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UST Tyres on Standard Rims
Another one of my novice questions. Can I run a UST tyre on a standard mountain bike rim without changing anything on the rim/wheel?
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But those tyres are heavier.
@Empy. Thanks for your comment. Weight isn't an issue as I'm pretty slow and crappy anyway! Can I still run an inner tube on the rim with the UST tyre installed?
You can use a UST the same as a normal tyre. I think Empy's point was that you'll just be getting the downsides of UST (heavy, expensive) without any of the upside (bulletproof tubeless running)
Thanks for the advice fellas. The UST are a little more expensive but I scored 3 for half price at an Avanti store last year. They had to sell off all specialized stuff so I got 3 of The Captains. Trouble is, I don't have UST rims although I really need a new rear wheel so maybe just maybe...
I am currently converting my Mavix 719s to UST. I just ran a layer of fibreglass tape around the rim. Installed a UST Valve and threw in some Stans UST Goop into a UST tyre and pumped it up. I now have UST set up.
Watch this
http://youtu.be/8nWgaOnrOWg
Then this
http://youtu.be/mA4nea1UT0w
In my experience its not as easy as this guy makes it look. I have recently bought some UST wheels and the tyre inflates no worries at all. The tubeless conversion stuff is a con I reckon.
I found the Maxxis Ardent UST, went on exactly how he showed it. I even beaded it in with a track pump. I gave up on the non UST Exiwolf, though. Couldn't get it to bead.
I have never purchased tubeless specific rims but have always gone tubeless. My experience has been that having UST specific tyres (although you can, of course, go tubeless without UST specific tyres) is much, much more important than having UST specific rims.
The sidewalls are thicker (which is why they are heavier) and they bead up a lot better. Since you have these UST specific tyres then it would be worth going the small extra step of going tubeless.
+2 tubeless.
You don't need tubeless specific wheels. It possibly comes down to the skill of the mechanic putting the wheel on, and how good a seal you can make between the rim and bead. I have tubeless on Mavic rims and UST Crossmark tyres and they got on okay. Mine just needed an air compressor to pump up - meh, it happens. Never flatted since (2 yrs).
It smacks running tubes any day (well, on a XC bike, at any rate).