What can I use in place of Bont rim strips

[Kritter]

I have a set of 29 bontrager tubeless ready wheels on my fisher and I was told I need to use the special bontrager rim strips and not stans. I cant find them locally or even a part number for them. Can I just seal the spokes with the stans tape and stick a valve stem in it and run the OE bontrager tubeless tires on it with some sealant?

I was also told the bontrager tires are junk as far as sealing the sealant and the sidewalls leak? Any truth to that?

Tani what you go for me?

[Bryguy17]

any reputable trek dealer should have the strips, you just have to ask them. Try a few of the many JAX locations. If I had the choice, I would go with the bonty strips over the stans tape. They are made to fit the rim and fit very well. I run them in my 26" race lites and they work flawlessly. They're also very easy to install, and the valve stems are easily removable should you need to throw in a tube out on the trail.

No experience running the stock bontrager tires. If they're jones XRs (like what came on my fuel EX), I don't find them very good for riding in socal anyway. Good to stash away for a trip to moist, smooth, singletrack heaven...

[zerordl]

I've had great luck with the 26 Bontrager Revolt tires on my HT. Never had any problems whatsoever with them sealing, especially on Bonty rims with Stans sealant. Can't vouch for the 29ers.

Originally Posted by Kritter

I have a set of 29 bontrager tubeless ready wheels on my fisher and I was told I need to use the special bontrager rim strips and not stans. I cant find them locally or even a part number for them. Can I just seal the spokes with the stans tape and stick a valve stem in it and run the OE bontrager tubeless tires on it with some sealant?

I was also told the bontrager tires are junk as far as sealing the sealant and the sidewalls leak? Any truth to that?

Tani what you go for me?

[kdog4130]

Originally Posted by Kritter

I have a set of 29 bontrager tubeless ready wheels on my fisher and I was told I need to use the special bontrager rim strips and not stans. I cant find them locally or even a part number for them. Can I just seal the spokes with the stans tape and stick a valve stem in it and run the OE bontrager tubeless tires on it with some sealant?

I was also told the bontrager tires are junk as far as sealing the sealant and the sidewalls leak? Any truth to that?

Tani what you go for me?

I have 26 Symetric, and Asymetric rim strips currently on order here at Jax, Yorba Linda. Two of them are for me, for my 69er's. I feel your frustration. The strips are actually quite nice, clipping right into place. I will have them shortly, as they are past due. As for Bontrager tires being junk, I would disagree with whoever told you that. I have run them tubeless for the past 3 years, without one flat. Just add more superjuice every couple of months, and you're golden. This is what i'm working with (from my dealer site) regarding the strips. Also, what wheels do you have? Rhythm wheels, or RXL's?

Warehouse Qty. Available CDC 0 WDC 0 NDC 0 Allocated 4
Estimated Availability - WDC

IF YOU ORDER Est. Ship Date 5 06/23/2008 30 06/23/2008 140 06/23/2008

[foofighter]

i've had mine on order since oh late april? havent heard a peep from my local jax dealer. supposedly what makes this tape unique is that the bonti wheels are asymmetrical the spokes are not right down the middle of the rim so that's why they say you cant use the stans tape. I for one am ready to go tubeless

[kdog4130]

Originally Posted by foofighter

i've had mine on order since oh late april? havent heard a peep from my local jax dealer. supposedly what makes this tape unique is that the bonti wheels are asymmetrical the spokes are not right down the middle of the rim so that's why they say you cant use the stans tape. I for one am ready to go tubeless

I got you beat! Feb 2nd! I have been told my our inside salesperson that they will be avail. 6/23. Jax is getting close to 200 of these, in every variation. Pm me if you would like to, and I will hold whatever you need.- Ken

[dutch]

Not a big fan of the bontrager jones acx's for trails around here, but they seal really well with the associated rim strips.

Before I pulled out the rimstrip and switched to some non-tubeless nevegals, I put the valve stems I have into the wheel, mounted the tire, and pumped it up. It sealed fine and held air with no sealant whatsoever. They're made pretty precise I guess.

[Winger]

Originally Posted by Bryguy17

any reputable trek dealer should have the strips, you just have to ask them. Try a few of the many JAX locations..

NOT JAX.

ESPECIALLY FOR THIS PART.

This is the reason I had MAJOR issues with my bike AND with JAX. Trek didn't include the official rim strips for my asymmetrical Bontrager tires, and instead gave flimsy rim strips that shifted & exposed my spoke holes. Flats on every other ride sucked.

