Tubeless tyres

Author
Discussion

cannedheat

Original Poster:

953 posts

282 months

Monday 10th September 2007
quotequote all
This may be a silly question but do tubeless tyres require a certain type of rim or will they be ok on the standard Specialized rims on my hardrock?

Do they also need any sealants or anything like that?


pdV6

16,442 posts

268 months

Monday 10th September 2007
quotequote all
No - generally you need specific tubeless rims AND sealant.

WildCards

4,061 posts

224 months

Monday 10th September 2007
quotequote all
cannedheat said:
This may be a silly question but do tubeless tyres require a certain type of rim or will they be ok on the standard Specialized rims on my hardrock?

Do they also need any sealants or anything like that?
You need UST rims, they don't need sealants, the tyres have special beading which locks onto the rim once inflated.

Black5

579 posts

230 months

Monday 10th September 2007
quotequote all
Further to this question, I noticed Mountain Biking UK are giving away a 'tubeless system' if you subscribe.

Is this all you need?

And as above are standard rims & tyres fine?

pawsmcgraw

957 posts

265 months

Monday 10th September 2007
quotequote all
Any wheel can be made tubeless.Stans rim tape on non ust rims, and sealer.I use it on ZTR olympic rims, not ust, and seal up fast fred schwalbes with stans sealer.Your not told you can, and its a task inflating them to seat them on the beadsfirst time but it works.Also makes a feather lite rim tyre combo.330g tyre, no tube and 35g of sealer on a rim that weighs 360g
I've tried the same with road tyres too, no problem other than really high pressure of 90psi or above seems to blow the tubed tyres off the rim with no tubes in them......but thats fine for the cyclo cross tyres at a much lower psi.
They deflate over the first few hours but keep em turning and blow them up again and by the end of a few days they'l be inflated for good.
As a side note, the amount of gorse thorns and punctures one can get and they just dont go flat...it just clogs the hole straight away which is more of a race thing when mtbing smile

mk1fan

10,648 posts

232 months

Monday 10th September 2007
quotequote all
On Stan's website there is a vry good instruction video showing how to fit the No-Tubes system to non-UST tyres and rims.

I run Stan's rim tape and sealant with Fire XC Pro kevlar beadded tyres and Mavic XN321 rims set up as demonstrated in the video mentioned above. Other than losing about 10psi the first night I have had no problems at all. It is more faffy that tubes and you do need a quality track pump to fit them but, I feel, its worth it.

Weirdly, a friend of mine runs Mavic UST rims, XC Pro UST tyres with sealant and his tyres loose more air than mine do.

With Stan's you can only run tyres at a max of 40psi though (mtb tyres) but this is too hard for me anyway so it is not an issue.

pawsmcgraw

957 posts

265 months

Monday 10th September 2007
quotequote all
i run 60psi in fast freds with stans, seems good.I do have to use a compressor to seat them too, no chance otherwise, but i'm sort of bodging them together biggrin

mk1fan

10,648 posts

232 months

Monday 10th September 2007
quotequote all
I find the rim strip leaks air around the valve at anything above 40psi (I run 2.1's) but as I don't run near 40psi, or above it, then I don't see it as an issue I need to ressolve.

It is fun trying to seat them with a track pump! The soapy water and a stand really help.

Black5

579 posts

230 months

Monday 10th September 2007
quotequote all
Sounds like a subscription might be worthwhile then.

catso

14,851 posts

274 months

Monday 10th September 2007
quotequote all
So is there any real advantage of tubeless tyres on a cycle? confused

mk1fan

10,648 posts

232 months

Monday 10th September 2007
quotequote all
Depends on the type of cycling you do.

There are weight advantages over a convential tyre and tube set up. And, as there is nothing to pinch you can run lower pressures than you can with tubes. The sealant geuninely works as opposed to tubes with sealant that, in my experience, don't.

