So what's a redneck or ghetto tubeless set-up? Read on.
Part I
Here are the initial supplies:
One 20" presta-valved tube (think nice BMX wheels)
A tire lever:
Some scissors:
The first thing to do is to take the "tubed" tire off the rim. Two thoughts here: 1) This is fairly easy -- it only took me about 5 minutes to do everything in this post (which should be up to the point of filling with Stan's and inflating the newly installed redneck tubeless tire set-up), but 2) Easy as it is, you probably should already know how to change a bike tire before you try this. But if you don't know how to remove a bike tire, here's how:
Remove wheel from frame, deflate the tire, and hook the tire lever under the tire bead like this:
Then use some lever action to move one side of the bead to the outside of the rim, like this:
Then slide the lever along the rim to move the rest of the bead off the rim. You might have to grab the part of the tire where the bead was first levered-over to keep it from popping back to the inside of the rim as you slide. On the other hand, some tires (even some very nice ones) let you easily pull them off the rim with no tools at all simply by tugging with your hand. Call me crazy, but I'd stay away from using these for redneck tubeless conversions. As you'll see, the bead inside the rim which holds the tire on is a little less pronounced using this method -- and losing a bead might ruin your sweet singletrack day, and your grille, and your career . . . So, don't use tires with a super-floppy bead. But I digress. here's a picture of the sliding technique:
Now pull out the tube. If it still holds air, keep it for a spare.
Then grab the tire tightly in your fist and yank the other bead over the same side of the rim that you pulled the first bead over. No tools should be necessary for this, but if your girlfriend is doing it for you and can't get it, she could use the tire lever.
Now it's time to make the rim liner. Note that your rim must have a good rim-strip inside. The rim strip and the rim liner (which you are about to make) are different things, but they're both very important. In the following picture, the rim strip is the flat black plastic thing inside the rim channel. Your wheel almost certainly has one already, but check its condition.
Take the 20" tube and stretch it onto the rim. Try to stretch it as evenly as possible -- you don't want some areas to be loose and others stretched super tight. And install the valve stem nut or this will not work.
Take your scissors and slice along the top of the tube. Try to stay in the middle of the rim channel -- evenly between the rim walls. Go all the way around.
Now flip the tube inside-out, over the edge of the rim walls.
All done with this step:
Now to remount the tire. This can be tricky because forcing the bead over the rim wants to push your new rim liner inside also, where it will do you no good at all. It's even more tricky the third or fourth time you use the rim liner you just made because all that nice slippery talcum will not be there to help you.
But you don't have that problem now, so put one tire bead inside the rim. This should go pretty easily.
Now, you need to get the other bead in too. But before we take that up, I should point out that it would be perfectly appropriate to dump some Stan's into the tire at this point. At the bottom. In an easy-to-clean environment, 'cause it's messy. However, my supply of Stan's is missing today, so I'll pop the bead on and fill later.
Look at the photo below. See how the rim liner is pushed inside the rim, or pinched between the outside of the rim and the tire bead? This is what you don't want to do:
But fortunately, the new liner is slippery, and with a little effort, the tire bead will eventually go over the rim wall. You may or may not have to use a tire lever, but if you do, make sure your new rim liner is between the lever and the rim wall. Here's the tire with both beads in the rim, and the liner hanging out the sides.
Well, that's it for Part I. Really, that's it. Now you just have to add the Stan's and get the beads to seat and seal. It's best to use some really high pressured compressed air for this, but that'll be Part II. You also may wish to trim-off the excess rim liner. It's probably more socially acceptable to do so than not, but I leave you with a pic of how I ride 'em, much to the dismay of those who ride with me . . . This one's been going for several months, at 34# -- Oh, the hook-up!
Part I
Here are the initial supplies:
One 20" presta-valved tube (think nice BMX wheels)
A tire lever:
Some scissors:
The first thing to do is to take the "tubed" tire off the rim. Two thoughts here: 1) This is fairly easy -- it only took me about 5 minutes to do everything in this post (which should be up to the point of filling with Stan's and inflating the newly installed redneck tubeless tire set-up), but 2) Easy as it is, you probably should already know how to change a bike tire before you try this. But if you don't know how to remove a bike tire, here's how:
Remove wheel from frame, deflate the tire, and hook the tire lever under the tire bead like this:
Then use some lever action to move one side of the bead to the outside of the rim, like this:
Then slide the lever along the rim to move the rest of the bead off the rim. You might have to grab the part of the tire where the bead was first levered-over to keep it from popping back to the inside of the rim as you slide. On the other hand, some tires (even some very nice ones) let you easily pull them off the rim with no tools at all simply by tugging with your hand. Call me crazy, but I'd stay away from using these for redneck tubeless conversions. As you'll see, the bead inside the rim which holds the tire on is a little less pronounced using this method -- and losing a bead might ruin your sweet singletrack day, and your grille, and your career . . . So, don't use tires with a super-floppy bead. But I digress. here's a picture of the sliding technique:
Now pull out the tube. If it still holds air, keep it for a spare.
Then grab the tire tightly in your fist and yank the other bead over the same side of the rim that you pulled the first bead over. No tools should be necessary for this, but if your girlfriend is doing it for you and can't get it, she could use the tire lever.
Now it's time to make the rim liner. Note that your rim must have a good rim-strip inside. The rim strip and the rim liner (which you are about to make) are different things, but they're both very important. In the following picture, the rim strip is the flat black plastic thing inside the rim channel. Your wheel almost certainly has one already, but check its condition.
Take the 20" tube and stretch it onto the rim. Try to stretch it as evenly as possible -- you don't want some areas to be loose and others stretched super tight. And install the valve stem nut or this will not work.
Take your scissors and slice along the top of the tube. Try to stay in the middle of the rim channel -- evenly between the rim walls. Go all the way around.
Now flip the tube inside-out, over the edge of the rim walls.
All done with this step:
Now to remount the tire. This can be tricky because forcing the bead over the rim wants to push your new rim liner inside also, where it will do you no good at all. It's even more tricky the third or fourth time you use the rim liner you just made because all that nice slippery talcum will not be there to help you.
But you don't have that problem now, so put one tire bead inside the rim. This should go pretty easily.
Now, you need to get the other bead in too. But before we take that up, I should point out that it would be perfectly appropriate to dump some Stan's into the tire at this point. At the bottom. In an easy-to-clean environment, 'cause it's messy. However, my supply of Stan's is missing today, so I'll pop the bead on and fill later.
Look at the photo below. See how the rim liner is pushed inside the rim, or pinched between the outside of the rim and the tire bead? This is what you don't want to do:
But fortunately, the new liner is slippery, and with a little effort, the tire bead will eventually go over the rim wall. You may or may not have to use a tire lever, but if you do, make sure your new rim liner is between the lever and the rim wall. Here's the tire with both beads in the rim, and the liner hanging out the sides.
Well, that's it for Part I. Really, that's it. Now you just have to add the Stan's and get the beads to seat and seal. It's best to use some really high pressured compressed air for this, but that'll be Part II. You also may wish to trim-off the excess rim liner. It's probably more socially acceptable to do so than not, but I leave you with a pic of how I ride 'em, much to the dismay of those who ride with me . . . This one's been going for several months, at 34# -- Oh, the hook-up!
