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Submitted by
Billy TimDate Reviewed: February 14, 2013
Strengths: Great thought saving hundreds with a $60 kitWeaknesses: No way I'm relying on this kit on the trailBottom Line: First let me tell you that I have built 2 mountain bikes & a road bike from a box. I followed the directions with no variations and installing this stuff is like juggling with open milk cartons. My front wheel was a real pain but I got it to hold after the 30 minutes (which the directions say is the max time it should take). The back wheel sealed right away and I thought I was done & happy considering what a pain in the rear the whole process was. OH, AND THERE IS NO WAY YOU ARE GETTING TIRES TO INFLATE WITHOUT A COMPRESSOR. Drop that idea right now. Fortunately, I have a compressor and a presta attachment with a pressure gauge on it. The front tire held air for about 2 days NOT RIDING then was completely flat and the rear went down to 8 pounds. Once it is flat you have to start all over because the seal is gone and the sealant pours out. There is no way these tires would have held air on the trails I ride. I put my tubes back in and rode 40 psi front, 45 psi back and still got a pinch flat in the rear. Do your self a favor and go UST rims and tires if you want to go tubeless is my opinion.
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Submitted by
nonong18
a Cross Country Rider
from PhilippinesDate Reviewed: November 11, 2011
Strengths: Easy enough to install. The soap and water test was good practice. The front tire was harder to pump air into. The rear just popped right in.
Good documentation and reference videos. I didn't struggle with anything unexpected. I skipped enlarging the air valve hole and it works as mentioned. One thing that needs emphasis is to depress the top of the tire where the valve is located as you pump the tire.Weaknesses: The applicator should come free with the kit.
No instructions on how to check and refill the sealant after regular use.Bottom Line: Easy to set up with good documentation. (Will yet have to ride the bike. But I know the tire holds air because it has been sitting overnight and has not lost air.)
Definitely cheaper than tubeless wheel set and tires.
Buy it if you think the benefits of tubeless are for you.
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$60.00
Purchased At: Sabak
Similar Products Used: None
Bike Setup: Mavic crossrides on Geax Mezcals 2.1 front and 1.9 rear.
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
dixonmeister
a Weekend Warrior
from Portland, OR, USADate Reviewed: August 5, 2011
Strengths: Don't know, doesn't sealWeaknesses: It doesn't workBottom Line: I can't get these to seal. I've tried them with Bontrager UST's and non-UST Mavic's. Nothing works. It just blows sealant out at the valve stem. I tried email Stan's but after initially replying (quoting the wrong wheelset) they don't answer any more.
Crap company, crap product.
Favorite Trail: Any
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$56.00
Purchased At: Universal
Similar Products Used: n/a
Bike Setup: Trek Fuel
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
West
a Weekend Warrior
from Georgetown, TXDate Reviewed: July 21, 2011
Strengths: No tubes! Made my bike about 4 pounds lighter and I don't have to carry an extra tube in my pack!Weaknesses: Challenging to install, but straightforward and doable.
Can put a maximum of only 40 psi in the tires.Bottom Line: This product has gotten me excited about mountainbiking again! I have been using the thick "thorn" tubes filled with slime, which weigh almost 2 pounds each, plus one in my pack just in case. With Stan's, my bike and pack feel SO much lighter, and without the rolling momentum in the tires I can turn very sharply. Before I could bunny-hop the bike only a few inches, but with all the weight out of the tires and my pack, I can easily hop it a couple of feet in the air!
Installation is challenging, in that there are a lot of steps to it and it has to be done correctly, but it is doable and takes about a half hour per tire. It helped a lot to watch the videos on Stan's website.
Overall I am very pleased with this product!
Favorite Trail: Lake Georgetown
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$60.00
Purchased At: amazon.com
Similar Products Used: None
Bike Setup: Specialized Enduro S-Works; Weirwolf 2.3 tires.
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
fj40owner
a Weekend Warrior
from Price, Utah USADate Reviewed: March 19, 2010
Strengths: Works as advertised- plain and simple. No flats since installing. (a freakin' miracle!!) Less rotational weightWeaknesses: a pain to install but well worth it! Less rigid sidewalls take a little getting used to.Bottom Line: Rather than purchasing the $60 kit, I just bought the $20 bottle of Stan's sealant and a 20 inch tube. (on the advise of Decker's Bike Shop) I kept the origional rim tape on my wheels. I stretched a 20 inch tube on my 26 inch rim and a 26 inch tube on my 29 inch rim. I split the tubes open and butterflied them around my rims. From there I installed the tires and test-inflated them. (use soapy water or you'll have a heck of a time with this) I filled my wheels with the sealant and reinflated to 40psi. I shook them to distribute the sealant and rested the wheels on their sides- flipping like pancakes every 5 min. for about 30 min. Next, I took a razor blade and trimmed the excess innertube from the wheel, down to the bead. I put the wheels on my bike and gave them a test-ride for a few min. to ensure they'd take weight. Worked like a charm and saved $40 by using tubes! I have not had ANY flats since installing- not even the evil goathead can stop me now! Thanks Deckers! - 5 Flamin' Chilis!!
