[Closed] Tubless virgin, please answer me a few questions.

Personally I;
1. wrap 3-4 times around the rim with electrical tape
2. Fit tyre and tube and pump till bead pops
3. Pop off one side of the bead and replace tube with valve
4. Shake sealant and add a few Mls. and pop tyre back on
5. Pump like hell until bead pops
6. Shake tyre

My method had worked with every tyre and rim combination I've ever tried, from fat bikes to XC race bikes. I've never had any issues.

If you get a puncture, keep riding. The sealant should plug the hole. If it's too larger hole then you can buy tubeless worms to help plug it. If all else fails then fit a tube.

Your rims need this.

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Really easy to get since they launched in the UK. A 1" roll from Wilkos should do 4 rims for a few quid. Most 'proper' tubeless tape is just rebranded versions of this or other 3M stuff.

Sorry thread hijack...
Tubeless virgin here too, just one question:
Rim tape and separate valve, or rim tape with valve included?

The price difference seems negligible just wondering if there's any pros and cons to the separate valves. I ask as I would like the green valves that Superstar do... Sad, I know, but that's what I'm like.

Right thats it i'm gonna do it!

Cheers folks.

You do NOT need a compressor. Repeat, you do NOT need a compressor!

The fit (tightness) of the tyre against the rim is the all important factor - and one which often gets overlooked by the 'you need a compressor' brigade.

Your tyre should inflate with ONLY a good track pump using the 'soapy water on a brush' method. As long as it inflates then you're good to go and the 'fit' is just right, otherwise ADD MORE RIM TAPE and try again. The tyre doesn't need to STAY inflated, it just needs to inflate.

Then add the juice, re-inflate and do the hula hula to get a good seal.

😀

I think the strip with valve attached are for non ust/tubeless wheeels so for what people refer to as ghetto.

enfht has it.

The fit (tightness) of the tyre against the rim is the all important factor - and one which often gets overlooked by the 'you need a compressor' brigade.

That is true, except that your choice of tyre and available rims might not be a tight enough fit, in which case.. you need a compressor! Or CO2.

I've got Duck tape, 3m black gaffer tape and electrical tape (various colours!!). Will these do the trick (at least for a first go) or should i buy some proper rim tape?

That is true, except that your choice of tyre and available rims might not be a tight enough fit, in which case.. you need a compressor! Or CO2.

Rim tape and separate valve, or rim tape with valve included?

If you never ever swap tyres and don't mind spending the extra go for a rubber rib tape with the valve attached. In the early days of tubeless I used a Joe's conversion strip and it worked very well. The only problem was the sealant would almost glue the tyre to the rim strip making it very hard to separate if you ever wanted to change tyres. Also the rim strip had lots of old sealant residue on it not giving a clean surface for the next tyre.

If you don't fancy spending extra cash and don't mind a tiny extra bit of faff either use Gorilla tape or a tubeless tape such as Stans Yellow tape or Superstar's tape and separate valves. A bit of faff might be required to find the correct amount of tape to use. Too much and its hard to get the tyre on too little and the tyre is too baggy and hard to inflate. But the positive is usually the tyre does not attach it self as much and any residue can be cleaned easily with a paper towel and cleaner.

I've got Duck tape, 3m black gaffer tape and electrical tape (various colours!!). Will these do the trick

As far as I can tell, Gorilla and Duck tape are just branded versions of duct / graffer tape.

I haven't used these my self but many many people reporting good experiences using these as tubeless tape.

Last time I needed tape I went for Superstar tape for which was around £7 a roll and is good for about 4 rims. As far as I could tell it was the same as Stan's tape but in a slightly more pastel yellow colour (not sure if that makes a difference 🙂 )

Watching this helped me

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Stans yellow tape is nothing like Gaffer tape.

Yellow tape is very thin and doesn't leave much residue if removed. It can be a bit fragile though, i.e. easy to tear if it get a small cut in it.

Gaffer tape is thick in comparison because it has a woven fibre base and a thick layer of glue. It can leave a horrible gunky residue when removed which is a pig to clean off.

The only advantage of Gaffer tape is that it's much cheaper than Stans yellow tape, so quite handy if you need to add more layers to 'pad' the rim out a bit.

i have a question about tape as well - i'd assumed that the tape just sat in the 'well' of the rim, sealing up the spoke holes, but people are saying that's how you also get a better seal - does that mean the tape covers the whole of the inside of the rim, including the lip that the bead seals against?
cheers

Here's my 2-penneth.

Agree with Gorilla tape, excellent alternative with even just one wrap of the rim. I'd recommend getting a 2" reel and slitting it down the middle. I've managed to do about 10 rims so far and there's still plenty left.

