No Tubes, redux…
Hoy cow, no burping last night…
To recount:
Last week at practice I ran: Shimano DA wheelset. Hutchinson Bulldog “tubeless ready” tires. Stan’s sealant. 35 psi…
The setup just wasn’t happening. I couldn’t get it to hold air, any major bumps or cornering and I burped air.
My next step was going to be an attempt at Fasttacking the tire to the rim, but Alex, the Shimano rep, asked me to try building up the rim bed with tape first.
OK.
Theory:
– The tire is burping off the rim hook, so if I can build up a layer of tape in the rim well, the tire bead will have a more difficult time blowing off the hook.
Process:
– Tire comes off rim, electrical tape comes out, and I wrap the rim 4 times. I run the tape right over the valve stem, and poke a hole in the tape with an awl when done. Pour in a s**t load of Stan’s and pump up.
Practice:
– so far, so good. I rolled out to practice with about 40 psi in the tires, and slowly lowered the pressure until I was right around 30 psi. No burping at all, it worked great. Conditions were super slimy, and I wasn’t hitting any big bumps in the goop, but there was a fair bit of sliding sideways and the tires were impressively solid on the rims – no squirm. Good stuff!
Stay tuned, but color me impressed. If this holds up under drier, bumpier conditions, I’m well on my way to being sold on the concept.
Next up, the “Ghetto Tubeless System.” I’m waiting for some new tires to come in, and will give it a shot when they do…
Notes:
– No Way In Hell could I have worked this without an air compressor. It took forever to bead the tires up with the tape build up, and I wouldn’t have had the patience or arm strength to do it with a hand pump.
– Marymoor cross practice in the rain is as much fun as you can have on a bike. Seriously, I think If I had to choose between the weekend races and the Wednesday practices, I would choose the practices… if the conditions were always like they were last night….
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