[Bruce in SoCal]

I'm seriously considering tubeless for my new bike. I'm tired of flats, both thrones and pinches. However, I don't want to find myself out on a trail with a tubeless failure. My plan is to carry a spare tube and a pump. If that happens, which is easier to deal with: the Stan's rubber strip with a valve or an independent valve with something like gorilla tape?

Having read the forums, I've got a few other questions:

Can tubeless ready tires be run on a regular rim?


What is "ghetto" versus gorilla tape tubeless?


What exactly is the purpose of rim tape, gorilla tape or anything else in a tubeless conversion? Is it to keep air from escaping at the nipples or to hold the tire bead in place or both?

thanks

 

[changingleaf]

It's always a good idea to take a tube along on an epic ride even when running tubeless.

Gorilla tape and valve makes the INSIDE of the rim air-tight. Stan's rubber rim strips also make the INSIDE of the rim air tight.

What type of tubeless conversion to use? It depends on the rim and the tire.

If you have a rim that already has somewhat of a bead shelf then use gorilla tape and a tubeless valve AND a tight fitting tubeless or tubeless ready tire. If you get a cut in the sidewall of your tire then you can just install the tube and a boot. A "bead shelf" is a horizontal area that extends from the sidewall toward the center of the rim. This area is designed for the tire bead to sit on and helps the tire center properly on the rim. Most older rims are u-shaped inside and don't have this shelf.


If you have an U-shaped rim or any rim 8+years old and/or your using your old tube-type tires it's best to use a Stan's rubber rim strip. The rim strip will provide the bead seat and tightness necessary to keep the tire from burping too easily.

Remember the tubeless setups only seal the INSIDE of the rims, so if you have your wheels all set up and see any leaking at the valve area or around spokes on the outsie of the rim then something is wrong on the inside of the rim. If the tape or strip is bunched up or ripped on the inside of the rim the air and sealant to get into the channel of the rim and come out the valve area.