Tubeless "ready" question

So I got a flat today (on my new bike which has tubes on it) for the first time in about three years. I have been using ghetto tubeless in the past on my other bikes and have had no real problems aside from a few slow leaks.

The new bike has WTB STI23 tubeless ready rims on it. What do I need to to convert to tubeless and avoid long walks out of the woods:drunk: when I find my glue dried up and my schrader tube incompatible with the presta rim?

I saw someone recommending the stans kit, that is allot of money for a conversion!

what tires do you have? If they are also TR, then you just need to add some sealant and a valve. And a presta tube for the pack.

what tires do you have? If they are also TR, then you just need to add some sealant and a valve. And a presta tube for the pack.

High Roller II's

I used google and found the answer for you in about 10 seconds.

The rim is open and needs to be sealed with tape much like the stans rims.

edit:
"UST compliant rim bead shapes are designed to help keep tires on rims better, while a tape and sealant system shaves away critical weight."

I used google and found the answer for you in about 10 seconds.

The rim is open and needs to be sealed with tape much like the stans rims.

edit:
"UST compliant rim bead shapes are designed to help keep tires on rims better, while a tape and sealant system shaves away critical weight."

That's what I thought. Just didn't feel like shelling out the $ for a conversion kit. Ghetto tubeless to the rescue.

Yellow tape is cheap… 1 roll lasts for a lot more than 2 rims. Heck, even gorilla tape works fine. Just use the valves from schwalbe tubes (they are threaded all the way and the core is removable), and there you go.

For the cost of 2 tubes and 1 roll of gorilla tape, and the sealant you are set. No need for the conversion kit. You need no conversion, your stuff is already tubeless ready

Yellow tape is cheap… 1 roll lasts for a lot more than 2 rims. Heck, even gorilla tape works fine. Just use the valves from schwalbe tubes (they are threaded all the way and the core is removable), and there you go.

For the cost of 2 tubes and 1 roll of gorilla tape, and the sealant you are set. No need for the conversion kit. You need no conversion, your stuff is already tubeless ready

Yeah, just use gorilla tape and be done with it.

Yeah, just use gorilla tape and be done with it.

This.

I also have the WTB ST i23 rims and all I needed to get to convert them to tubeless were valve stems and some Stan's. Mine came pre-taped.

High Roller II's

But do they say 'tubeless-ready' or 'TR'?

If not, you'll likely need a rubber rim strip or a ghetto tube in there to seal it properly. A non-TR tire will likely burp on that rim.

would highly recommend the "Roval" tubeless tape, which is 1/4 price of the Stan's yellow tape (which is just repackaged 3M packing tape!), sticker, wider and seals better. It will easily tape 6-8 wheels or more, depending on wheel size. I would typically degrease the rim inner with ISO alcohol and actually run electrical tape around 2 times, before degreasing the electrical tape and then applying the Roval tape on top. This ensures a very airtight seal. Electrical tape on its own is not strong enough and air pressure inside the tire will push the tape into the spoke drillings, causing sealant to leak inside the rim cavity. This is where the Roval tape comes into play.

Then get some valve cores from your local shop or on-line, many of the "tubeless ready" bikes or wheels come with them included, and mechanics normally hoard them in the workshop. They have a little rubber grommet at the base to seal the drilling in the rim, the better ones also have a lockring with an "o" ring which gives an additional seal to the rim once the lockring is screwed down onto the outside of the rim wall.

Stan's sealant is still the best, the 32oz bottle will do many tires and is the best value. typically use 2-3 cups per tire.

Then get some valve cores from your local shop or on-line, many of the "tubeless ready" bikes or wheels come with them included, and mechanics normally hoard them in the workshop. They have a little rubber grommet at the base to seal the drilling in the rim, the better ones also have a lockring with an "o" ring which gives an additional seal to the rim once the lockring is screwed down onto the outside of the rim wall.

Excellent advice overall but that little rubber o-ring is only there to help hold the lockring in place so the valve doesn't come loose as easily. Once the air leaks past the valve seal if goes into the rim cavity and past the spoke nipples. That o-ring doesn't provide any seal at all. Valves without it a 100% as effective as long as they stay tight.

I have personally found the blue roval tape to be no more effective at sealing than stans tape. It does a fine job though. Also, I feel that adding electrical tape is a totally unnecessary step. Adding electrical tape might help the tire fit tighter, but in the context of a rim that is already tubeless ready it is not necessary. In fact, when you put stans/roval tape on top of electrical tape, you are now relying on the adhesion of the electrical tape more than the stans/roval tape. Electrical tape doesnt always hold in extreme hot or cold.

I use stans tape on most of my rims because its what I have available to me most of the time.

Gorilla tape work very well. Its doent always come off cleanly though. It can make a spoke change take 3 minutes longer :rolleyes:

I ran back to what I know and just did ghetto tubeless.

Been a few seasons on my old bikes without one burp, flat or puncture.

Why change what works for me?

Thanks for the info everyone!