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I have recently gone ghetto tubeless on both MTB and 700c after several decades on tubes, and would like the STW opinion as below :
29 x 2.4 Continental Mountain King (Not TLR) onto WTB Duster 700 x 24 internal rims TLR
No problems, went up easily using just a track pump. Heard a hiss from the valve area but this seemed to stop after I added the sealant. Seem to have held pressure OK for a week.
700 x 35 Panaracer Gravel King (TLR) onto Planet X 700 x 19 internal rims (not TLR)
Quite difficult. It wouldn’t pop onto the rim with track pump, made a 2 litre ghetto blaster that didn’t do the job either, finally success with a 3 litre ghetto blaster (White Lightning Cider !). Sealant was weeping around the bead but did stop. Seems to have held pressure OK for a week.
It seems to me that the 700 x 35 set up is a less robust arrangement, although it does now seem to hold pressure OK.
Any thoughts out there, I will always carry tubes as spares but is weeping sealant normal during tubeless set up, would you trust the 700 x 35 set up that I have for a few days tour off road ?
I tried ghetto-tubelessing my Conti AT Ride tyres (non TLR) on my Pickenflick (Vision Disc TR wheels). They worked initially without very much leakage at all and held air for 2-3 days. Did a ride, lost a bit of air, pumped up again, rode again, lost more air, but then would no longer hold air. I think the bead on the tyres stretched (they became noticeably more baggy than when first fitted new). Did consider re-taping and adding another wrap of tubeless tape (rear wheel already had two wraps though) but decided I couldn't really trust it not to fail out on a long ride, so stuck some tubes in, and am saving up for some proper TR tyres.
Lesson I've learned is to do it properly. You might get it to work on a non TR rim or tyre (and plenty of people seem to) but you could waste money and effort if it doesn't work.
I do wonder whether 'gravel' ghetto set ups are perhaps a little more sensitive to it not working ... Less tyre volume and narrower rim ... But that's just a hunch.
I wouldn't trust a non tubeless tyre no, they are significantly thinner sidewalls. My first ever tubeless experiment was with non tubeless tyres. It went up well and stayed inflated until about 15 miles from home.
I'd ride the second combination and see how it goes, TLR tyre on non-tubeless rim can be OK. if you're touring you'll be able to repair any flats. If you've got a bit of a tricky tubeless set up on your hands then it will always be easier to plug any puncture direct with a tubeless repair it, with the tyre still mounted on the bike. So make sure you take one of these.
CX tyres were a sort of unhappy medium for tubeless for ages, low volume low pressure is the worst of both worlds. There's loads of good CX TLR tyres available now, though, so it's become very reliable IME.
Non tubeless tyre on a tubeless rim (first combination) is not something I'd do, tbh - (definitely don't try this on the road with a high pressure set up). MTB you might get lucky and it will be OK - people did this a lot back in the day when there was less choice, but why risk the hassle when TLR MTB tyres are so readily available now?
Thanks for the feedback, I will see how it goes locally for a few rides. I have the option of putting the Gravel Kings onto the Dusters that would give me a total TLR set up, and decide what to do with the MTB, that does not get that much use anyway