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Anyone Running Tubeless ?

Ironman1518Ironman1518
in Rambler
Hello, my first post. I've ridden bikes for 34 years, 8 years tubeless on my mountain bikes. Just got a Rambler All Terrain, with the 24" wheels and Schwalbe Smart Sam wire bead tires. I live in Southern New Mexico, where we have the dreaded "Goat Heads"!! Have Mr. Tuffy installed (not using slime in the tubes), but still been getting flats, got two today. Never had this much trouble when I ran tubeless. Wanting to do it, just looking for input from members of this forum who have experience going tubeless, please? What method did you use, sealant and tires, please? ANYONE use wire bead tires tubeless? The Smart Sams wire bead attaches very well to the TT 24" rims. Thanks in advance!!

Comments

  • IdahoTrailLizardIdahoTrailLizard
    Idaho has goat heads, big wide suckers over an inch long. Use Schwalbe Marathon Plus, thorn barrier, heavy tubes, and a special slime mixture a LBS uses. So far no flats.
    Seen plenty of them thorns sticking to the sides but they haven't gotten through yet! :D
  • Ironman1518Ironman1518
    Thank you, but am looking for 24" off-road tires, any suggestions, please?
  • Ironman1518Ironman1518
    edited June 2017
    Rn Stan's tape in one rim and the Smart Sam's popped right onto the rim and seal very well! BUT the is a leak right at the rim seem joint! I didn't put the tape inside the bead of the rim, and looks like that's where it leaks. Installed a small piece of Stan's tape rim edge to rim edge and it helped some but not sealing. Anyone else try to run their OEM Terra Trike AT rims tubeless? OR any rim not having a welded rim seam joint? My thoughts are: Silicone seal; (not sure if Stans solution would eat it or not); Super glue; re-tape the whole rim and go to the outer edge of the rim bead; cover the seam with Gorilla tape then Stan's tape; New tubless ready rims. I'd appreciate any help on this, thank you!
  • Ironman1518Ironman1518
    ANYONE here converted any Terra Trike wheel to tubeless? I can't believe I can be the ONLY one, ever to want to do this? Any info is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
  • TrikeBirderTrikeBirder
    Not to seem totally ignorant, but just for information purposes, what would you consider to be the advantages of going tubeless vs tubed tires on a bike or trike?

    I checked out Mr. Tuffy and discovered that it is really just a thin strip (2mm) of polyurethane which installs between the inside of the tire and the tube. The idea is for the two millimeter thick layer to prevent foreign objects that pierce the tire from puncturing the tube; the manufacturer claims Mr. Tufty will stop 95 percent of puncture flats. You have much more experience than I do, but I think I would buy the most flat resistant tire out there (Schwalbe Marathon Plus?), probably some Schwalbe Off Road tire (with the 5mm rubber rim liner), then place a thin layer of Kevlar, and then the most puncture resistant tube I could buy. I suppose you have tried this or something very close.

    Seems IdahoTrailLizard has the perfect solution (if MTB HS 468's were available in 24" size):
    Idaho has goat heads, big wide suckers over an inch long. Use Schwalbe Marathon Plus, thorn barrier, heavy tubes, and a special slime mixture a LBS uses. So far no flats.
    Seen plenty of them thorns sticking to the sides but they haven't gotten through yet! :D

    Why not suggest to TerraTrike that they have Schwalbe make their Schwalbe Marathon Plus MTB HS 468's, or some Schwalbe tire of your choosing, in a 24" tire - since TerraTrike is now a Schwalbe tire dealer and they are moving a lot of 24" trike tires including the EVO? Alternately, you might give FAT ALBERT HS 401's a try.
  • IdahoTrailLizardIdahoTrailLizard
    edited July 2017
    The reason for tuneless is the tire can spin on the rim and not cut an innertube. Under-inflated supposedly won't have flats like tubed tires would since the filler valve is permanently fixed.

    Installing a tubeless tire often required a lot of finesse, a strap, some soap, and skill from what I hear.

    Once installed, slime it!
  • JamesRJamesR
    edited July 2017
    "The reason for tuneless . . ."

    not hardly. tubeless results in one very thick innertube, not the wimpy 5mm schwalbe flatless business. you need a tubeless rim. no finesse - tire on, spray some ether inside, expose a flame and poof! its on.

    read up on the subject: http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/tubeless-tire-compatibility
  • FINN58FINN58
    I want to see a video of that :)
  • IdahoTrailLizardIdahoTrailLizard
    edited July 2017
    Tubeless means that, no innertube.
    • Makes bikes run lighter and faster with reduced rolling resistance
    • Allows lower tire pressures and subsequently removing the threats of pinch flat
    • Makes tire punctures less frequent when coupled with a certain liquid sealant



    Another using Gorilla tape
  • TrikeBirderTrikeBirder
    Wow, thanks for all the feedback guys. Seems like there are multiple reasons one might choose to go tubeless. And a video to boot... whose got the popcorn?
  • TCEdTCEd
    Guess I'm lucky I've never spun a rim riding motocross, enduro, MTB and road since I was a kid. Think there's some marketing in those tubeless claims.
  • JamesRJamesR
    edited July 2017
    kinda tame, but
  • IdahoTrailLizardIdahoTrailLizard
    Rover, if was having constant slippage then perhaps tubeless might be worth it. If I lived in an area with goatheads instead of pavement, maybe.