In my experience a compressor is a massive benefit, as is a 'coke bottle' reservoir. With all of the rim/tyre combinations I've used (and there have been numerous), a track pump was not sufficient on its own. Especially if the tyre was not officially tubeless ready. You can always charge the reservoir with a track pump, it's just easier with a compressor.

Also, always remove the valve core when doing the first inflation to seat the tyre, I've never bothered with a dry run either, do it with the sealant in from the get go. If you can manage to disconnect the hose from the valve stem and refit the valve core before the tyre fully deflates its a bonus. To do this use a rubber hose (like a section of track pump hose) and just push it over the valve stem without a screw fitting. Obviously the hose needs to be a tight fit or it'll just blow off. Quickly yank the tube of the valve stem and put your finger over the hole, then quickly put the core back in. Works for me anyway.

TOTALLY disagree with the 'add more rim tape' idea. That will not be sufficient in all cases. In some instances you'll need to add about 15 wraps of the wheel to build it up enough to get a tight seal. One option is to use thicker self adhesive foam strip (like a draft excluder) underneath the Gorilla tape. However, this is not required if you have a compressor and not really ideal.

I've tried the Ghetto split inner tube version with the valve integral to the strip, however the Gorilla tape option has always proven more reliable and easier in the long run.

One thing I found useful was to make sure the bead has plenty of sealant on it, this seems to reach a permanent seal much quicker. I found this more effective than soapy water at getting the tyre to seat.

You are off to a good start in not using Continental tyres.
Just put a new one on last night so will no doubt have to re-inflate for the next 3 weeks before all the holes are sealed up.
(put some Geax TNT on in the summer and went up and stayed up so tyres can be made like that - if Continental are listening)

kerley - Member
You are off to a good start in not using Continental tyres.
Just put a new one on last night so will no doubt have to re-inflate for the next 3 weeks before all the holes are sealed up.
(put some Geax TNT on in the summer and went up and stayed up so tyres can be made like that - if Continental are listening)

I converted some Trail Kings and it's true they did take a fair bit of sealant, but after a good amount of sloshing about they stayed up on the second attempt.

BTW, don't trust anyone who says going tubeless is easy, cos it isn't. As said elsewhere, the rim/tyre combination plays a significant part in success and it can often be a hugely frustrating process.

The tape seals the spoke holes as its primary function. It also reduces the volume inside the rim and therefore can make for a tighter fit and an easier seal however I think you would need a lot of tape to make a significant difference.

Technique is more important I suggest the following tips:

Use the tyre with a tube first – this helps the tyre into the right shape i.e. not the folded / twisted mess that comes out of the box.

Clean the rim and the tyre with soapy water to start, this helps the bead to slide into position and seal. Apply more soapy water or sealent to the rim / bead as it goes on.

Hang the wheel when you pump it i.e. don’t have it on the floor and bent out of shape.

Pump it hard with a track pump. Spin it / ride it to help it seal.

I second pumping up the tye initially with a tube in, it really helps to push the tape into place.

don't trust anyone who says going tubeless is easy, cos it isn't.

It is if all the components are UST / tubeless ready. If you are just converting normal components then its going to be a little bit hit and miss.

jimfrandisco

i have a question about tape as well - i'd assumed that the tape just sat in the 'well' of the rim, sealing up the spoke holes, but people are saying that's how you also get a better seal - does that mean the tape covers the whole of the inside of the rim, including the lip that the bead seals against?
cheers

That's the difference between 'yellow' tape and the rubber rim strips.

The yellow tape (or potentially gaffer tape) seals the spoke eyelet holes, and as you say, only needs to sit in the well of the rim and cover the holes. But to get the best chance of being airtight, you might as well use the widest tape possible, especially if your rim inner profile isn't flat, as this can lead to the tape lifting if it's stuck over a sharply curved section.

To improve the seal of the tyre bead, you can install a rubber rim strip (e.g. Stans or Joes No Flats) that has the valve built in. This needs to match the width of the rim such that the tyre bead sits on top of it. This gives you a 'rubber-to-rubber' seal, which might be necessary with non-tubeless rims.

good luck

Pulling the tape really tight as you apply it obliges it to sink down into the well and seal tightly. I've done a few wheels now and only ever used one wrap of tape pulling it super tight. I clean the rims first with IPA.

+1 for soapy water and also for hanging the wheel while pumping (I have a nail on one leg of my workbench for this).

The only problem inflating I have ever had is when the tyre bead was pinched a bit by the valve. Don't know why it happened but shuffling it round a couple of inches sorted it.