Onyxaxe

I noticed that 29ers and 650b's etc. don't have to be UST tires to run ghetto tubeless. Road UST is necessary, however what width of hybrid tire would make it more likely to succeed?. I was wondering if something like a 35c non ust would succeed on a ghetto tubeless setup. Anyone have some kind of formula, guestimations or experiences with this?. Thanks.

cpach

The real distinction is that road tubeless uses a carbon bead to deal with high pressures. Pretty much any tire that will be used at less than about 40psi does not need carbon beads. 33mm cyclocross tires are frequently set up tubeless. However, running really ghetto has mixed success, at least with cross. Tubeless ready tires and rims set up more easily with less chance of burping even if they aren't ust. Google cyclocross tubeless and you'll get a ton of information.

Onyxaxe

Thanks

gsa103

UST is for MTB tubeless, it's not the same as road tubeless. In general, CX tubeless struggles due to low volume and low pressure being very prone to burping. Probably 40mm is around the minimum for a reliable ghetto tubeless setup.

Onyxaxe

Makes sense. What psi would you recommend for commuting on a 700x40. Don't wanna end up covered in Green Slime lol.

gsa103

Many manufacturers have a chart with pressure vs rider weight. That's usually a great starting place. For commuting, you could probably run narrower since you rarely get race stresses that cause burping.

Also, Green Slime doesn't have many fans as a sealant, you might want to consider something like Stans.

well biked 

I'm running 700 x 41c Surly Knards tubeless on one of the bikes I use for commuting, I'm running them at 40-42 psi rear, 36-38 psi front. I weigh 160 and wear a lightweight backpack on that bike when commuting on it. The tires work great. FWIW, they're not "tubeless ready" tires, but that's not to say that all similar tires will work tubeless. I'm using them on Stan's Notubes Arch EX 29 mountain bike rims on a singlespeed 'cross bike. I'm enjoying this setup on everything from mild singletrack to dirt roads to pavement.

As a point of reference, for mountain tubeless on, say, a mountain bike tire about 29" x 2.25", around 30 psi or a little less on the rear, mid 20's front is typical.

Regarding sealant for tubeless, my recommendation is Stan's sealant.....not Slime. YMMV.

Kopsis

The key to reliable tubless is the interface between the tire bead and the rim. If you look at a tubless-ready rim (UST certified or not) you'll see that the rim bed has nice square "shoulders" on each side that support the tire bead. Without that, radial forces in the sidewall can push the bead inward (toward the spokes) and cause the bead seal to be broken. Some "legacy" rims accidentally implement this feature and perform well tubeless. It's more common in wider rims which is the real reason MTBs tend to have more success with conversions. Tire width can help, not so much because of added air volume, but because the larger tire carcass absorbs and dissipates sharp impacts better (less sharp impact force transmitted to the tire bead).

For a hybrid (presumably a commuter or recreational bike), depending on your weight and riding style, you might be able to go thousands of miles on a tubless conversion that would burp in the first corner of a XC or CX race. If you can get it to seal up without heroic efforts when you initially mount it, you can probably ride it recreationally without too much worry.

However, all of this does beg the question: why tubeless? The benefits tend to favor off-road riders and hard-core roadies. The simplicity and ease of maintenance of a normal tubed clincher setup on a hybrid has some significant advantages.

Dream Cyclery

I highly recommend Stan's rims if you are running non-tubeless(TL) tires tubeless.

I've used Michelin(Jet,Mud2), Kenda(Kwickroller, Slant6), Panaracer(Pasela, T-serv), Conti.(Cyclocross Race, Speed) and 45nrth(Xerxes, Gravdal) tires with success. I have two sets of carbon wheels and a set of Iron Cross wheels on my cross bikes and Iron Cross is much easier to setup. Only downside is that Iron Cross wheels have 45psi pressure limit.

I've been running 45nrth 700x30c studded tires tubeless this winter and ran 23psi on snowy days without an issue. FYI, I weigh 180lbs. so I can tell you that Stan's rims really hold the tires well.

Onyxaxe

That sounds perfect for my rain bike. Thanks everyone for your suggestions, experiences and input.

Question 2: Would you ever skid fixed on ghetto tubeless?. Since I posted this question I've decided to go fixed over single for a few of my bikes. They have clearance for 35 tires. I found plenty of tubeless ready tires in my price range.

Question 3: Have any of you tried that TruckerCo sealant?. It's either that or Stan's at this point.

well biked 

I can't think of anyone I know who's run a fixed gear bike tubeless, so no experience or recommendation there.

For sealant, all I can tell you is that I've used Stan's for nearly fifteen years and had very, very good results with it with various tubeless setups. I own a bike shop, and I have been coaxed into trying Joe's sealant and Orange Seal, but only briefly. No bad experiences, I just figure that for tubeless-specific sealant, Stan's has always done me right and he's the one who started it all with tubeless sealant, so I feel a bit of brand loyalty there.

One other note: as I mentioned, I own a bike shop, and I've run tubeless on my own mountain bikes for about fifteen years. I've talked about tubeless setups with a LOT of people over the years. I've never seen or heard the term "ghetto tubeless" except on this forum. FWIW, YMMV, etc. . Just sharing my perspective. For some reason I can't put my finger on exactly, I don't like that term for this application. Just an opinion.

Had another great ride on the tubeless Surly Knards yesterday on my singlespeed. Muddy singletrack and open field riding on some double track, a good bit of pavement.......those big tires run at relatively low pressure provide a type of ride quality I never thought I'd experience on a drop bar bike. Have fun with whatever you decide on.

Onyxaxe

Sweet. I'm so glad I asked these questions on this forum. You're the most experienced poster I've heard from in all my internet searching on tubeless .

My LBS sells Stan's. I'll just get that then.

I agree it would be nice if the "ghetto" term was dropped. I think people started that term in relation to a lack of branded components, but there's nothing ghetto about the process. I think Zipp may have started it lol.

Again thanks everyone for your input . I got all the info I needed. You've all been a great help.