Can you run tubeless wheels with tubes?

I got my Rocket Rons to seal using a Track Pump, front went up straightaway, but the rear was more of an issue, I was just about to buy a compressor when I had one last go and it worked and has stayed up since, Tubeless is great judging by the number of thorns I have removed post ride (whilst the Tire stayed inflated)

Plenty of fairy around the bead and my 15yr old Specialized track pump has been successful on my mavic, shimano and bontrager wheelers with numerous different tyres... It does take some rather quick aggressive pumping though! Currently running tubes on the shimanos to make use of decent non-tubeless tyres I've got.

Or make one of these??


(Picture shamelessly stolen from "totoro" on STW)

I've never tried it, as I've always been lucky and managed with a track pump but for what it would cost it must be worth a try...

gavinda":30hj7xmr said:

Sounds like I need a cheap and decent compressor then :roll:

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No you don't. The compressor isn't essential and considering you'd only ever use it occasionally, it seems like an unneccessary expense. As has been mentioned a few times above, you just need a proper tubeless tyre, some fairy liquid and a decent track pump. Even a not-so-decent pump (aka. my £15 special from my LBS) will do the job.

Just coat the tyre bead with Fairy liquid and attach the pump to the valve and give it some welly. The initial few bursts of air should be enough to form the seal. You should be able to pump faster than the tyre loses air so after a few goes it'll seal. Then just keep pumping the tyre up to a high psi and you'll hear the beads 'pop' and hey presto, fully sealed. No need for compressors.

Once you've got the tyre sealed on the rim you can remove the valve core and pour the sealant in. Then, refit the core and pump the tyre back up (it'll already be sealed so it'll be just like pumping up a regular tyre).

This doesn't seem to work for me. The tyres seem loose in the rim and won't catch any air. I'm using stans strips and tubeless suitable maxxis tyres and the rims check out ad ok on the stans site. :cry:

This tubeless thing is a new world to me too but they came on my saracen so I need to understand it a bit more.

Hom much sealant do you put in? where does the washing up liquid go and does it not mix funny with the sealant?

I tried to put a maxxis tyre on my rim but the tyre seems baggy, there was no way it was going to form a seal?

Dont want to use thos conti's again this weekend so they can spoil another ride.

Barneyballbags":i3acgrbt said:

[The compressor isn't essential and considering you'd only ever use it occasionally, it seems like an unneccessary expense. As has been mentioned a few times above, you just need a proper tubeless tyre, some fairy liquid and a decent track pump. Even a not-so-decent pump (aka. my £15 special from my LBS) will do the job.

Just coat the tyre bead with Fairy liquid and attach the pump to the valve and give it some welly. The initial few bursts of air should be enough to form the seal. You should be able to pump faster than the tyre loses air so after a few goes it'll seal. Then just keep pumping the tyre up to a high psi and you'll hear the beads 'pop' and hey presto, fully sealed. No need for compressors.

Once you've got the tyre sealed on the rim you can remove the valve core and pour the sealant in. Then, refit the core and pump the tyre back up (it'll already be sealed so it'll be just like pumping up a regular tyre).

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This, except i used standard Maxxis Minion as the sealant seals all the microscopic pores etc

I used the entire Stans system on my MCM 980 (see sig). The tyres are Maxxis Minion and they inflated fine with a track pump and as Barneyballbags stated above once on you can just then remove the valve core to add sealant and they pump up fine.

The bead is strange at first as it takes a lot to crack this if deflating and removing the tyre and when i was pumping the tyre up initially i could hear loud cracks/bangs as the bead was forming on the rim.

Sketchyxup":wiun584d said:

This tubeless thing is a new world to me too but they came on my saracen so I need to understand it a bit more.

Hom much sealant do you put in? where does the washing up liquid go and does it not mix funny with the sealant?

I tried to put a maxxis tyre on my rim but the tyre seems baggy, there was no way it was going to form a seal?

Dont want to use thos conti's again this weekend so they can spoil another ride.

Click to expand...

Are they stans rims as these vids here wihttp://www.notubes.com/helpcenter.aspx will help.

If the tyres are not tubeless then you will need to fit to the rim, fill with sealant, pump up, and then use the washing up liquid on the tyre wall and bead to find where the air is seaping from - eventually the sealant will fill all these 'holes' and make it air tight.

I used this kit http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=49111 with my Stans rims and the Maxxis have stayed up since the build. I have had to add more sealant since as i must have used most of it sealing the micro air holes in the tyres. As for sealant amount the small bottles that come with the kit have what you need, if you then save these you can use them again (once you add more sealant) to fill the rim from the valve stem so you put the correct amount in.

Trick is to fit with tyre and tube first until the tyre clicks into place on one side. Then undo bead on one side, take the tube out, fit the valve, add sealand and inflate.

but in my case i can't do that as the strip and valve are one piece iirc :?