It took Jax something like 5 or 6 times to finally figure out that Bontrager has specific strips, EVEN THOUGH I TOLD THEM. They finally pulled a Bongrager rim strip off a bike from the previous year and gave it to me.

Go to Switchback or any other Trek dealer.

In my experience, No rim tape or rim strips would stay in place on those Bontrager asymmetrical rims. You NEED those Bontrager strips because they lock in place and fit perfectly.

[dutch]

hell yeah to lumping six (now 7) stores and a whole company into an experience with one store and maybe a few employees!!!!

But I am not going to start that argument again.

[Winger]

Are you from the Irvine store?

Edit: Yep.

Then maybe I stand corrected. It would have been funny if you had been the guy who worked in the corporate office because then I could say I had a bad experience in Irvine and am getting backtalk from a corporate employee. The punchline doesn't work the same if everything came from 1 store.

My blanket statement was more based on the policy & company culture that I observed, which is why I was comfortable treating Jax as 1.

[DirtymikeTDB]

Originally Posted by Kritter

I have a set of 29 bontrager tubeless ready wheels on my fisher and I was told I need to use the special bontrager rim strips and not stans. I cant find them locally or even a part number for them. Can I just seal the spokes with the stans tape and stick a valve stem in it and run the OE bontrager tubeless tires on it with some sealant?

I was also told the bontrager tires are junk as far as sealing the sealant and the sidewalls leak? Any truth to that?

Tani what you go for me?

Best thing you can use is the Bonti strip made for that wheel. You can use the stans tape, but it doesnt work very well, it burps, issues with inflating ETC. Only other strip I would suggest would be the Stans Strips themselves. Or, you could always do the ghetto method with 26 in tubes on yuor 29 in wheels

[Bryguy17]

Originally Posted by Winger

NOT JAX.

ESPECIALLY FOR THIS PART.

This is the reason I had MAJOR issues with my bike AND with JAX. Trek didn't include the official rim strips for my asymmetrical Bontrager tires, and instead gave flimsy rim strips that shifted & exposed my spoke holes. Flats on every other ride sucked.

It took Jax something like 5 or 6 times to finally figure out that Bontrager has specific strips, EVEN THOUGH I TOLD THEM. They finally pulled a Bongrager rim strip off a bike from the previous year and gave it to me.

Go to Switchback or any other Trek dealer.

In my experience, No rim tape or rim strips would stay in place on those Bontrager asymmetrical rims. You NEED those Bontrager strips because they lock in place and fit perfectly.

Well, JAX is the only trek dealer I know of around here, so that's why I mentioned them. I also am not particularly fond of JAX (at least the fullerton location), but I do realize that they're one of the more convenient places to get trek/bonty stuff around here, even if the service sometimes sucks and the stock isn't great.

Like I said, if you get the bonty strip for your wheel, its very easy. pull out the old one, snap in the new, bead the tire, add sealant, inflate. I was done in 10 minutes.

While the bonty tires do seal very well, I don't like them traction-wise for the trail conditions around here. They just do not deal with loose and rocks very well to me. I'd rather add 2 lbs of nevegals and have peace of mind that the tires will hold in a flat corner

[dutch]

Originally Posted by Bryguy17

While the bonty tires do seal very well, I don't like them traction-wise for the trail conditions around here. They just do not deal with loose and rocks very well to me. I'd rather add 2 lbs of nevegals and have peace of mind that the tires will hold in a flat corner

and that's exactly what I ended up doing with mine.

Also, word of caution when putting on the bontrager strips if/when you do get them, be careful when stretching them over the edge of the rim. The plastic strips will warp if not installed carefully and that can and will present issues with seating the tires.

I find it easiest to start at the valve hole, put your valve stem through the strip to keep it in place and then work around the wheel slowly.

[downhiller91]

you can take a new 26 tube and cut it down the center and pull it over the rim. youll have your valve stem and rim strip all in on then just fold over the edges of the rim. put your tire on cut off the exase tude and fill with air

[OldDogDan]

Originally Posted by dutch

and that's exactly what I ended up doing with mine.

Also, word of caution when putting on the bontrager strips if/when you do get them, be careful when stretching them over the edge of the rim. The plastic strips will warp if not installed carefully and that can and will present issues with seating the tires.

I find it easiest to start at the valve hole, put your valve stem through the strip to keep it in place and then work around the wheel slowly.

Thanks! I've been riding on "tubeless ready" Bonty rims for quite a while now. The rim strips weren't included with them, and I think I'm now ready to give tubeless a try. This thread just answered some questions and saved me some time!