digger

I have a Specilized Hardrock Sport Disc MTB bike purchased almost a year ago.

I am looking into replacing the wheels and I came accross a set of Bontrager wheels, but they say they are tubeless and can work with standard tires as well.

https://www.bontrager.com/Mountain/Wh...heels/5768.php

I have never heard of tubless MTB wheels and is this indeed correct that a standard hooked type tire can work on these wheels?

Thanks!

Digger

I_bRAD

It says right there on that link that it "works with all tubless and standard tires"

I've put standard tires on my Crossmax UST without any issues. You'll really want to use the tubeless though, they make a big difference. Worth it for the extra money for the tires.

Not much lighter, but you can run them at a way lower pressure when it gets sloppy.

MudPie

Yes, you can run standard tube/tire setup on Bontrager (and probably most) tubeless rims. I have Bontrager Race tubless rims, but run them with standard tube/tire.

IMHO -

Tubeless pros:

Can run at lower pressure for increased traction & smoother ride, since you don't have to worry about tube pinch flats.
Could be lighter than standard tube/tire setups.

Tubeless cons:

Limited choice in tires and tubless tires cost a bit more.
May have a hard time seating the tire onto the rim, especially when doing trail side maintenance.

I_bRAD

Yeah, there doesn't seem to be such a thing as tubeless slicks! (not that I could find anyhow)

Repairing a tubless on the trail isn't gonna happen... I usually just carry an inner tube just in case. It should be mentioned that I've never actually gotten a flat with the tubless so far though (5 years since I got them... hope I didn't just jinx myself!)

Rowan

It is possible to use standard beaded tyres in "tubeless" mode on a hooked rim. The instructions in a magazine article I read some time ago required the mixing of a homebrew slime. IIRC, it requires a standard tube to be split in half and to be of a size that it overlaps the hooks and can settle down over the nipples to seal off the rim. The tyre then goes over the top, and the airspace filled with the slime, comprising in part, rubber cement and Swipe. I can't remember the other ingredients. The slime, of course, seals off any airleaks before inflating the tyre, and seals any minor puncturing of the tyre.

I'll see I can get a friend in Australia who showed me the article to email me the details.

well biked

I've used the Stan's tubeless system since about '02, it allows the use of standard rims and tires without tubes. It's not for everybody, you really need an air compressor for initial inflation of the tires, but once that's done, it's an awesome setup. And since you're using standard mtb tires, you've got choices galore. The tires that I can think of that I've used with with the Stan's system are Panaracer Fire XC's, Panaracer Trailblasters, Hutchinson Airlight Pythons, WTB Motoraptors, and WTB Mutanoraptors. The rims I've got set up with the Stan's are Mavic X517's. It's not recommended that you run more than 40 or 45 psi with the system, but with tubeless I don't see why you would anyway. I've ridden with a lot of people who have the UST system, but in all honesty the Stan's seems like a better deal to me. The wheels and tires are lighter (and cheaper), and it's about as easy to set up as UST. Most of the folks I know who are running UST systems are now using Stan's sealant, or something similar, in the tires. It's amazing when I think about it, but I've not had a single flat with the Stan's system since I started using it. The sealant is amazing stuff.