Anyone converted their Turbo Vado to tubeless tires?

[fooferdoggie]

I'll never run tubes in a bike again. I've been on mtb's and now a emtb for 25 years and finally went tubeless two years ago. Why oh why did I wait? Carrying tire tools, tubes, patches, and all of that is for the birds. I averaged at least 2 flats a year on tubes, and I replaced them each year with the ultra HD ones and ran sealant. There is nothing more fun that pulling a tire, patching a tube and all of that on the trail.

sure there is try in the dark and rain and when it is really cold.

 

[rob feature]

+1 for tubeless. The only flats I've had with them, I neglected to top up the sealant. It might just be the single best innovation ever in the history of bikes.

 

[zbikeman]

I must be the outlier here. I've gone from tubeless back to tubes.

I live in goathead country, so when I got a bike already set up tubeless (Sirrus X 5.0), I thought, great! No more tubes, patching, etc.

Got a 1000ml bottle of Stan's original sealant, a couple of syringe fill kits with valve core removers, and I was all set.

I topped the sealant off every couple months and was doing great.

Then came the 1 yr mark where it came time to clean out all the old dried sealant and start over. That's where I started to question the whole process, at least for me.

I've done a lot of scut jobs with bicycles before, but this was one of the worst.

The dried sealant didn't want to budge. Eventually I got enough of it out of both tires to the point where I was ready to remount them.

Problem was, I don't have a compressor and couldn't get them to seat no matter what I did.

I thought maybe not having the compressor to seat the tires was the problem, so I took them to the local bike shop.

They tried using their compressor and couldn't get them to seat either. So how do you run tubeless if you can't get the tire to seat?

That's when I bought a couple tubes and went back for good.

I don't mind changing tubes with a flat, so I've resigned myself to having to do this a couple times a year. For me, it beats cleaning out old sealant and not being able to seat the tire.

 

[rob feature]

I must be the outlier here. I've gone from tubeless back to tubes.

I live in goathead country, so when I got a bike already set up tubeless (Sirrus X 5.0), I thought, great! No more tubes, patching, etc.

Got a 1000ml bottle of Stan's original sealant, a couple of syringe fill kits with valve core removers, and I was all set.

I topped the sealant off every couple months and was doing great.

Then came the 1 yr mark where it came time to clean out all the old dried sealant and start over. That's where I started to question the whole process, at least for me.

I've done a lot of scut jobs with bicycles before, but this was one of the worst.

The dried sealant didn't want to budge. Eventually I got enough of it out of both tires to the point where I was ready to remount them.

Problem was, I don't have a compressor and couldn't get them to seat no matter what I did.

I thought maybe not having the compressor to seat the tires was the problem, so I took them to the local bike shop.

They tried using their compressor and couldn't get them to seat either. So how do you run tubeless if you can't get the tire to seat?

That's when I bought a couple tubes and went back for good.

I don't mind changing tubes with a flat, so I've resigned myself to having to do this a couple times a year. For me, it beats cleaning out old sealant and not being able to seat the tire.

Tubes are actually a good trick for getting tubeless setups to seat. I've used this method with tricky tires before. Inflate them with a tube, then let them bake in the sun for a few hours on each side. Folding tires especially come with problem areas out of the packaging and getting them to seat can require some tomfoolery. Sun alone makes the tires more pliable.

I've also used straps down the center of the tire.

Removing the valve core lets more air in.

Probably lots more tips on the interwebs, but those are a few I've used over the years.

I also don't bother trying to get my wheels too clean - just the big stuff & contact surfaces. If I'm taking a tire off, I'm usually replacing it.

And man, I don't see how anyone gets by without a compressor. I use mine daily.

I will never go back to tubes though for my main rides. I still use them in a couple older bikes that hardly ever get ridden, but don't like it.

Goat's head country here as well. It's always fun to pull one out, spin the tire, and watch non-believers as the hole seals before their eyes.

 

[zbikeman]

Living without a compressor?

Welcome to my world.

I live in an apartment. Couldn't use a compressor here if I wanted to.

So yeah, nice if you have access to one. Some of us don't.

 

[fooferdoggie]

Most of my tires I can get seated with just my Makita inflator. You can also use co-2 or get one of those bottles you pump up and then use. Or a tube.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

My experience matches the one of @zbikeman. I tried a compressed air tank or CO2 inflator to no avail.

 

[fooferdoggie]

My experience matches the one of @zbikeman. I tried a compressed air tank or CO2 inflator to no avail.

was that before or after you tried to tape everything but the kitchen sink?? I swear you almost had the tape on the outside of the rim.
sometimes really are shaped wrong to seal easily. I have a couple I could do it with just my mouth I swear.