I am looking for advise on the best way to go about fitting tubeless rims to a Ossa 250 Mar and a TR-80 Gripper.

Anyone out there that has done this, which rim did you use? The Mar has parallel hub and the Gripper doesn't, both 36 spoke.

I read a post were the poster had trouble fitting a new MORAD and had to fit a used one.

Any help appreciated.

Alistair

 

I've had both new and used Morad rims fitted to various bikes, full width and conical hubs including Gripper, not sure why there should be a problem with a new one

Thanks Woody,

did you have someone supply and build the wheel or do it yourself?

is it a worthwhile modification to do from your experience?

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Well it would be much easier to run a tube type IRC! Some how we managed to ride in the 70`s without tubeless rims!

 

I guess there are not a lot of tyre choices that aren’t tubeless. 
 

I have a brand new morad on my Sherpa T and am very happy with the results. I never really liked the IRC tyre and now I can run whatever pressure and trye I want without fear of the tyre moving on the rim and damaging the tube.I also had my rim de- anodized before fitting so it would be the same polished finish as the front akront rim. I'm assuming you are going to use the original style rim not the later flanged type.

Cheers Greg

Thanks Greg, yes I would like to use the non flanged rim. Did you rebuild the wheel yourself?

5 hours ago, lineaway said:

Well it would be much easier to run a tube type IRC! Some how we managed to ride in the 70`s without tubeless rims!

 

Not true in Australia. We haven't had access to IRC tube type rears for about 5 years now.

I heard they are no longer made.

5 minutes ago, Listerjag said:

I heard they are no longer made.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/MICHELIN-TRIAL-X-LIGHT-FRONT-IRC-REAR-TUBED-TYRE-SET-NEW-BRAND-NEW-STOCK/233866345145?hash=item3673853ab9:g:-6sAAOSwDEtaAdDy&frcectupt=true

 

Edited February 14, 20215 yr by feetupfun

?  well what do you know? 

 

6 hours ago, Listerjag said:

Thanks Woody,

did you have someone supply and build the wheel or do it yourself?

is it a worthwhile modification to do from your experience?

No I can't lace wheels, I send them to a wheel builder who makes his own spokes

Tubeless has pros and cons.   

Pros  -  More choice, less chance of puncture as no tube to pinch, quicker to fix if you do puncture (I'm told as I've never punctured one at a trial)  I have fixed a slow leak I found with superglue...  Can run at 2 - 3 psi if needed (ie; here in UK in winter slop) without the fear of ripping a valve out or compression punctures.   In the last Pre65 Scottish trial I had 5 compression punctures with a tubed IRC and that was with around 7psi in it and the time lost put me out of the trial

Cons  -  you need a good compressor to fit one, a bead breaker to remove one (there are cruder alternatives...) They can be a pain to seal both at the spokes and on the bead. I gave up with the rubber sealing band that seals the spokes and use silicon sealer that is used on aluminium window frames, that stops leaking through the spokes but air can still seep through at the bead over days or weeks, Most of my bikes fitted with tubeless are sitting with flat tyres at the moment

You can run tubeless on a tubed rim with a tube and security bolts. The inside lip of the bead is slightly longer on a tubleless and if this is trimmed back to match a tube type it will sit on the rim better. I've run tubeless on some Ossas and Bultaco Akront rims without trimming the bead and not had any problems, they've stayed on the rim ok. But with Jap rims I've never been able to get one to stay on the rim, tried on a KT and TY and as soon as the pressure went below about 10psi after fitting and deflating it dropped into the rim on one side. I never tried it with a trimmed bead though

 

I gave up lacing wheels a few years ago when I found a local business, that specializes in restoring vintage bikes, they make the spokes and lace the wheel for not a lot more than i was paying for a set of spokes. I personally don't see any down side at all, but would recommend you buy a 'tyre doughnut' to help get the tyre up on the bead. Using the doughnut and a liberal amount of dishwashing soap I have no trouble at all getting the tyre up on the bead with not a massive amount of pressure[I made my own doughnut years ago before they became readily available]

Cheers Greg

i was advised many years ago by Gordon Lucas who was a master wheel builder, to never use washing up liquid as a tyre lubricant when fitting a tyre.

Reason being, the thickening agent in most of these products is salt, highly corrosive! Proper tyre soap is readily available online and is inexpensive, got to be the better option.

Thanks Woody, Greg, that’s great information and advise. 
 I have ordered a tubeless Morad rim and will be able to put all that great advice into practice, thank you for sharing your experience. 
Alistair