Positron400

Heya you lovely lot,

I just laced a Mavic Open Elite rim and want to make it tubeless. It's not a "dedicated" tubeless rim, but I'd like to try it. I have tubeless tape (schwalbe) a compressor and gonna get me some valves. Is this at all possible, or a useless endeavour?
Anything in particular I need to be aware of? I read, that it's quite essential to use enough rim tape to have a "tight" fit with the tyre (Panaracer Gravelking 700x32C, tubeless ready).

thanks!
BR
Positron

biker128pedal

Do it. Be sure the tape is wide enough to reach the bead lock on each side. Not essential but helps. At least two layers of tape. Maybe a third. I just did some old Sun rims on a 26er. Wish I had done a third layer.

Positron400

Thanks for your reply. I just checked the inner rim width and it's 18 mm. My tubeless tape is 23 mm. Am i going to make things harder for myself if i use that one?

FBinNY 

Your problem will be mounting the tire.

These rims have pretty shallow center wells as it is. If you build them up with rim tape, the tire probably won't go deep enough to give the slack needed to lift the opposite side over the rim.

Rolla

You *should* be fine, but you'll know pretty early in the process if not; the shallowness of the channel won't consume as much tape width.

Positron400

thanks - i was.

just set them up tubelss. For future reference here is what i did:

- 1 Layer of 23 mm Schwalbe tubeless rim tape, overlapped 2 spoke holes before and after the valve stem.
- Random tubless valve - > fun fact, due to the shallowness of the rim, i wasn't actually able to properly screw down the valve with the O-ring and locknut from the other side since there wasn't enough thread.
- Mounted Panaracer Gravelking 32mm Slicks and pumped it up with a compressor to see if it would actually hold air w/o sealent (FYI, it didnt really)
- 40 to 60 mL Stan's no tubes Tyre sealant. I put more in the rear tyre (60mL+) since i had no engagement with the threads and the valve stem
- Hooked up the compressor and pumped it up to 5 bars
- spun the wheels for a bit to distribute the sealant.

So far, they hold (and i presume they will). Gonna give them a testride later today.

Thanks you lot

KerryIrons

Simple question: why? You will get no significant performance improvement (or maybe none) and you get added hassle. It's doable, but pretty pointless unless you can't find a tire that meets your needs except in tubeless, and that is not the case.

Positron400

Simple answer: because i wanted to
I don't race or care for perfomance gains (or am particular obsessed with weight). I would consider myself more of a pseudo-randonneur. (No events done, whatsoever). Also, I had some tubeless tape and sealent left over which i wanted to put to use. And less risk of pinch flats and lower tyre pressure for comfort are additional benefits.

Positron400

Update on the tubeless: Front tyre gave out during a ride today (luckily only 10k from home). No idea why, but I recon the thread engagement of the valve was spotty to begin with. And it was already acting up in the last few days. Popped in a tube to get home, and will switch out the valves for "proper" ones with "relevant" engagement.