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At: Decker's Bicycle
Similar Products Used: slime tubes, thorn-resistant tubes, spinskins
Bike Setup: Cannondale Rush 69er
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
J. Ghigliotti
a Cross Country Rider
from OcalaDate Reviewed: April 20, 2008
Strengths: Less air pressure,no pinch flats.Weaknesses: A little tough to set-upBottom Line: First of all if you don't have a compressor and quick fill nozzle,find one/ borrow one or buy one it will make the install much easier.Watch the online video.Use your rim tape as long as it is in good shape.Use a little silicon to lube the Stan's rim strip it will allow the strip to pull back.Make sure the strip is seated and uniform all the way around the rim.Mount the tires and soap up the bead on both sides.Do a dry fill.Once again if you don't have a compressor it can make the install a nightmare.I did not hang the wheel like in the video I held the wheel while filling and rolled it on the ground on the sections that appeared to be leaking.They fill easily. Follow the steps on the video and check for leaks.My bike shop told me to do an easy ride right away, even just around the block.The tires hold air perfectly.Be sure to check online for tire and wheel compatibility and WATCH THE VIDEO !!!!
Favorite Trail: Santos
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$60.00
Purchased At: Local Bike Shop
Similar Products Used: None
Bike Setup: BLT, Mavic XC717 Wheels,Monkey Lite Bars,Maxxis Tires,Chris Hubs,XT and Xtr components
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Will Wells
a Cross Country Rider
from Bristol, UKDate Reviewed: March 20, 2007
Strengths: Dramatically reduces rotating weight
No punctures or pinch flats, ever!
More traction and cornering grip.
Faster acceleration and better brakingWeaknesses: Bit of a bugger to fit
Quite expensive seeing as a refill bottle of solution costs £10 making the rest of the kit £40 (which is no more complexed or expensive to manufacture than a couple of inner tubes and a small roll of sellotape!)
Super lightweight wheels equals equally sketchy handling... Be warned!Bottom Line: Does exactly what it says on the tin, only ever had one puncture that didn't seal instantly, however I was riding through a stream at the time.
As mentioned above these chop a surprising amount of weight out of your wheels, and totally change the attitude of the bike. Changing direction is super fast as is braking and acceleration but you are more likely to get banged off course as the wheels dont hold as much momentum.
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$90.00
Purchased At: John's Bikes, Bath
Similar Products Used: Inner tubes!
Bike Setup: 2005 Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo. 2007 Shimano XT throughout, raceface next bars, mavic XC717 Disc rims on XT centrelock hubs. Thomson Bar and stem. Bontrager Jones Mud-X tyres most of the year, Jones AC-X tyre used when it's not pissing down (rarely).
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Submitted by
Teamslug
a Cross Country Rider
from Yorkshire,United KingdomDate Reviewed: October 17, 2006
Strengths: Lightweight,puncture protection,better tractionWeaknesses: can be fiddly to installBottom Line: Used the kit on some X717 rims with panaracer cinder 2.1 tyres.Says on No tubes website that panaracer tyres are not suitable due to weaker bead but i installed these tyres first go..they sealed first time and i have only topped up air once in three months.Ran at about 40psi to start with to make sure they wouldn't blow off the rim but am now running about 30psi..which gives me loads of traction..installation was pretty straight forward..i think the trick is to make sure the inner bit of the rim is built up to right height so rim strip can seal onto tyre..watch the video's on no tubes website as these are invaluable..i used a crappy track pump to install and after i had sussed out that a bit of downward pressure on the tyre near the valve helped they blew up nicely.Proof is in the pudding and so far i've had no punctures - loads of thorns this time of year - and the bike feels like it accelerates faster due to the loss of rotating weight.
PS.Also fitted it to some cinder 2.25's for a mate onto same rims and used freeride strips on Sun SOS rims with Kenda Nevegal tyres...all sealed and are holding air nicely
Favorite Trail: penmachno,Wales
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Purchased At: justridingalong
Similar Products Used: tubes!!!
