zachv81

How has everyones general experience been with using non rated tubeless tires tubeless? I assume proper sealant, and lower pressures are going to be key.

I was looking at specifically the Continental Speed Ride 42c. Jenson USA had a deal on these for 15.99 each and I thought I would give it a try at that price.

Thanks for the help!

1242Vintage

My experience wasn't good using non-rated tires tubeless. Could not get them to seal up. So upped the volume and pressure coming out of my air compressor and ended up blowing them off the rim.

Then last week a buddy in a cross race took off like a shot and was in the lead at the first curve (hole shot) when he rolled his non tubeless tires that he had been running ghetto tubeless off the rim and he went down hard. Fortunately only ego was injured. He had rated tubeless tires mounted up for this weekends race.

I only run tubeless rated tires on my cross and mountain bikes now. Little more expensive but worth the piece of mind that they will do the job.

Andy_K 

CX Magazine used to run reports now and then about combinations known to work and combinations known not to work. I think there are enough tubeless ready tires on the market now that going off the menu isn't necessary anymore.

My understanding is that with some the sealant would seep through the sidewalls for a while until they eventually sealed. Sounds messy. Other manufacturers claimed that sealant could damage their non-tubeless tires.

KonaRider125

Don't waste your time, spend the money and go with a tubeless rated tire from the start. Tires are the last thing you want to be cheap on.

gsa103

You'll use easily 4x the amount of sealant, and anytime you want to add sealant the bead comes loose.
The sealant seeps through the sidewalls forever, so you need to refresh more often and it's more of a pain.

I have a Schwalbe Hans Dampf tubeless front and HD Performance rear. The rear is consistently more difficult to seal and needs the sealant refreshed more often. I've debating replacing it with a proper tubeless rear just because I'm tired of dealing with it.

Zachanonymous

<------ All I need to know

Canker

Never had any issue doing it on my mtn bikes but they run at such low pressure I'm not worried about them blowing off. Not brave enough to try it on a road or cross bike.

JBHoren

I've been riding with these (Conti SpeedRide 700Cx42) on my 1990 Bianchi Volpe for several months -- although, in with-tube mode -- and have managed to put 1,200 on-road miles on them. For "conditioning" rides, I roll @55/50 (psi, f/r); for "utility" rides (shopping, rear panniers), I up the rear to 60psi. The ride is superb on smoother asphalt and not-so-smooth chipseal, and I don't find the file tread at all noisy. After several years of riding very stiff sidewall Bontragers (700Cx38), it took a bit of getting used to with these... well worth it. South Florida roads have a lot of debris -- nails, screws, and broken bottles, along with sharp gravel and broken floor tiles -- and I haven't (yet) had a flat. And, after those 1,200 miles, tread wear is non-existent on the front tire, and barely perceptible on the rear. I bought mine from Rivbike in February (no longer in-stock), then three more from Tree Fort Bikes in April (discounted to $20 each). Yes, I recommend them unreservedly.

Kopsis

I've done it with 43c Bruce Gordon Rock-n-Roads on DT-Swiss R460 tubeless-ready rims. Lots more work to get the tires to set up (don't even think about it if you don't have tubeless-ready rims) and I have to add sealant about once a month. At pressures where I'm confident they won't burp, I don't notice that much of a ride difference from running with tubes. Puncture sealing seems to be the only potential benefit -- though I haven't had any yet.

I like tubeless, but IMHO the hassle of doing it with non-MTB tires that aren't designed for it pretty much negates the benefits. I'll pull the R&Rs off this winter to mount up some more commute-friendly rubber and when I mount them back up the next fall it will be with tubes.

Hiro11

Internet forums are crowded with people complaining about tubeless problems. The vast majority of the time, you find out they're running non-tubeless-specific tires or rims, are using some sort of tape they bought at Home Depot etc. What others have said is correct: if you want to go tubeless, get tubeless-specific stuff. Your time is worth it.

Skankingbiker

I just mounted up an non-TLR Bonty CX3 wirebead to my BWW "Pure 29er" rim [ successfully used this for 3 different ghetto tubeless mtb setups with no probs] using 1 layer of gorilla tape and a stans strip. Added my homebrew sealant (ATV slime, latex mold builder, antifreeze, and water), and pressed down over the valve and the tire mounted right up...with me pumping with 1 hand. Some sealant bubbled out along the rim. No "pop"

It held air overnight and I took it out today. I took it down to 35 psi and abused it (rough downhills, fast, winding descents, and slow technical turns with me leaning the bike).

Everything held. However, when I stopped I decided to see if I could get the bead to move by hand. I used two thumbs and pressed on the sidewall. I was able to just move it enough that more fluid came out. I let go, and it popped back. I got home and let the air out....the wire bead "popped" off the rim (so, i guess it seated ok).

All that said......I think I am just going to go back to tubes. I am nervous running these at 35, given that I can press the sidewall in with my thumbs. Maybe it will hold, but I dont want to take that chance. Esp. seeing as I am only gaining a 5 psi advantage. I weigh 210...so I think I need to just live with 38-ish psi tubed.

I just don't think there is enough volume of air in there to hold the bead in place, and as there is no channel stopping it from moving inwards. Again, I experienced no problems with it riding, but I just dont want to have to worry about the tire burping off when I am riding full bore in a race.

zachv81

Thanks all for your comments. I am going to opt to ride the Continental Speedrides with tubes. I will shoot for tubeless ready tires next re-tire. Good comments for sure!

Dream Cyclery

FYI, I've been running Speedride tubeless for the last two seasons. They seal well and no sealant comes out of the sidewall. I'm using Iront Cross front and Grail rear.