Fat Bike Ghetto Tubeless Tubes

[TheElk]

Long time lurker, first time poster.

 

I'm want to set up my new-to-me fat bike with ghetto tubeless but can't seem to track down the relevant tubes anywhere in South Africa (I can order them from overseas but would prefer to avoid that if possible).

 

I'm looking for:

24" x 2.3" (ish) Presta with removable cores.

 

I know that Schwalbe and Q-Tubes both make them but have struck out trying fo find them anywhere other than the UK or the US.  (I know that taping is an option, but I much prefer the split tube route given my rims).

 

If anyone knows a shop that might have them, I'd appreciate the lead.

Thanks.

 

 

[dirtypot]

That's not a common size of tube at all.  A far easier bet would be just taping it with a normal tubeless valve.

Why don't you want to go this route?  

Depending on your rim profile, you'll definitely need a compressor and possibly a strap to compress the tyre as well.  It can be done!  

[TheElk]

That's not a common size of tube at all.  A far easier bet would be just taping it with a normal tubeless valve.

Why don't you want to go this route?  

Depending on your rim profile, you'll definitely need a compressor and possibly a strap to compress the tyre as well.  It can be done!  

This is from a MTBR thread compiling the success of various methods on my type of rims.  It's an older thread, but the failure more-often-than-not of the tape method is in line with other results that I've seen:

 

So apparently the compilation of options is:

• Q-tubes 24x2.4-2.75 - ghetto tubeless, reliable
• Spesh tubes 24x2.3-3.0 (a little heavier) - ghetto tubeless, reliable
• Pegasus tape (4") - seems fairly good but not perfect, 2-3 data points
• Zip Systems tape - seems good but almost nobody uses it, one data point
• Gorilla tape - seems to suck 50/50 with lots of data
• Tyvek tape - seems to suck 50/50 with not much data

 

http://forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/specialized-fat-boy-how-i-went-tubless-902936-5.html

 

I'm not sure if the reason taping doesn't work well on the Fatboy is because the rims have additional pin-sized holes in them (from the manufacturing process), whether it's because the rims aren't set up to seat well, or ?

 

But a ton of googling convinced me that split tubes are likely to be the most reliable option, especially considering that I'm a (at best!) mediocre bike mechanic.

 

Hence the search for an odd sized tube in an even rarer set up.

[Eugene Brown]

Your best bet will be to contact the Rapid FatCat importers on http://rapidbikes.co.za/contact-us/ and find out who in your area stocks tubes. They do eventually get back to you. I went the route of importing 80mm tubeless rim tape together with a coloured liner from CRC, after going through mucho frustration trying to get sorted locally. PS Evobikes may also still have some tubes/valves/rims/etc. that are fat bike specific 

[Eugene Brown]

This is from a MTBR thread compiling the success of various methods on my type of rims.  It's an older thread, but the failure more-often-than-not of the tape method is in line with other results that I've seen:

 

So apparently the compilation of options is:

• Q-tubes 24x2.4-2.75 - ghetto tubeless, reliable
• Spesh tubes 24x2.3-3.0 (a little heavier) - ghetto tubeless, reliable
• Pegasus tape (4") - seems fairly good but not perfect, 2-3 data points
• Zip Systems tape - seems good but almost nobody uses it, one data point
• Gorilla tape - seems to suck 50/50 with lots of data
• Tyvek tape - seems to suck 50/50 with not much data

 

http://forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/specialized-fat-boy-how-i-went-tubless-902936-5.html

 

I'm not sure if the reason taping doesn't work well on the Fatboy is because the rims have additional pin-sized holes in them (from the manufacturing process), whether it's because the rims aren't set up to seat well, or ?

 

But a ton of googling convinced me that split tubes are likely to be the most reliable option, especially considering that I'm a (at best!) mediocre bike mechanic.

 

Hence the search for an odd sized tube in an even rarer set up.

Forget duct tape, gorilla tape, packing tape and any combo of these as your sole way of making the rim "ghetto tubeless". When you seat the tyres (around 2.5 bar) the tape blows out the rim cutouts, and you start over, and over, and over. I'm sure your split tube approach would be more successful, but cannot speak from experience. With the fatbike specific tubeless tape, you seat the tyres and feel a semi coming on when nothing changes around the rim holes. Trust me  

[Eugene Brown]

This is from a MTBR thread compiling the success of various methods on my type of rims.  It's an older thread, but the failure more-often-than-not of the tape method is in line with other results that I've seen:

 

So apparently the compilation of options is:

• Q-tubes 24x2.4-2.75 - ghetto tubeless, reliable
• Spesh tubes 24x2.3-3.0 (a little heavier) - ghetto tubeless, reliable
• Pegasus tape (4") - seems fairly good but not perfect, 2-3 data points
• Zip Systems tape - seems good but almost nobody uses it, one data point
• Gorilla tape - seems to suck 50/50 with lots of data
• Tyvek tape - seems to suck 50/50 with not much data

 

http://forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/specialized-fat-boy-how-i-went-tubless-902936-5.html

 

I'm not sure if the reason taping doesn't work well on the Fatboy is because the rims have additional pin-sized holes in them (from the manufacturing process), whether it's because the rims aren't set up to seat well, or ?

 

But a ton of googling convinced me that split tubes are likely to be the most reliable option, especially considering that I'm a (at best!) mediocre bike mechanic.

 

Hence the search for an odd sized tube in an even rarer set up.

Did you come right yet with a local supplier?

[TheElk]

Oops. Never thanked you for the suggestions. Thanks!

 

I struck out in SA. Rapid Bikes had fat bike tubes but nothing smaller. Never heard back from Evo so I ordered from Chain Reaction out of the U.K. Status is "waiting to clear customs" so we'll see. I'll post photos of the conversion for future reference once I get the tubes.