Tube Sealant and Converting Wire Wheels to Tubeless

[sign216]

Should I stick with tube tires with sealant inside, or convert my wire wheels to take tubeless tires?

All my bikes have wire wheels with tube tires. For my V7C I've got Slime Tube Sealant inside the tube, to seal leaks and prevent dramatic blow-outs (I hope). On-line reviews of Slime's performance indicate that it's good 85% of the time.
http://www.slime.com/shop/tube-sealant/

Alternatively, I've thought about converting my wire wheels to take tubeless tires by sealing the wheel spoke interior with adhesive. This idea is harder to gauge, as there are very few reviews of it's performance. The best opinion is that it should only be done if the wheel already has a lip for tubeless tires. Some wire wheels do, some don't. Here is one way to do the conversion: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=274533

There are advantages to both ideas. Any opinions?

 

[Rafael]

I was riding 2 up loaded with camping gear. I some back road when I heard, what seem to be a gun shot. About a mile down the road the bike started getting unstable. I pulled over and found Slime, or what ever brand I was using then, sprayed all over the underside of my rack and fender.

I saw a posting on this forum for a bead clinching device for converting tubed rims to tubeless. Can't remember what it's called, I'm sure some does.

My understanding is that tubed and tubless have different profiles where the tire beads where the tube type is more likely to come unseated in the event of a blow out. If I ever get around to converting the Quota to a tubeless sett up I would do it by rebuilding the wheels with tubeless rims.

 

[sign216]

That experience can be en endorsement for sealant, or a detriment. Depends on your view.
It didn't stop the leak, but did prevent a blowout.

 

[Morizzi]

Joe,

This has been covered before in some detail but it was a while ago and I can't remember which forum. Probably here or WG. There were some good pics used.

The sealant the poster was using was RTV sealant under the spoke rubber. I remember posting that I thought Automotive Polyurethane might be better as it can be sanded and resealed if necessary.

Another reply told of a fatality supposedly due to the spoke seals failing but self amalging tape was evidently used!!!

That is all I can remember from it. Maybe a search will find it.

I have no real opinion on what you should do here. It is completely up to you as you are the one that needs to feel secure.

I run tubeless tyres on my everyday ride a LM III but it has the snowflake cast wheels so only the valve port needs to be modified. Snowflakes don't have the safety bead either but I've had a couple of flats on them and the tyre has never broken at the bead even when I ran it totally flat for a mile to limp into a garage.

I like the fact that I can fix a flat with a plug and get me home. I carry slime on the tubed bikes but I don't stick it into the tube, I'll put it in when I get a puncture.

To each their own.

 

[sign216]

Morizzi, I remember the tubeless conversion posts on WG. I took another look there and on the net, and here's what I found;

Tubeless Conversion - Successful technique, but in a minority of cases leak after a while. I say this because although there's a few long term users, Woody's Wheel Works won't guaranty their tubeless conversions against leaks.

Tube with Sealant - Prevents air loss most of the time, and prevents blow-outs if the leak isn't sealed.

As you suggested Morizzi, there's no clear answer as to which technique is best. I'll continue to run my tube tires + sealant, and do the tubeless conversion when they wear out.

Here's a good description of the different wheel rim types, for tubeless and tube type rims: http://www.conti-bike.co.uk/default.asp?pid=27