Can I set tubed tyres up tubeless on a gravel bike?

You'll have people warn you of painful death if you try. However, I have done this more than once. It is tyre dependant and you may need a few more turns of tape. Using a dedicated tubeless kit may cost more than a tyre if you have to buy more so use Tesa tape off ebay.

Just realised that my Camino came with the same tyres and they have been running tubeless since April.

Excellent Matt, thanks.  Why Tesa tape specifically?  I have some WTB and Peaty's kicking around in the garage.

If they're not tubeless ready, I doubt that they'll hold air without sealant. They might work with lots of sealant sloshed around inside to seal up but you won't know without trying.

Are they definately marked "Tube type"? The Goodyear site only lists "Tubeless Ready" or "Tubeless Complete" as options for the Connector.

Are they definately marked “Tube type”? The Goodyear site only lists “Tubeless Ready” or “Tubeless Complete” as options for the Connector.

Yep. Maybe it's an OEM only variant?

It might be fine but I wouldn't take the risk with such a safety critical component.

I've always thought if it seals, it will be fine!

Personally, I don't think there is a safety risk.. The tube type usually just means the sidewalls aren't spec'd for sealing.

Just my opinion.. As I have done this load, and never had a proble..

It can be done, but a non-TL tyre doesn’t have a bead designed to take the increased stress. If the bead stretches and pops off the rim then it’s often toast. Worked as a bike mechanic and found out the hard way a few times that it doesn’t work all the time, including cleaning tubeless sealant off me, the walls and the ceiling.

It might be fine but I wouldn’t take the risk with such a safety critical component.

It's funny how basically every component on a bike gets labelled as safety critical, and not worth taking chances with.

It’ll be fine. I ran wire bead CX-pros tubeless on 26” wheels for cross racing. Took a lot of sealant to seal the sidewalls. They were on Stans Crest rims that are designed for tubeless tyres.

Ive run tubeless tyres on normal rims (Ksyrium Road) and normal tyres on tubeless rims. I figured 1/2 was a decent compromise for technology. Just don’t go mad with the pressures. And you won’t with gravel tyres.

If the rim isn't taped properly, that's an indicator of why you've had so many punctures. I've had one puncture on my CX bike in 2 years. On the KAW I was the only one not to puncture in our group. One lad had 5 punctures (used all our spares) and another had one.

Didn't we all run tubeless before tubeless specific tyres were a thing? I used Joe's Rim Strips. Other folk were "ghetto" tubelessing with BMX inner tubes sliced down the middle.

It’s funny how basically every component on a bike gets labelled as safety critical, and not worth taking chances with.

I tend to think "if it was missing, could I still ride the bike. So grips, yes, bottle cage, yes, shifters and brakes yes, wheels and tyres, not so much.

If your going to tape the rims anyway you might as well give it a go. Just make sure you're registered with a dentist first

You might need to get a bit of sealant in to see if they'll hold air though. I had some tubeless ready Vittoria's with tan walls and they took 3-4 days and lots of sealant & spinning before the sidewalls sealed up.

If they don't work and money's a bit tight, Banana Industries have some very good deals on tyres; their Continental Terra Trail are the same size as yours, but there are plenty of others.

If the rim isn’t taped properly, that’s an indicator of why you’ve had so many punctures.

It's been thorns, picked up on tree lined back lanes and bridleways. The Goodyear carcase is pretty flimsy and tiny thorns which wouldn't trouble a chunkier tyre puncture it. But they are good on the road so seems a good compromise if a splurge of Stan's can deal with the thorns.

However, I'm swayed by the arguments erring on the side of caution, so I'll probably get some proper tubeless tyres.

Thanks all.

Once set up well with sealant I’ve been fine with all tyres up to around 40 psi, and some tyres up to about 60 psi, but not found one that will keep pressure beyond that unless it’s designed for it

I'm not having much luck sealing the tubeless versions of those Goodyears on my Boardman. After several days, lots of spinning and sealant the rims are still leaking a bit. Just the rear, though. The front was easy.

It’s funny how basically every component on a bike gets labelled as safety critical, and not worth taking chances with.

We're talking about tyres. Are you arguing that they are not safety critical?

I found a few quid down the back of the sofa and have coughed up for a pair of tubeless tyres.  I did look at loads of different ones and disappeared down a rabbit hole of gravel tyre reviews for an hour or two. And then decided life is too short and bought the tubeless version of my OEM tyres. Goodyear Connector Ultimate Tubeless Complete 700 x 45. £29 each from Tredz. Hopefully no more punctures for a while.

We’re talking about tyres. Are you arguing that they are not safety critical?

Thinking about it I do wonder how much on a bicycle isnt safety critical.

In my car I can think of plenty which if it fails chances are I wouldnt be overly fussed about but cycling its hard to come up with something which if it failed at the wrong time wouldnt get rather excited. Maybe bottle cage bolts but even then at the wrong time it would get interesting vs the passenger window control on the car.

I nearly stacked it a few months back when cornering sharply crossing a road on lights joining a pavement/cycle path. I think the tubeless tyre had a slight cut which then ruptured into a major one and lost all air instantly. Would have been interesting if it was a tight onroad turn.