In evitably there will be those who hate tubeless and those that hate tubes. I have run tubeless now for about a month and am so far glad I swapped.

R.P.M

1,893 posts

228 months

Tuesday 30th October 2007
quotequote all
Hi,

Sorry to bring this back up, but am very tempted with the stans kit.

Mk1, you said you run xc pro kevlar, i run the same tyre but the steel bead, do you think these tyres will seat properly?



cheers
RPM

mk1fan

10,648 posts

232 months

Tuesday 30th October 2007
quotequote all
Don't see why not. If anything they should seat easier as they are rigid. It's the casing that's different on UST or Tubeless tyres not the bead.

pawsmcgraw

957 posts

265 months

Wednesday 31st October 2007
quotequote all
mk1fan said:
Don't see why not. If anything they should seat easier as they are rigid. It's the casing that's different on UST or Tubeless tyres not the bead.
i've found the opposite on various makes.Its the bead thats a tighter fit on UST than normal wire bead.Casing's i've chopped up have all been the same.I've yet to have any casing not seal, wire bead or otherwise.Only the Hutchinsons and Michelins de laminate over time with Stans causing blisters under the outer surface.I was always led to understand the casing was thicker/heavier but can't find the places or structure that makes them so(folding tyres NON UST compared to UST)
smile

Edited by pawsmcgraw on Wednesday 31st October 10:08

mk1fan

10,648 posts

232 months

Wednesday 31st October 2007
quotequote all
Not wanting to get into a technical debate but my comment was a generalisation. The kevlar beaded tyre(s) don't hold a regular shape and do tend to flop and flap around as you try to put them on (with or without tubes). A steel bead maintains a regular shape and is easier to fit. Again generally.

As for the difference between UST and non-UST I don't know. I'm not a tyre designer. But UST tend to be heavier on the scales so would imply that there's more meat to them somewhere.

As for fitting Stan's well you'l definately need a good quality track pump, soapy water and a fast pumping action wink

pdV6

16,442 posts

268 months

Wednesday 31st October 2007
quotequote all
mk1fan said:
But UST tend to be heavier on the scales so would imply that there's more meat to them somewhere.
AIUI the sidewalls need to be a bit tougher to account for the fact that the support from the inner tube is not present.
At least, that's what would seem logical to me.

R.P.M

1,893 posts

228 months

Wednesday 31st October 2007
quotequote all
hmmm, thanks for those replies.

few more things,

Are the valves presta or schrader?
As I dont have a track pump but do have a schrader fit compressor.

Also how messy is the system? I dont't mean to install but in the long term, does the sealant gunk up all the insides of your rims?

thanks again guys

RPM

mk1fan

10,648 posts

232 months

Wednesday 31st October 2007
quotequote all
Stan's and DT's is Presta. Don't know if you can get Schrader system. The spunk does dry out and needs replacing every six-months or so. It can be messy in the tyre but warm water, some soap and a brush cleans it up easily. The rim tape stops the spunk getting 'inside' the rim.

pdV6

16,442 posts

268 months

Wednesday 31st October 2007
quotequote all
R.P.M said:
Are the valves presta or schrader?
As I dont have a track pump but do have a schrader fit compressor.
You can get schraeder->presta doodads that fit into a schraeder hose.

pawsmcgraw

957 posts

265 months

Wednesday 31st October 2007
quotequote all
mk1fan said:
Not wanting to get into a technical debate but my comment was a generalisation. The kevlar beaded tyre(s) don't hold a regular shape and do tend to flop and flap around as you try to put them on (with or without tubes). A steel bead maintains a regular shape and is easier to fit. Again generally.

As for the difference between UST and non-UST I don't know. I'm not a tyre designer. But UST tend to be heavier on the scales so would imply that there's more meat to them somewhere.

As for fitting Stan's well you'l definately need a good quality track pump, soapy water and a fast pumping action wink
sorry, i'm starting to sound like a sad sod with no interest other than bicycle parts....it might be true wobble