Bike Setup: Maverick ML8
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Lothar Othp
a Racer
from Ocomukowonowaukesha, WIDate Reviewed: July 23, 2005
Strengths: Ride lower pressures for better handling without fear of pinch flats. Makes tires virtually flat proof without the weight penalty of a UST system.Weaknesses: Setup can be a pain (not all tire/rim combos may work). An air compressor makes installation much easier.Bottom Line: Installation instructions are clear. The video on the website is also very helpful. I'd like to see other MTB companies be as informative about their products.
The install. I have Bontrager valiant rims front & rear. I drilled out the valve stem holes and installed the rim strip. The rim strip installed pretty good, although it sits a little high around the valve stem area.
First tried to air up (without sealant) a set of Panaracer Trailblasters I had lying around. Didn't work. Next, I tried a Kenda Kharisma Light rear. This tire held air with a handpump & without sealant. Perfect. I added the sealant according to the directions. Lots of minor leaks which seemed to seal. This tire held air reasonably well, though I'd have to add air about once a week. After about 3-4 months of use and after not riding the bike for a week I found the tire completely flat and sealant dried out. No problem. Just removed the tire, cleaned out all the old dried-up latex boogers and resealed it with Stans.
Second tire. Conti Explorer Pro Protection for the front. This thing would not air up with a hand pump nor with my tiny toy air compressor. Frustrated, I reached for the C02 (despite being told not to in the directions). With a quick blast the beads seated and it held air. There was little sealant leakage. (Not as much as on the Kenda). The remarkable thing about this tire is, as hard as it was to air up, this thing has never lost any air. Un-friggin-believable!
I've been running 35-40 psi and have been extremely happy with the handling. In fact this may be the best tire combo I've ever ridden. No problems thus far.
I highly recommend the Stan's setup. But be aware that not all tire/rims combos may work and I'd recommend using a high pressure air compressor. An upgrade that is well worth the money.
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Purchased At: Speedgoat.com
Similar Products Used: tubes, Performance lunar light tubes
Bike Setup: SC Superlight
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Bo DeAngelo
a Cross Country Rider
from BoulderDate Reviewed: April 7, 2005
Strengths: Stan's works as claimed and holds air very well.Weaknesses: Requires patience and some mechanical skill beyond installing a tube/tire, which some reviewers clearly do not posess.Bottom Line: Works great. Some tires seal quicker than others. Soap and CO2 or compressed air will make the install quick and smooth. The WTB setup I first converted sealed almost instantly, the Specialized Rollers took a lot of shaking and resting them on a bucket to seal the sidewalls. But they hold well now. Just converted my wifes Panaracer Fire XC 2.1's, and it worked flawlessly.
You can even use a 20" BMX tube in place of the rim strip, and it still seals! Just inflate it parially, stretch it over the rim, center it, split it down the center & fold it back. Install the tire, soap it, air it up, deflate and add sealant. Air it up, seal it following the directions,(this can take some time with certain tires.Then go ride
If you can't mount this system yourself, take it to your LBS and let them do it. It totally works.
Favorite Trail: Elk Meadow/Bergen Peak
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At: NoTubes.com
Similar Products Used: None
Bike Setup: Turner XCE, Specialized Roller Pro 2.3's,
First used with WTB Mutano 2.4 & Epic Wolf 2.1 set.
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
scott cale
a Cross Country Rider
from gilbert AzDate Reviewed: October 8, 2004
Strengths: better than any flat protection I have usedWeaknesses: A little difficult to install and get to seal the first time but after it's sealed you know the drll and then its easyBottom Line: It's really thorny here with lots of bull stickers and sharp rocks seemed like most of the flats my sons and I got were from thorns or pinch flat.We ride about 10 miles offroad per week with about 30-45 per wk on road for training bottom line is my bike has not flatted since I installed this product
Favorite Trail: mcdowell mtn park competitive loops
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$60.00
Purchased At: landis cyclery
Similar Products Used: i.e (spinskins, slime etc.)
Bike Setup: Santa Cruz Superlite hayes elite hubs bontrager rims panaracer fire xc tires shimano xt derailers easton carbon bars and post ithys-gove seat fox f100 rlc and fox ava rear shock
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Mike M.
a Cross Country Rider
from Long Island, NYDate Reviewed: June 14, 2004
Strengths: Makes my non tubless rims/tires hold air, and hold it well !Weaknesses: The sealant is so strong that it will seal the valves shut over time. Valves will need to be cleaned or replaced.Bottom Line: I watched the video clips on the web site and was truley amazed ! I emailed stan with some questions on my rims and tires and he reliped the next evening. I was very impressed with the personalized info he had given concerning my setup.
