubeless inflator – think it was £35 from CRC.

So far both lots of wheels on my mtbs are tubeless and no dramas. Had to replace the cores on 2 valves on one bike after a year or so (DT Swiss valves I think) as they got gummed up with sealant but that’s a cheap and easy job that took a few minutes.

Apart from the rather high initial cost, does it not cost that much every time you need to change tyres ?

What do you think you are going to have to buy again?

Each time you change a tyre it’s just a small amount of sealant to change – 80-100ml I think. A big bottle of Stans is about £15 and it’s done quite a few tyres for me.

Maybe the occasional valve core change if threy get too gunky.

Nothing else I can think of?

Gorilla is a brand

Their cloth tape is hell to remove ..

Buy the clear tape its top notch and easy to remove.

Tesa tape is a pain in the hoop. I find i have to replace it every time i change tires as it never seems to seal twice.

I don’t run tubeless, never have done. I don’t get many punctures at all, (hardly ever in fact), I don’t feel the need to run lower pressures and I have zero faff. What am I missing out on? Not trolling, just genuinely curious.

I don’t run tubeless, never have done. I don’t get many punctures at all, (hardly ever in fact), I don’t feel the need to run lower pressures and I have zero faff. What am I missing out on? Not trolling, just genuinely curious.

For me it is puncture elimination.  I used to get loads, every ride sometimes, now I don’t get any at all.  I don’t go seriously low pressure, but plenty of people do, and love it.  If you don’t get many punctures, it might not be for you.  I’m never going back to tubes, that’s for sure.

Each time you change a tyre it’s just a small amount of sealant to change – 80-100ml I think. A big bottle of Stans is about £15 and it’s done quite a few tyres for me.

Maybe the occasional valve core change if threy get too gunky.

If you are swapping tyres over wheels I usually preserve 90% of the sealant anyway…. and I’ve washed loads of cores in hot water… (in fact I usually do it anyway when they are out)

The best tape I found is T-REX.(randomly tried because it was 50% off or something at Wickes).. in that it lasts multiple changes of tyres… when you do need to clan it off some meths or alcohol seems to work fine…I’ve got some genuine Stans as well… and it doesn’t last as long but its good for Tyre/Rim combo’s that don’t need any extra packing..

I don’t run tubeless, never have done. I don’t get many punctures at all, (hardly ever in fact), I don’t feel the need to run lower pressures and I have zero faff. What am I missing out on? Not trolling, just genuinely curious.

I find the ride is nicer…. quite how to put it in words is a different matter.

I switched for punctures originally… but then lowered pressures because I could…. I hate tempting fate but yet to have a puncture didn’t seal… (though I have had tyres that got me home and ten git changed)

Ive currently got some old tyres with tubes in on one set of wheels and it feels a bit “unpleasant” … it doesn’t wreck a ride unpleasant… it just doesn’t feel so nice???

If you could would be worth just borrowing a friends for a ride???  It’s not compulsory or anything but I honestly don’t like the feel anymore.

I’ve changed wheels on my hardtail from non tubeless compatible to tubeless compatible recently. I’ve kept the same tyres (On one chunky monkey / smorgasbord) but set them up tubeless with no other changes to the bike at the same time and it’s so much nicer to ride.

Ive dropped pressures with the tubeless and not had any punctures since – in the few weeks before I changed I’d had 2 pinch punctures with the tubes at a higher pressure.

Tend to be running 25 psi front and around 27ish rear with the tubeless – with tubes I was running over 30psi.

Ive now got more grip, less punctures and the bike feels livelier. Although the new wheels could be a little lighter than the old ones which is helping (I haven’t weighed either wheelset).

Yes, punctures is the main reason I’m switching, if you ride lots of very rocky stuff then pinch flats happen all the time with tubes, I’m beyond sick of it.

Plus I want to run lower pressures for DH and tubeless will allow that. That will hopefully considerably reduce fatigue when doing 3000-4000m descending a day multiple days in a row.

I’ve already got tubeless ready wheels, do I only need to get the sealant now and not a full tubeless kit ?  Anyone provide a link to best recommended kit to get me set up for tubeless please ?

I’ll also get an airshot ordered

What rims have you got on your bike?

I’ll also get an airshot ordered

You (probably) won’t need one… not that its not a nice security blanket but depending on rim/tyre combo most  tubeless ready stuff today seats easy if you take out a valve core…If your combo doesn’t work then get an airshot etc.

Just try them DRY…. all you need is the valves… if they inflate they inflate…  if you can pump air in faster than it comes out that’s all that’s required… good tubeless rims then pretty much guide the bead into the sides…. once you’ve done it once or twice it’s one of those things… I had to fit some tubes last week and lack of practice made it harder than setting up tubeless.

I’ve already got tubeless ready wheels, do I only need to get the sealant now and not a full tubeless kit ?  Anyone provide a link to best recommended kit to get me set up for tubeless please ?

You just need some valves if the rims are ready sealed… and your choice of sealant….

