Going back to tubes - is it possible?

[kingrollo]

I have my eye on some used bontrager wheels. But they are set up tubeless - what would I need to do to go back to traditional inner tubes ?

 

[HLaB]

I have my eye on some used bontrager wheels. But they are set up tubeless - what would I need to do to go back to traditional inner tubes ?

Nothing. If they are fully tubeless and have tubeless valves and sealant you'll have to remove them. If they are tubeless ready there is absolutely nothing to do.

 

[si_c]

One caveat, some of the higher end bontrager wheels use a plastic liner instead of rim tape to provide the tubeless seal, it's very very good, but a complete bugger to remove and you'll struggle using it with tubes - it's doable but not ideal.

 

[Chislenko]

One caveat, some of the higher end bontrager wheels use a plastic liner instead of rim tape to provide the tubeless seal, it's very very good, but a complete bugger to remove and you'll struggle using it with tubes - it's doable but not ideal.

Having done it would endorse "a complete bugger to remove"

 

[kingrollo]

One caveat, some of the higher end bontrager wheels use a plastic liner instead of rim tape to provide the tubeless seal, it's very very good, but a complete bugger to remove and you'll struggle using it with tubes - it's doable but not ideal.

https://www.trekbikes.com/gb/en_GB/...er-aeolus-comp-5-tlr-disc-road-wheel/p/23860/

Those are the wheels ?

 

[HLaB]

https://www.trekbikes.com/gb/en_GB/...er-aeolus-comp-5-tlr-disc-road-wheel/p/23860/

Those are the wheels ?

I didn't know about the Bontrager rim strip but the fact that they list
7. Includes Bontrager TLR rim strip, TLR valve stem, and traditional rim strip

Makes me think that if they have been run as tubeless the Bontrager TLR rim strip will have been installed and not the traditional rim strip. With regular tubeless rim tape you just run a tube on top no problem (its what I did when my tubeless tyre failed on my LEJOG and I ran it for several months with a tube) but I dont know about the Bontrager stuff, its bizarre if they are different though

 

[Chislenko]

I run the Aeolus wheels and they did as stated come with the hard plastic tubeless tape and normal paper type tape depending on which system you wanted to use.

After having a few punctures on the rear wheel that just would not seal I have put a tube back in that one. Getting the plastic tape off was as said up thread really difficult as it is so tight when installed.

After experimenting with tubeless I decided it wasn't for me so knowing I wasn't going to need the plastic tape again I cut it to remove it.

 

[Venod]

Why can't the plastic rim strip be used with tubes ? I am struggling to see a problem.

 

[Dogtrousers]

One caveat, some of the higher end bontrager wheels use a plastic liner instead of rim tape to provide the tubeless seal, it's very very good, but a complete bugger to remove and you'll struggle using it with tubes - it's doable but not ideal.

I'm curious.

I'm trying to visualise this. If this seal just does the same job as rim tape why/how does it make it a struggle to use tubes?

I've used tubes on a taped tubeless rim no problem, so obviously it's significantly different to just tape.

And if it's hard to use tubes with it, does this undermine the "if you get a big tyre cut then just put a tube in" approach to on-road repair?

And what happens if you break a spoke on one of these wheels? Do you (or the person who does your wheel repairs for you) have to remove the seal to get to the nipples, then reinstall a new one?

 

[Chislenko]

I'm curious.

I'm trying to visualise this. If this seal just does the same job as rim tape why/how does it make it a struggle to use tubes?

I've used tubes on a taped tubeless rim no problem, so obviously it's significantly different to just tape.

And if it's hard to use tubes with it, does this undermine the "if you get a big tyre cut then just put a tube in" approach to on-road repair?

And what happens if you break a spoke on one of these wheels? Do you (or the person who does your wheel repairs for you) have to remove the seal to get to the nipples, then reinstall a new one?

From my experience keeping the hard plastic tape and fitting a tube (which I did in the situation you describe) made it incredibly hard to get the tube in and mount the tyre. The plastic tape at it's edges is quite thick so room becomes a bit of an issue. Coupled with how tight the tubeless tyres were it would not be something I would want to go through again.

I feel sure that people who are far better at changing tyres than myself may not have an issue with it, just my personal experience.

 

[Joffey]

I have my eye on some used bontrager wheels. But they are set up tubeless - what would I need to do to go back to traditional inner tubes ?

Why not keep them as tubeless?

 

[Dogtrousers]

This article is 10 years old so may be out of date but I think it describes the seal that @Chislenko and @si_c refer to above. It's interesting ... if you're interested in this kind of thing. But if you aren't ... it isn't.

https://cycletechreview.com/2012/road/bontrager-tubeless-wheels/

 

[Sittingduck]

Can't you just bung a tube in and leave the plastic tape in there to protect the tube from spoke / nipple interference? Or how about put normal rim tape over the top of the plastic, wouldn't that work?

 

[Chislenko]

This article is 10 years old so may be out of date but I think it describes the seal that @Chislenko and @si_c refer to above. It's interesting ... if you're interested in this kind of thing. But if you aren't ... it isn't.

https://cycletechreview.com/2012/road/bontrager-tubeless-wheels/

This is the stuff that came with mine.

 

[T4tomo]

Can't you just bung a tube in and leave the plastic tape in there to protect the tube from spoke / nipple interference?

yes in theory, but the issue with a tube is, it can then be a tight fit getting the tyre on, as there is less rim well to push the opposite side of the tyre and tube into to get the last bit of tyre on the rim.