Here is stans reply to my email: "Both rims will work but I do not recommend using Michelin, Panaracer, WTB, Nokian or Bontrager tires tubeless. They all have weak Kevlar beads and may blow off the rim. You should drop your rim strip into a bucket of soap and water before installing on your X317 rims and follow the special instructions for your
X223.
http://www.notubes.com/Tech_2detailedrimstrip.htm
http://www.notubes.com/Tech_1rimstrip.htm
Thanks,"
Follow up email sent to me: "Follow my instructions the soap works better. I did at one time tell them to use baby powder. Follow the instructions on the link I sent you.
http://www.notubes.com/Tech_2detailedrimstrip.htm
Thanks,"
I have a set of Mavic X317 rims with WTB 2.1 weirwolf tires. Stan suggested that I install his xc rim strips on the rim using a soapy water solution. When the rims were bought new last year I had used cloth veloux spoke tape. I left this one layer on the rim and installed the rim strips over the veloux tape with soapy water. Stan did not feel that additional tape was needed witht he Mavic X317 rims. He was concerned that my WTB weirwolf tires would not work because of their weaker kevlar beads. I have the lighter weight race version in a 2.1 size.
First step was to enlarge the inner valve stem hole with a drill to allow the molded valve stem on the rim strip to clear. It took awhile to get the rim strips installed correctly. The trick was to make sure not to overstretch the rim strip so that the thickness was uniform around the perimiter of the rim. The strip was wide enough that it came right up to the rolled bead edges inside the rim. I rotated the rim and spread the rim strip until it consistantly touched both sides of the rims inner bead. Now I carefully place the tire onto the rim being carefull not to move the rim strip out of position as I used tire levers to get the tires on. After the tire was installed I removed the core from the valve stem. Stan recommended applying soapy solution around the perimeter of the tire to check for air leaks and aid in seating the tire bead. Using an air compressor with a very fine tipped air nozzle I blew compressed air into the valve while holding my hand around the valve to seal it. Keep in mind that the valve was removed and I did not use an air chuck. The tire filled up immeadiately and there was a small amount of air bubbles from the sidewalls. This was surprising considering that the sealant was not added until the next step ! Then I let air escape from the valve and filled 1 1/2 bottles of stans tire sealant into the valve stem. I used the 2 oz fill bottle that was an option. I highly recommend using this bottle instead of the included scoop ! The valve core was now installed and the tire was once again filled with air.
The key factor to getting the tire to seal and remain sealed is to spend the time coating the inner tire with sealant so that a possible leak can be prevented. I took the wheel in my hands an slowly rotated it until I completed a full rotation and then slowly shook the tire up and down and rotated slowly and repeated until I did a full rotation. Then I would slosh the wheel front to back so the sealant would coat the inside sidewalls. Like a nut case, I sat on the couch watching tv while rotating and sloshing the wheel for over 20 min. With 40 psi the tire remained filled and I saw no air bubbles as I applied soapy water to the tire. Installed the wheels and rotated them while on the stand. Next morning the tires still were holding air with no loss !
I tested the tires on the trails with 40 psi. I was afraid to go lower thinking the kevlar bead would easily pop off the bead. After running at 40 psi for several weeks I emailed stan to compliment him on his conversion kit and tell him how pleased I was with my own conversion. Here is what he wrote: "Unless you weigh over 220lbs you should run lower air pressures. I weigh 150 lb and run 24 psi or lower with 2.0 tires. You should try 30 psi it will put less strain on the Kevlar bead and you will like it much better."
Ok, so now I have it dropped down to 30 psi (I weigh 170 lbs). I have yet to give it a good test on the trails with lower air pressure, but I am pleased that the tires have not gone flat. Remember to bring the 2 oz fill bottle with you in your hydration pack so you can add more sealant while on the trails (only if you get a flat and sealant level is low and tire cannot seal).
I will submit a followup after I get to test it out further !
-Mike
Favorite Trail: Cathederal pines
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$54.00
Purchased At: Price Point
Similar Products Used: None, only tubes !
Bike Setup: 2003 Giant NRS 2 with shimano XT brake levers and XTR calipers, XT crankset, XTR front/rear derailleur, XTR shifters, Manitou minute 3 fork with 100/130mm travel, Mavic x317 rims with stans no tubes xc conversion, WTB weirwolf 2.1 tires, WTB lazer v saddle, Thomson seatpost and stem, Easton monkey light xc handlebar, Avid rollamajig.
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