Tubeless Conversion kits

Wondering if anyone has any experience with "tubeless conversion kits".

I just got a N.O.S. Easton EA70 XC 26" wheelset from a friend that bought them new years ago as a spare set and only put a total of 28 miles on them before putting them into storage. He has a set of skinny Ritchey kevlar bead tires with tubes on them as he had them setup for hillclimb/XC racing and he said they weren't tubeless compatible. (No tubeless ready designation on rims, either).

I have Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.3 and Continental X King 2.4 tires that are able to run tubeless and I like so I was thinking about getting a tubeless conversion kit and trying to run them tubeless on the Eastons.

Is this even possible? Do these kits convert rims that are not specifically designated as tubeless compatible?

Anyone have any experience with this? Seems like a decent weight reduction for me IF it will work and be dependable / safe as the entire kit is less than $40!



Here's the kit I'm considering:

Slime Tubeless Conversion Kit for Bikes 26" - 29"

The ultimate in tubeless conversion kits
Three leading brands came together to provide the best products in one package
Compatible with 26", 27.5" and 29" MTB wheelsets
Kit inlcudes:
1 roll of Gorilla brand rim tape
1 bottle of Slime Pro tubeless sealant and measuring cup
1 Genuine Innovations inflation kit including tire lever, 2 tubeless valves, valve tool, 2 Co2 cartridges, push on presta adapter and a Co2 inflation head


Valve Length: 32mm Valve Core: Removable



THANKS!


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10/17/2019 5:39pm
Captain.Zac,
THANK YOU!!!
I really appreciate your response. I believe you succinctly answered all of my questions. Exactly the info and input I was looking for.
Based upon your response I am going to try the double Gorilla tape on the Eastons and go with the Stan's sealant you recommended, a set of removable core stems with my Schwalbe and Continental tubeless tires I'm already running (with tubes on my old wheelset).
The whole tubeless thing is completely new to me so I appreciated the real world walk through on install and storage, too.
I'll post as soon as I get a chance to try this all out, hopefully in the next week.
Thanks again for the great response and encouragement.
Cheers!
10/18/2019 4:44am
Here are my 2 cents, I do most of tubeless conversions and installations at my bike shop.
Stans No Tubes makes a great system for people that are in your exact situation. They make thick, rubber rim strips, with valves moulded into the rubber (to reduce the gap between the bead of the tire and the rim bed) that non tubeless ready rims generally have. Im not sure of the exact width of your rims, but the standard or enduro rim strip will likely do the trick. This option is more expensive however, but you do get the reliability and knowledge of Stan the Man himself. Attached at the bottom is the link to Stans conversion kits.

About the method you are considering,
Personally I have found the gorilla tape method to be hit or miss, and reserve it for bodges only. I've found the adhesive of the gorilla tape disintegrates over time and will peal up at the seam, causing air to be lost into the rim through the spoke holes.

https://www.notubes.com/shop/tubeless/rim-strips-kits
Let me know how everything works for you!
-Matt
10/18/2019 6:49am
Personally, I'm not a fan of conversion kits... Ran one once.. Ended up scraping the strip first time I had to remove the tire... The tire had glued itself to the strip and the strip wasn't salvageable...

Being that you are starting with a decent rim, you can most likely get away with just taping it.. You might need a few layers of tape to get a good fit.. I agree with the above post on gorilla tape.. It's nice because it's thick, but it's also easy to catch the tape while installing the tire and causing it to lift... DT Swiss tape is my favorite...

Good luck!

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