Tubeless on Trek, Converting my Trek Fuel 9 to Tubeless Options

[NickW]

Having read a wide range of posts on this forum, my mind was almost made up to going tubeless. What finally pushed me over was getting puntures on 2 days running just riding a small distance on tarmac.

Having a Trek Fuel I knew that the Bontrager rims and Tyres were tubeless ready, I just needed a few extra items. A quick call into my LBS to order the Rim strips (Bontrager specific), Bontrager Juice (Glycol based) and Bontrager Valves (presta with removeable cores).

As it was close to winter and looking wet I decided on a Bontrager Mud X tyre for the front wheel as Cranham Woods at Birdlip can get a little gloopy. With all this snow around I don't think I really need it now but it's fitted and not coming off.

The first thing that surprised me was the rim strips. I was expecting some kind of cut down innertube affair but what I got was a very thin plastic strip which covered the whole rim right up to where the bead sits. It sort of snapped into place and I do wonder how I will remove it to replace spokes without damaging it. I suppose at £3.99 it's cheap to replace.

Next was the valve which you just placed in the valve hole and screwed the collar down tight.

Adding the MUD X Tyre was the same as levering on any other tyre but inflating to pop it onto the rim was not possible with a stand pump. I had to resort to a compressor around at the neighbours. Not having a presta valve adapter on the compressor didn't help but after cobling together a fitting we pumped the tyre up. 90psi and it didn't want to pop onto the rim. So a bit of soapy water did the trick but neither of us were expecting the huge bang when it finally did pop. Scary!

Job nearly done. Removed the valve core, injected the required amount of juice and then pumped up to pressure using a stand pump. Perfect! That was the front wheel completed.

The rear would have been the same but the stock tyre isn't so tight and will not stay on the rim after using the compressor. Now that we have a proper fittting for the compressor, we shall try again with the valve in place and the glycol added before popping.

It's been fun.

[Mad Pierre]

It's been fun.

Another reminder of why I'm glad I have proper UST....

How can they sell a rim as tubeless ready when it needs a rim strip to make it tubeless?

[NickW]

Yeah I was dissapointed to find I needed new rim strips before attempting tubeless.

Anyway the back wheel with stock tyre (Bontrager XDX TLR) has sealed on the second attempt. As it's my first night ride tomorrow with SCC P7 lights, there's plenty to go wrong.

[torihada]

I've got bonty big earl's on bonty tubeless rims (also bought the rim strips and valves ). Went on like a dream, inflated with a track pump first time and in 18 months have been faultless. Bontrager =

Fellow riders on UST tyres had problems with tyres burping under pressure on the DH stuff. The bontys? Perfect all the way.

Mud x are a fantastic mud tyre (I've got a set on the HT) have fantastic grip and was so pleased with them I went for the dry x for summer duties.

[Mad Pierre]

Fellow riders on UST tyres had problems with tyres burping under pressure on the DH stuff.

But did they have UST rims?

[torihada]

But did they have UST rims?

Yep.

[Mad Pierre]

Yep.

I've run UST for riding everything from XC to full on DH for nearly ten years and never had a tyre burp....

[torihada]

I know, I was surpised as well. They've now moved onto DH tubes. I'm sticking with tubeless.

[Mad Pierre]

I know, I was surpised as well. They've now moved onto DH tubes. I'm sticking with tubeless.

User error!

[NickW]

A little late posting here but the ride on 27th Dec did have a few problems.

1. The stock tyre on the Trek Fuel 9 is not tubeless ready. So quickly changed back to a tube on the rear.

2. The stock tyre is totally useless in mud. I wasted loads of energy wheel spinning on climbs and the rear of the bike slopped all over the place.

3. The Mud X tyre is amazing and in teh mud of FOD was perfect.

4. I went and bought a 2nd MUD-X tyre like I should have in the first place.