If you have a spoke key fits the valve core then use it…. or buy a valve core remover … (Personally I find the spoke key is every bit as good as a core remover at removing cores but the core remover is lousy at tightening spokes)

Make sure the valves are long enough… you want plenty sticking out to make sure the pump or airshot etc. fits easy…

Everyone swears by their own preferred sealant… personally I started with Stans, it works so I never switched.

Not many rims are fully sealed without tape (is no spoke holes)….so you’re probably going to need to tape the rim. Then stick a tubeless valve in and get some sealant.

So you just need to buy tape, valves and sealant really. You can give inflation a go with a normal track  pump but I’ve found the pressurised tank is much better for seating tyre beads.

I just recycle valves with removable cores from tubes, conti’s are good, and a whole tube is cheaper than a “tubeless” valve of which i can tell know difference. Never had an issue with them.

So I would say a roll of tesa tape from ebay, your sealant of choice and some kind of inflator ranging from homemade coke bottle through to compressor…

Plus c02 for the trail. Oh and some type of anchovy system, though since I dropped Schwalbe in favour of Maxxis I have not holed a tyre…

4 x valves for 11 quid off amazon – work fine are in almost all my bikes after i got fed up of the flimsy stans ones either not sealing at the valve hole or pulling through if you nip it up a bit.

last i checked you wont get 4 conti tubes for 11 quid.

(going back a bit but) clear gorilla tape is good but you can’t buy it in nice sized rolls, it only comes in 48mm so you have to cut it down. Which isn’t that big a deal but it’s annoying.

what size you want ? comes in 25mm – just not in bnq.

i have in the past cut a 48mm roll in half with a hacksaw holding it in a vice.

Why use gorilla tape which isn’t the right width when you can get the wtb tape for about £7?

the right width for what ? WTB rims i assume.

i use Gorilla as it means i keep one size in stock for all my/my wifes wheels and just trim to fit.

Assuming you use gorilla/duct/tesa tape or whatever; how are you trimming it to the required width?

I have some at the moment & when I find time am planning on going back to tubeless on my full sus.
I have an idea of how I am going to cut it down, but just curious to hear whether there are better ways out there.

Why use gorilla tape which isn’t the right width when you can get the wtb tape for about £7?

48mm x 11m of gorilla tape can be had for about a fiver. I reckon I need about 22mm wide for my rim, so can get two lots of trimmed tape off one reel; so 22m of tape for a fiver.

@trailrat, where can I get 25mm clear gorilla? I’ve never been able to find it anywhere, that’d be really handy.

Maybe I’m lazy but I couldn’t be arsed with trying to cut tape in half. Would be too easy for the edges to be uneven and maybe not seal properly.

Im good with paying £7 odd for 11 metres of tape – I don’t tape that many wheels generally.

You can get the tape I’ve used in different widths for different width rims – so it’s not just for wtb.

I have assumed it’s the same tape as Stan’s – just cheaper.

https://apetape.co.uk/Item/reaper-tape-polythene-repair-tape

Look for all weather repair tape rather than gorilla the brand. Its the same as the storm sure tent repair tape – to the end that its holding the damaged part of my van fiamma awning together with great invisible effect.

AS for trimming it – due to the variability of the rims ive been using it on – i just clean the rim up now and fit the tape push it well down into all the nooks making sure its well seated then trim the excess off at the bead hook with a sharp stanley the man .

certainly had a much higher and less faffy success rate than using stans (which is tesa) tape. and an infinately higher repeat use rate (ie changing tires without having to strip tape and start again)

Cheers bud.

The secret to endless life for your tape is wide rims, btw, and then make the tape the width of the sunken bit in the middle so the tyre doesn’t really have to contact it at all.I switched to this for my i29s and it’s flawless.

4 x valves for 11 quid off amazon – work fine are in almost all my bikes after i got fed up of the flimsy stans ones either not sealing at the valve hole or pulling through if you nip it up a bit.

Link?

I meant most of my conti valves have been free….

However the cheapest valves I found are these for 13.99 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Yuauy-Tubeless-Universal-Plastic-Coloured/dp/B06XX8XRXB/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1532629478&sr=8-9&keywords=tubeless+valve

Whereas a single conti tube on crc is 2.99 – x 4 is 11.96…
I prefer the ones from inner tubes as I cut a slightly bigger head on them and have had zero leakage issues.

Plus this tesa tape @19mm is 11 quid for 66 metres.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tesa-Tape-4289-no-tubes-bike-rim-tape-complete-roll-19-mm-wide-x-66-metres-long/

make the tape the width of the sunken bit in the middle so the tyre doesn’t really have to contact it at all

Like northwind I have not needed wider then 19mm on any rim, all you need to do is cover the spoke holes.

I’d always go the other way on tape: you want it from wall to wall.  This makes it much easier to get a seal as the seal is formed entirely by the tyre and the tape.  Even if the tape isn’t stuck down properly, air can’t get under the edges.  Also there’s no possibility of air getting in through the rim join outside of the bit that you’ve got taped.

I’ve been using this tesa tape with very tight CX tyres and swap tyres very regularly and have had no problems.  As the bead is always on the tape, it can’t catch the edge of the tape when you’re unmounting it.