Reviving the MK 1 Purple Surly Pugsley!, going Gheto Tubeless on 29+ wheels

 Wee film reviving the Purple Surly Pugsley to use mostly as a 29+ bike for Trecking etc...

More soon...

Easy `Ghetto Tubeless` Split tube tubeless set up...

I set up a friends Fatbike wheels (4.8" Schwalbe Jumbo Jim tyres on Syncross 80mm rims) tubeless using the split tube method and have it dialled  now that i use foam from a Yoga mat,  cost for the set up is £20 for two 24" Schrader tubes and some Stans tubeless sealant...

The yoga mat is perfect lenght with just a few inches to cut off and join with pvc tape opposite the valve, i cut the strip to 65mm width...

Philips screwdriver soon makes a valve hole then inflate and fit a 24" tube...

Pierce the tube and cut around the centre line...

Fold the tube over the rim and and wipe with sponge and soapy water to  remove chalk and provide some lube to make the tyre easier to fit over the tube...

The Yoga mat and tube can be pushed down to get the tube under the tyre bead and aline the same all the way round...

Inflate with a track pump until tyre out on bead, no need for a compressor or any high pressure gadgets...

Deflate by removing the valve core and add sealant, i use a Joes sealant bottle to add the Stans sealant as i find it easier...

Re inflate and shake the wheel rotating it to get the Stans  sealant coating all inside the tyre, set to riding pressure.
Using a new blade hold the Stanley knife blade flat on the rim and carefully cut around and remove the excess tube...

Job done and as long as wheels given a shake to check and add sealant when needed (depending on amount of thorns where you live) and no more thorn flats, and `Snakebite` pinch flat from rocks if riding soft conditions mixed with rocks, like here on the coast...

More soon...

How to set up `Ghetto Split Tube` Tubeless - a short film...

A post for fellow bike nerds...

I have been riding Surly`s 29+ Rabbit Hole rim wheels for 4 years now on various Surly Pugsley builds and briefly on a Surly Karate Monkey 29er ,  Surly Krampus 29+, and Surly ECR 29+.
For 3 years now i have used them set up tubeless using the tried and tested method of using a split tube on the non tubeless specific rims.

Why use this method when you can buy tubeless specific rims and tyres by other companies?,
Well good point  unless your happy with your Rabbit Hole rims or other non tubeless specific  Fatbike rims you have but want an easy solution to getting no more pinch flats, better tyre sealant protection against Hawthorns (common around country roads here) and a more comfortable ride that a tubeless tyre gives,

This blog is not about what is better or the best way to do things, but a method i have found is fairly simple and lasts the length of the tyre life -barring no major rips in a tyre of course (fingers crossed ok there so far!).

It is a post on a method that can be done with out any big air hit contraptions or compressor,
But easily by your workshop floor pump or bike pump you carry when riding will do fine, so in other words it`s a set up that can be re inflated out in the field-so to speak...

There is also the ability to deflate and swap out a busted spoke or spoke nipple, something that can be common on an older wheel used on the coast with salt water exposure that rots spoke nipples.
Yes you could cut a hole in a proper tubeless tape and then patch it with Duct tape afterwards, but folk will often tell you who have done this of the tape glue breaking down over time and leaking sealant and air,

All methods of home made tubeless work or fail long term depending on the manufacturer of rim and tyre as well as how one goes about it. I have found the method i use to be reliable on all rims i have owned except Halo Tundra Fatbike rims where the tyre is just far to slack to try,

You can read a lengthy blog post i wrote on what has become known as `Ghetto Tubeless`  Here...

So a wee film just under 8 minutes, hope you can understand my SE Scottish accent if viewing from afar!  :)


29+  `Ghetto Split Tube` Tubeless how to from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

More soon...