  • Ironman1518Ironman1518
    edited July 2017
    Ran tubeless from 2008 till last year in my mtnbikes, NEVER had a flat. Prior to that used thick tubes w/slime and Mr. Tuffy that was good not as good as tubeless. Prior to that just regular tubes no slime got flats a lot! That's why I want to run tubeless. The goatheads here kill the fun of Triking! I bought the All Terrain so I could go into dirt roads, off pavements. So looking for tubeless ready, folding tires in 24 inch size but there are VERY few! The tube slipping I NEVER had a problem with any of my dirt racing motorcycle not my bicycles. just my experience.
  • Ironman1518Ironman1518
    IdahoTrailLizard wrote: »
    The reason for tuneless is the tire can spin on the rim and not cut an innertube. Under-inflated supposedly won't have flats like tubed tires would since the filler valve is permanently fixed.

    Installing a tubeless tire often required a lot of finesse, a strap, some soap, and skill from what I hear.

    Once installed, slime it!

    That's NEVER happened to me in the 26 years that I've biked with tubes. Ran 9 years tubeless on my mtn bikes NEVER had a problem. The BAD news is my AT has 24 inch wheels and there are very few thicker off road tires in that size. The Schwalbes I've seen (other than the Smart Sams that come on my AT); are very expen$ve and not having seen a Fat Albert I don't know how thin or thick they are. I ended up ordering Kenda Small Block 8's, and plan to install them tubeless.62bhns62jgfz.jpg

    My rims however do have a pinned NOT welded joint that does leak air. I took one rim and tried to press Permatex gasket compound into the joint it worked kinda ok the leak was less, and I think that whatever sealant I use will seal that leak up. Plus i only used the OEM rim tape no Stans tape or Gorilla tape to seal the rim, and used a Kenda Small Block 8 tire. I did pop onto the rim bead but was losing too much air out of the bead. (I had NOT installed any sealant).
  • TrikeBirderTrikeBirder
    Is it wise to go tubeless on rims not designed (and not double walled?) for tubeless tires?
  • Ironman1518Ironman1518
    edited July 2017
    These rims are double walled. As I said earlier I ran tubeless on my mtn bikes from 2008 till last year. Absolutely loved the concept and not having any flats! When I got the first one on my AT I was patching the thin Chen shin tubes I'm thinking:"I haven't had to do this in YEARS"!! I need to make my AT tubeless. So am going thru the different processes.
  • IdahoTrailLizardIdahoTrailLizard
    So what's this rim tape thing all about?

    Rode MTB most my years and never used the stuff. Didn't have many flats either as ran thorn protection liners. Don't remember if there was slime back in the early 90's ... perhaps the American River Bike Trail didn't have goatheads.
    Actually never heard of rim tape till I joined the forum.
  • IdahoTrailLizardIdahoTrailLizard
    Seems all wheels have that rubber strip inside. Am guessing y'all are referring to something else per rim tape?
  • JamesRJamesR
    velox
  • Ironman1518Ironman1518
    IdahoTrailLizard wrote: »
    Seems all wheels have that rubber strip inside. Am guessing y'all are referring to something else per rim tape?

    To ME "rim tape" means the rubber tape or cotton tape, or plastic tape from factory, or Velox tape that goes inside a rim to cover the nipple heads from cutting the tube. To some people "rim tape" also means the Stans brand tape or duct tape one can put inside a rim to convert the rim to tubeless.

  • Ironman1518Ironman1518
    edited August 2017
    Got three Kenda Small Block 8 tires with folding beads (24 X 2.1) and three Qtubes, size 20" X 2.125 and ended up going "Ghetto Tubeless" using the "split tube" method on all three wheels,simple, easy and works great!! I did not use the tape method, but I did leave the OEM yellow rim tape on the rim. I also used Stan's yellow sealing tape on the seam of the rim.

    I'll post pics of how I did it later.

    The Smart Sams tires were very thin walled, and thin tread. I used "Stan's" tubeless fluid sealer inside the tires. Here is one way to do it:
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