Hopefully no more punctures for a while.

Bring a tube and a pump. You can thank me later.

We’re talking about tyres. Are you arguing that they are not safety critical?

No. It was just an observation that the same has been said for pretty much every component on a bike. I wasn't arguing one way or the other.

Bring a tube and a pump. You can thank me later.

As I said in the OP, I've been running tubeless for years on mtbs. I always carry a tube and a pump!

No. It was just an observation that the same has been said for pretty much every component on a bike. I wasn’t arguing one way or the other.

It's not an argument I made in my post responding to the OP's question.

a) It's a bloody tyre. It may fall off but it won't do it out of the blue so stop worrying for goodness sake.

b) Tesa tape is way cheaper than any tubeless packaged stuff and is often identical.

c) Let's get away from the idea that an industry says something is safety crucial and go back to trying something out and probably finding out that it probably doesn't matter and if it does the consequences are probably trivial.

I've been doing ghetto tubeless for over 20 years. In the early days, we used to convert standard tyres. Success depends a lot on the specific tyre, especially the sidewalls. I used to use a mixture of art latex and Slime as sealant, plus Holts Tyreweld to get it sealed up the first time. Slime has some sort of fibres mixed in which helps with sealing the sidewalls on lightweight tyres. Tyres with heavier sidewalls seal up much more easily.

Whether your tyres work will just depend on what they are. Only way to find out is to try. Problem with skinny tyres is you need to run higher pressures so they will be harder to seal up and will lose pressure faster.

I've been having trouble with this on my gravel bike lately. I have been using tube only tyres tubeless because of the low TPI, making for a stronger tyre.

However, the last 3 of these tyres have met their end before the tread has worn out. The casing has blistered, sometimes as big as my thumb, as air forces its way between the layers of the casing. They appear quite suddenly and could pop pretty dramatically before you've noticed them so I'm facing up to the fact that I'm going to have to buy proper tubeless gravel tyres.

I have been using tube only tyres tubeless because of the low TPI, making for a stronger tyre

AIUI, a higher TPI gives a stronger tyre for the same weight. Lower TPI is just cheaper to make.

Has anyone tried to set up old Mavic Open Pros tubeless?

Has anyone tried to set up old Mavic Open Pros tubeless?

Tricky due to deep well and lack of a bead shelf means there's little to seal against - will probably need lots of tape and packing to make it work.

Yes and ksyriums which have the same profile but no spoke holes. It works. The issue I had was that the G One Speeds were so unbelievably tight to mount that I had issues when one punctured and could not seal. Also once they did puncture and seal, they didn’t hold pressure as high as I wanted. And I didn’t run plugs in those days. Eventually, I went back to tubes, but do run 33c gravel tyres on Open Pros without any issues.

And then decided life is too short and bought the tubeless version of my OEM tyres. Goodyear Connector Ultimate Tubeless Complete 700 x 45. £29 each from Tredz.

Good tyres, I've been running them a couple of years on my bike. I'd have tried the original ones first TBH, but then at least you're less likely to be stranded miles away from home when one goes wrong.

Is this on the old rim brake Open Pros?  Mine date from about 2013.

TiRedFull Member
It’ll be fine. I ran wire bead CX-pros tubeless on 26” wheels for cross racing. Took a lot of sealant to seal the sidewalls. They were on Stans Crest rims that are designed for tubeless tyres.

That's pretty much my rear setup on the gravel bike, Smart Sam winter and CX Comp in summer.

Trouble with gravel bikes is the road miles wear out the rear faster, the generally longer rides wear out both tyres faster, and there's the niche tax. So £12 every 6 months for what are actually not bad tyres is a bargain.

It depends in the tyre, but bad experience in the past has warned me off trying another time.

The Goodyear connectors on my Camino became deformed even with a tube, which does not bode well.

a non-TL tyre doesn’t have a bead designed to take the increased stress

What's the increased stress? The pressure is just the same, probably a bit lower if you choose. It'll either seal ok or it won't.

Didn’t we all run tubeless before tubeless specific tyres were a thing? I used Joe’s Rim Strips. 

I was a stans rim strip user, did dozens like that, still have some running on older mavic rims. Even using proper retro tyres (WildGrippers for starters!).

Has anyone tried to set up old Mavic Open Pros tubeless?

Definitely open pros, ran a couple of seasons of CX on them, also have recollection of Open Sport and A117s being run tubeless with non-tubeless tyres.

OP, don't run stupid pressures, scrub the inside of the tyre with soapy water and a scourer so the sealant doesn't just bead up and run off, make sure the rim bed is nicely taped up and go for it!

Popped into the shed last night to grab a bucket and remembered this thread, so had a look at my Camino. I paid for the tubeless upgrade & it came with Goodyear Connector tyres. I had a look last night & it says TT Tube Type like that image above.

They initially didn't seal very well and there was a little pinhole in the sidewall which was a bit odd, but since chucking in a bit more sealant & riding it they now seal very well.
I've barely ridden it since October for various reasons, but both tyres are still inflated & sealed on the rim; pretty soft & would need properly inflating before riding, but perhaps 15psi in them still, which is fine given they've been sat for 4 months.