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Stan's No Tubes Guide

What you need

• Suitable tubless kit
• Floor pump / Air compressor
• Plastic tire lever
• Washing up Liquid solution
• Spray Bottle
• Box/bucket

Getting Started

I am illustrating Stans No-tube system but there are other tubless systems like DT Swiss's own setup and Joe's No Flats which are essentially a similar system. Tubeless ready rims often just require a suitable valve rather than a rim strip but this is a guide to convert your non-tubless wheelsets to tubeless. I am illustrating Mavic XC717 rims with a Maxxis Larsen TT and a Kenda Nevegal 2.1. Maxxis tyres also have a good sidewall and bead that don't seem to require much sealing. Recommended tyres can be found on the notubes.com website.

Firstly clean your tyres/wheels to remove loose mud and then get a garden sprayer and make up some concentrated washing up liquid (WUL) solution. I usually use about 1 in 10 to 1 in 15. The standard method uses a soft brush and bucket of WUL to make soap suds - I find my method works well for me but you may want to replace the sprayer with this if you are having trouble seating and sealing !!

Also I have made a delivery tube from an old car tyre repair solution bottle to poor in a measured amont of sealant into the valve after removing the core. Each tyre should have 1-2 cups of sealant in each so you can pre-measure this, otherwise you will have to de-seat the tyre and pour in the sealant.

Deflate you tyres.

Remove tyre and any rim strips that maybe present.

Clean the rim inside with WUL solution to remove any dirt or grease so the rim tape sticks effectively and dry off thoroughly (at this point refer to Stans website to see if extra rim strips are needed depending on your rim type).

Use the rim tape supplied with the kit (different width tape is available depending on what rim strip kit you might be using - a whole kit including the sealant, rim strip and rim tape are available) and carefully cover each spoke hole with tape all around.

I usually overlap the tape and cut.

I use a finger to make sure the tape is stuck to the rim properly.

Find the valve hole and push a hole in it to allow for the valve. I usually leave a little bit of tape around the hole so the valve is not cut by any rough edges in the rim (although you can  smooth the rim before hand with a burr).

This is a rim strip without the kit (as I already have sealant and rim tape etc).

Push the valve though the valve hole in the tape then systematiclly mount the rimstrip on the rim. You can use the WUL solution to lubricate the strip if required.

Try to pull the rim strip so the edges are seated under the bead lock.

Example where the rimstrip is not seated under the bead lock.

You can push the rimstrip under if required but as you do a few more you tend not to need to do this.

Make sure that the strip at the valve is seated properly as this is often a site of leakage. Do not tighten the valve collar up too tight as this can damage the valve rubber seal (from experience).

Inflating

Hang the tyre from a work stand. Soak with WUL solution on the inside and the bead / side wall.  Repeat with soaking the rim.

Mount the tyre (remember correct rotating direction to save you haning to take it off again). Then soak the side walls and bead again.

Use a track pump or an air line to inflate the tube quickly. This is the time when your blood pressure starts to rise and failures ofthen happen here. I have shown the valve at the bottom but if using a hand pump (only a track pump - CO2 pumps are not recommended by Stans aparently) the you may find having the valve at the top easier. When inflating push down on the tyre over the valve. This will push the tyre bead into the rim and help create a local temporary seal which propagates along the tyre resulting in the tyre inflating and then seating in the bead lock. This is the most important bit. If you don't push on the tyre over the valve area you may struggle to seat the tyre.

Tip: If you are using new tyres then the day before put them on the wheels and inflate with a tube. This will help to stretch out the tyre including the bead so it is smooth and will inflate easier.

Pump to about 10 psi. This will test wether you can get a seal on your tyre/wheel setup. You will get air leakage as can be seen below but it saves faffing with the sealant whilst trying to get the bead to seat.

You can then deflate the tire - the bead will sometimes sit and sometimes slide back down. Dont worry they'll come back up easier than the first time. Now you can either prise a gap in the tyre / rim and pour in you 1-2 cups of sealant or remove the valve core (sometime a pair of pliers is needed initially) and squeeze the sealent in through the valve (the latter is easier).

Instilling the sealant with a makeshift bottle and pipe. A commercial syringe system is available.

Then reinflate but Stans do not recommend going ovber 40psi. You will get a slight leakage initially. Remember to push down on the tyre over the valve again. If using a track pump again it is best at the 12 o'clock position so the solution drops to the bottom of the tyre rather than spilling out when you push down on the tyre.

Sealing the tyre

This is often the most time consuming bit. Tyres vary in their porosity - mostly at the bead and/or the side wall. The aim here is to get rid of small leaks in the tyre and also the seal small leaks in the sealing of the tyre to the rim strip/rim.

Holding the tyre in front of you like a car steering wheel (a good place for visuals is the no tubes site) wobble the wheel to and fro so the rim comes toward to and back rapidly. This helps to slosh the sealant around inside up to the rim / bead and side walls. Do this several times then rotate the wheel a bit and then do it again until you have gone all around the wheel. This takes about a minute or two.

No Tubes Tyre Wiggle from Foxyrider on Vimeo.

Place the tyre on a box to lay it horizontal and squirt the side wall with WUL solution. This will identify where the leaks are as they are converted into soap bubbles. It also helps to seal the side wall leaks (if any) in the opposite side of the tyre. Leave about three minutes. Repeat this three times on each side, turning the wheel over every time. You should then only have small leaks which you can then concentrate on by noting them and then rotating the wheel so the leak is at the bottom and then wobble so that area is bathed in sealant. Then repeat on other areas untill the vast majority are gone.

This is a small side wall leak. The Maxxis tyres seem to have thick and well sealed side walls.

This was a Kenda Nevgal. The side wall was well sealed but the bead wasn't. Took some time to seal.

Tip: If you can't spend too much time sealing all the leaks in the sidewall or bead then take if for a ride (with a pump and tube just in case) and ride it on some bumpy trails. I have found this helps seal them without the need to waste too much time in the workshop (providing the tyres have seated properly and the leaks aren't big). They will seal eventually but you may have to add air to the tyre over the next few days.

Once they are setup wave goodbye to frequent pinch flats and thorn punctures etc. Always take a tube and pump if on a long ride as torn sidewall and glass slashes for example are no good. You can also get away with running at lower pressures but this will increase the chance of a burp (where the force is so great it can temporarily separate the tyre and rim releasing air).

Remember keep calm and do it methodically and it should be OK.

Richard Fox - Features Contributor

Richard has been mountain biking for over 17 years,7 years on his local trails, Dartmoor. He also regularly rides away from home – usually riding each year (while doing the mechanics for others) in various events such as the Cheddar Challenge, Rough Ride, Soggy Bottom, Dyfi Enduro and twentyfour12.

All these years of riding (and breaking) bikes, has resulted in Richard acquiring the wealth of experience (and the tools) to keep his, and inevitably all his riding crew's, bikes on the trails. Richard is a Cyclist No.1 features contributor.

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