Long term test: 5cent tubeless

Originally posted by switch
Sounds like what we call contact cement.

Or 2-part epoxy.

I'm wondering if the Kenda Nevegal/Blue Groove will work with the tubeless…

I have used the Stan's tubeless system on my cross country bike since 2000. I used his original rim taping system which in my opinion blew. The tire could and did come off the rim at the most inopportune times.

The Stan's rimstrip was a definite improvement but in my opinion, seriously overpriced. I no longer lost rubber from rim but these things are like gold to buy.

I have been trying the el cheapo tubeless system on both my cross country bike and on my downhill rig for about 4 months. I have had no flats on my cross country bike and 1 flat on my downhiller (and this was because the sealant had evaporated and I was simple too lazy to replace it). This set up allows for excellent lock between tire and rim and thus you can run disgustingly low pressures and not flat.

I have tried this set up using the following tires:

Intense 909's (both new and used)
Continental Survival Pro's (heavily used)
Continental Explorer Pro's (heavily used to the point of being beat)
Gazzalodi 2.35 and 2.6 (both new and used)
IRC Mythos (new)
Intense 2.35 Kevlar bead (new and used)
Tioga DH (new)

All of the above tires mounted up with surprisingly little trouble and held air beautifully with the exception of the Tioga's which were the biggest pieces of crap I have come across and were basically unmountable due to the poor fit between tire and rim bead.

I love the ride-feel of tubeless and I love not having at least 1-2 flats per week.

Trouble free, cheap, light and a great feeling ride….how could this be better.

If anyone wants a nice pictorial of how to do this setup, I can post it.

http://www.steedcycles.com/newsletter/tubeless.htm

I thought this link had pictures attached as well… for some reason they didn't come up.

I'm using the $7 tubeless system with a Comp32 front and Comp24 rear, both on Mavic D521s, along with a bit of Stan's Sealant. I haven't had to add air to the tires since I set them up in December. Getting the tires mounted was a little challenging, but I was able to inflate the tires with a regular floor pump - although I did need a nap afterwards. ;)

If you have problems initially pumping them up, then glue them, if not dont:) This is the bit which I had problems with, and the glue solved them.

PS Dont use 60psi, I did once and popped my tyre off the rim with a huge bang. Once my ears had stopped ringing I found my tyre and rim at opposite ends of the garage:eek:

Just done some harsh 4' to flat tarmac drops today at 25psi, and no poppage yet:) I feel sorry for my rims though!

Fruit

Originally posted by Furious **
http://www.steedcycles.com/newsletter/tubeless.htm

I thought this link had pictures attached as well… for some reason they didn't come up.**

Spelling mistakes too! :shhh:

Originally posted by switch
Spelling mistakes too! :shhh:

:eek: :eek:

Originally posted by JSinclair
**Your spelling mistakes are unprofessional. Releasing a flyer that has not been proofread is unprofessional.

This is reality. As an executive I do not tend to trust sources that don't even take the time to proof read their press releases. If they don**

:lol:…nice

Only spelling mistakes: :D

_OK to start a few statements.
First I am not by any means Dissing Stans' No Tubes System, but it is quite expensive and I know a few guys that have felt ripped off when they saw what the parts actually were.

Second I do not either guarentee the longevity of this mod (Since i have only had it up for 2 days) and wether or not it will work with different Tires or Rims (You'll have to try it and see - And let us know)

Third and most important, Most if not all of this info was pioneered by "Scary" on the www.DHRace.com board he has been hooking up everyone that listens and yelling at the top of his lungs about this for a while, I simply documented the process for the how to.

So to begin. I have Michelin tires (That are ready for tubeless right outta the box - All of the Michelins are) And I currrently have a Mavic 321 front rim and a 521 Rear.

First you will of course need to Remove your Tire and Tube. (If you don't know how to do this, You should stop here and have someone help you )

You will need a few tools and some supplies. You will need 2 BMX Tubes. 20" x 2.125 (Shreader or Presta it doesn't matter). You will need an Exacto knife, a pair of sharp scissors and some Tire sealant. The total Value of the 2 tubes and sealant was about 15 bucks. Any tire sealant will do, you can even get latex selant at Canadian Tire for cheaper that a Bike store. You might be able to get the BMX tubes there as well, but don't quote me on that.

