Freerunner

Looks like I'm going to need lots of help from this forum. I used to do 100% of the repairs on my road bikes 30 years ago. But just recently my wife bought a Niner Jet 9 RDO with 29 inch wheels. My first question for now is whether I should switch her tires to tubeless. The wheels are Sunringle Black Flag XC 29". Can I put tubeless on these? Is there an advantage? She bikes a lot in the mountains in Montana. If tubeless are recommended, which ones do folks like? Thanks in advance.

Trevtassie

Yep, tubeless is worth it. Reckon those rims would be tubeless. Advantages include being able to run lower pressures for better traction without the risk of snakebite punctures. Bit lighter than tubes. More puncture resistant. Choice of tyre depends on the terrain and her riding type, how long is a piece of string...
My personal way to do it is install with a small amount of a latex sealant like Stans. Let that coat the inside of the tire for a month or so to seal any micro leaks, then swap to a long life sealant like Finish Line.

Freerunner

OK, sounds like I need tubeless 101. Last time I had tubeless, we called them "sew ups" and used them for racing road bikes. I was looking at tubeless on Amazon and there are so many choices, I'm not sure where to start. I see talk about a sealant and am confused when it's used. Is there a section on this forum that talks about the tubeless basics? BTW - big believer in LBS, but the nearest one is over an hour away and it is closed indefinitely due to virus.

2old

I've used Stan's successfully, but there are other brands that are as effective, maybe better. Probably the rims and tires are "tubeless ready", but you should ascertain that beforehand. Some systems are difficult to set up without a high pressure air supply which isn't available from most floor pumps (some of the newer, more expensive ones can do it, but my LBS is only a mile away, so I just go there to set them up). Also, depending on how hot your summers are the sealant can dry up in three to four months and need to be replenished. If the tire is sliced on an outing, and the solvent won't seal it, you need to boot it and use a tube. Accordingly, wipe all the solvent from inside the tire or the tube won't stay in the tire when you pump it up (as me how I know).

qclabrat

here's probably what she has if it helps. Looks like it has tubeless Schwalbes mounted
https://www.vitalmtb.com/product/gui...-with-XT,12206

nice bike and more of a pure XC bike compared to current geometries. btw, I think you mean tubular tires not tubeless. They were still popular for racers up to a year or two ago before tubeless road and CX wheels have started taking over the market.

Kapusta

That wheelset model became tubeless compatible at some point when they started using Stans bead profile. Does it say "Stans" somewhere on the rim? If so, you are good to go as long as the tires are Tubeless Ready.

commo_soulja

Yeah, pretty sure those Black Flags use licensed Stans rims. So just get some tubeless rim tape, valves and sealant and go to town (assuming the current tires are also tubeless compatible). The Stans website has some good videos on the procedure so order online and do them yourself.

tyrion

Lots of youtube videos on this process.

rosefarts

You mention sew ups as old tubeless. Totally different.

A sew up, tubular, tubie, glue up (same same) is a tire and casing with an inner tube literally sewed into it. Renowned for their roundness and a flat at high speed is a little more in control. Special rim, special tire, special glue.

Tubeless is essentially a clincher with a water/air tight rim. No tube, add some sealant for insurance. It's totally possible but a little pointless to use a regular clincher as a tubeless.

Freerunner

Well, I decided to contact the owner of the LBS where we bought the Niner to ask for his input (we have since moved over 1000 miles from that shop). This guy was great, told us that the wheels can go tubeless and told me what I need to get. Because he was so helpful, I told him to put everything in a box and ship it to us. It was well worth the small extra cost.

commo_soulja

So why are you gonna start a thread asking for advice when you're just gonna ignore and go with the bike shop?

Kapusta

In what way was advice ignored?

Did I miss the part where we told him NOT to get what he needs through a bike shop?

rosefarts

Exactly. If he doesn't understand sew ups vs tubeless, he definitely needs a shop to help. He understands that and has saved himself tons of trouble and time.

Freerunner

OK, let me try and clear some things up. First of all, I am not ignoring the advice here. I appreciate the comments and have always found them helpful. I am also under the impression that members here advocate using the LBS from time to time. Especially during this pandemic, I thought I could at least help out the shop. The information given here has been very helpful, but there was still some uncertainty on the size of tires, and the specific type of tires (since there are so many types, depending on the terrain you are riding on), I did look at some of the videos as suggested and they have helped me get ready to do more work on the bike when it is needed. I did not think about using the original LBS at first, but then after the advice, I thought it would be good to use as a start. Also, all of the bike shops near me are closed indefinitely.

As far as sew ups. It's been over 40 years but when I raced, those were the tires I used. I am very familiar with them, and spent a few winters, taking them apart to replace/repair the flats. If I gave the impression that they are the same as tubeless, I apologize. And I 'm not sure where anyone stated NOT to go the bike shop.

This forum has been very helpful for me in the past, and I hope that I can continue to use it. But there is no malice on my part. In general, folks here have been great to get advice and help me become more self sufficient on these newer bikes, especially with the new suspension systems. Thanks