Stan's is, by far, the way to go. I use it for both my bikes. I've gone over a year on one tire, and never pinch flatted. I've got thorns, pulled them out, rotated the tire so that the Stan's fluid was placed over the hole, and it sealed right up! BUT...things aren't always perfect. Different tires will seat more or less easily, regardless of whether they're single or 2-ply tires. Kendas are a PITA to seat. I've had a few that seated pretty quick, but most of the time, it takes me up to an hour plus! Maxxis, IMO, seam to seat much easier. Somebody at my LBS said that if I'm running the No Tubes conversion kit, to try a UST tire. I've had a few races, and quite a few long DH runs on rocky trails, and no "burps" or anything. Another point of concern...denting your rims. Seems to me that half the time I dent the rim, the air comes out, and it will no longer, no matter how long you wait, keep airtight. Now, this only happened to me when I was rolling Kendas, so I don't know if it was just that brand, or if others do it as well. I asked a buddy of mine, and he said that he hasn't had that problem with his UST rims and UST tires, in which he uses Stan's, so perhaps this just applies to converted rims, and not UST rims. To sum up, DO IT!!! I'll ALWAYS go tubeless whenever possible!!!
Stans works well inside a tube as well. Get the Conti tubes with removable cores (presta) and fill them through the valve stem. I've had this setup on my cyclo-cross bike for about a year and no flats so far
The $60 Stan's kit will allow your current, non-UST rims to accept the following: Non-UST tires without a tube UST tires without a tube Any tire with a tube, if needed You add Stan's sealant (or your preferred brand) just like a UST setup. Some may refer to this as ghetto, but I like to think of this as the "official" way to convert. There are true home-grown setups out there that require duct tape, making your own sealant, doing a special dance, burning scented candles, etc, while this comes in a nice, pretty kit. The major criticism involves using non-UST tires that aren't designed to be run without the support of a tube. Critics say you risk blowing the tire off the rim. I have raced and done some serious backcountry riding with my setup and have had no problems, but I am not a hucker and I'm only 150 lbs. This is a touchy subject and everyone has their opinions/stories supporting their views. As others have said, this is not really for weight savings (although some would argue), but primarily for flat protection and improved feel/traction thanks to lower pressure and less deformation of the tire due to tubes. The way I look at it, it's a gradual process. The Stan's kit is good for a tubeless introduction; convert your setup and enjoy. For added peace of mind (and weight), buy some UST tires and use them with your converted rims. In the meantime, save up for a dedicated UST wheelset, something nice & light that will last for years. This has been my process, and it suits my riding style and philosophy. Your's may differ.
I'm sure that will work fine, but did you know that you can remove a presta valve and just pour it in? No patch to worry about! Grab some pliers and use them to keep turning the screw thing passed the point where it stops. It will come right off. You have to take care not to lose the valve core which will tend to fall into the tube. And it's slow going to pour anything through such a small hole. But like I said, no patch, no needle.
I don't know why the hate on the Stan's rims, or those why choose to ride them. There are lots of different models to choose from. I wouldn't exactly consider the Flow rims for "weight weenies who ride on sidewalks...". The first clue that the Arch rims I ride were going to be a much different tubeless experience was that I had to struggle a bit to get both beads seated on the rim. As one who went the "yestubes" route after having way too many burps while on a remote trail, this was a vote of confidence. I'm running the 2Bliss Captains front and rear. In my opinion, they are a nice happy medium between a regular tire and a UST tire. There was absolutely no sealant and/or air leaking when I installed them, no silly soap and water exercise, and I could use a regular hand pump to inflate. After all that, they held their pressure overnight. Done deal.
You know I always have to play devil's advocate! But aside from my conditions of running tubeless, the Stan's goo works great! (...for a couple months...and then the reapplication is necessary) By the way, has anyone weighed a tire prior to installing Stans for the first time? Then have you removed the same tire (with minimal use to the tire), and weigh it again with all the dried Stans? Then note the additional weight of the next scoops that you have to add again. I've noted that this can add substantial weight - sometimes more than an ultra-thin tube. The lowering the pressure arguement isn't so cut and dried, so to speak. For some applications with singleply tires, there is no pressure that would keep me from pinch-flatting a tube. However, in many of these same instances, a single-ply tire would be pinched and cut more easily without the sacrificial tube to cushion the blow. Additionally, lowering the pressure - tubeless or not - will only increase the likelyhood of leaving a dent in the rim. The only real solution is the right tire for the job. So don't get me wrong - I do enjoy using UST or DH tires in tubeless applications (noting my current rules above). The part that I dislike is that I often swap tires for different types of rides. But sometimes I'd rather deal with a quick tube change on the trail than to have to deal with the other consequences. Disclaimer: The market is constantly changing and, as a result, rules are subject to change.
There's no hate! :wave: I've just had a lot of experience with a lot of products over the years. I also tend to ride a little more aggressively than most, so I tend to run into the shortcomings of many products sooner than others. I am not saying that the Flows are bad, but they do have much lower limitations than similar products. Do you want to buy one of my very slightly used Flow rims? It only has 20 minutes worth of use on it. :lol: Because of the lower bead, the Flow rims simply can't hold a tubeless tire on a rim for aggressive riding. And even the slightest ding in the rim makes it almost completely useless without a tube. Meanwhile, I can run the DT 5.1 rims with the lips folded and crunched, and they'll still hole the tire without a tube without a concern of leaking (I've been rather surprised by this). Even before the Flow rim failed, the tires burped way too easily. For a very small weight penalty, the DT 5.1 is considerably more reliable.
Damn. I've been wanted to do the "ghetto" conversion for a while now, even though I rarely flat. But watching the conversion video almost discourages me from trying it - it looks like a royal PITA, and that's a guy who has done it thousands of times I'm guessing. I can see the train wreck in the garage coming from a mile away when I try my hand at it...
Stan's with ust tires... the best way to go! If you don't have ust/tubeless rims, don't waste your money on the expensive strips that they sell, make your own. 20' bmx tube, scissor it to size(strip width), stretch it over the rim, and waalahhhhh :wave: Not one flat in a year and a half!
I have been very happy running Slime tubes. That is, until I started riding the Heckler to work on Saturdays. My route is a train track strip from Brea to Santa Fe Springs. Others may call it a thorn farm. I have NEVER made it without a thorn (or ten) causing a flat. This became a major PITA. After two years with the Heckler I decided to treat myself to a Pike fork and found some nice Mavic UST rims with a 20mm front hub to finish it up. I figured now would be the time to get a UST Nevegal and pour in the Stans. I've done my train track route three times now with NO flats. A perfect upgrade for me.:clap:
Stan's rim tape + Stan's valve + goo has always worked for me. No need to buy the expensive rim strips. I've used duct tape with a valve stem and good, worked perfectly for two days at Big Bear.