Make sure you have rim tape on your rim to cover your spokes, I'll assume your rim already has some and won't go into how to tape a rim. Next you will want to inflate the BMX tube and mount it on your rim. The tube will have some lines in it usually, so mount it with the tube being centered and not twisted all the way around the rim.

Once the tube is Mounted and straight you will want to cut a small hole in the center of the tube. Line it up with the lines on the tube so you can cut in a straight line. Once you have a small hole (Be careful not to cut through both sides of the tube), Then take your scissors and cut down the middle of the tube, all the way around the rim.

Once you have cut all the way around you can open the tube over both sides of the rim. It should look like this.

Now it takes a bit of effort. You will now want to mount your tire. Use soap and Water and try to avoid the use of levers if you can. If you need to use levers try to use the plastic ones (I used Michelins). The metal ones can cut the BMX tube and you will loose your seal. Be gentle. Take your time. Once mounted it should look like this.

Here is a full shot with the tube hanging out the side after the tire has been mounted.

Getting air in the tire is a challenge. It's best if you are running a 2.8 to go to your LBS and use their Compressor. The traick is to get the air in as fast as you can. If it seems like the air is leaking out try to listen for where. Once you find the location push the tire down against the rim with your hand. With a little fiddling you can get it to inflate. Don't get frustrated. Use a floor pump to bring the pressure up to 50-60 PSI, this will help the bead sit.

When you have the tire inflated you can trim off the excess tube from the outside. I use sharp scissors and just hold them open a bit and slide them around the rim, the tube is easy to cut.

At this stage you can either run the tire like this, or give then a half hour for the bead to sit. You can then deflate the tire and remove the Valve stem. You can get valve stem tools at Canadian tire or some LBS' will have them. It is like a very small shrimp fork. If you look into the valve you can see that there is space for a fork like instrument to unscrew the little pin. You will want to have deflated the tire before unscrewing or you will shoot the valve stem out at like 100 MPH.

Once the Valve stem is out you can attach the Tube that comes with the sealant and squirt in the proper amount. This will insure that should you have any holes currently in your tire, or get any in the near future you will be ok. Remount the valve stem and re-inflate the tire. Back up to 50+ PSI. Leave it for 30 mins and then you can deflate it down to riding pressure.

POST ride commentaries
After Riding the tires on neds, they roll faster and have just as much or better grip. You will have to run more pressure than you currently run with tubes as there is less support in the tire (there is no tube to keep the shape). I ran 21 PSI on my front and 23PSI in the rear, I wanted more Pressure in the rear tire, I will increase it to 26-27 ish I think.

The tire are still holding air with no problems. If any of you descide to try it with other rim and tire combos post up the results.

Tubes = $3 each
Sealant = $ 9.95 good for 2 tires

If you are looking to shave weight and you are tired of pinch flats this might be a solution for you. Good luck and let me know how it works out for you._

Just a word on the sealant issue. The real beauty of using sealant is that it will allow you to run nearly any tire you choose. I have used the Stan's sealant (works great), the Canadian tire sealant (works somewhat less than great), and have most recently been using BTI Mold Builder Liquid Latex Rubber (works great). I can say unequivocally that I find no effective difference between the effectiveness of liquid latex and the Stan's sealant despite Stan's assertion that the "sealant crystals" do make a profound difference. The trick with latex is that you need to dilute it down till is is quite runny or it simply will not work very well (if you have seen Stan's sealant it is very runny and does not look as if it would seal anything…..but it does). Any of the automotive derived sealants are simply too thick and viscous to seal bicycle tires properly (read "quickly"). The real benefit of latex is that it is significantly cheaper than Stan's (about 4-6 times cheaper depending on your source and dilution factor). You can usually find this stuff at any large craft store (ie. Michael's).