Stan's NoTubes Tubeless Conversion Bundle review

Aside from the tyre, of which there are currently only the Hutchinsons, an airtight rim and tubeless valve are all that’s needed to ditch your tubes. So with a Stan’s NoTubes conversion, tubeless doesn’t necessarily mean shelling out for new wheels.

The Stan’s bundle consists of a tough, self-adhesive tape, which replaces existing rim strips, sealing the rim. A special tubeless Presta valve is inserted through the tape and valve hole, sealing airtight against the rim strip as you tighten the nut on the threaded valve stem.

It’s pretty much that simple, and I was up and running with a pair of DT Swiss RR1.1’s in no more than half an hour. Although it’s a simple process, make sure you follow the fitting instructions and hints to the letter for best results.

Since fitting my set, I’ve not had to pump my tyres up in nearly three weeks, which is testament to the sealing qualities of both the rim conversion and the NoTubes fluid. In terms of weight, what you take off is roughly comparable to what you add, if anything it’s slightly in favour of the Stan’s kit, so no bad thing for rotating weight either. Thoroughly impressed with everything but the price. Read on.

If, like us, you think £215 sounds a tad expensive, you’d be right. It is amazing what some international financial fluctuations can do to the pricing structure of a US product being sold in the UK.

The upshot is that if you just go and buy the individual items separately at retail you’ll be save yourself over £100 on the kit price: 2 x valves £14.00; 2 x 2oz No Tubes Sealant £5.00; Yellow rim strip (roll) £12.00; 2 x Hutchinson Fusion 2 tubeless £79.98: Total £110.98. It’s crazy, but that’s the long and short of it.

If you’re using a wheel that does not have holes in the inner rim cavity, such as Mavic Ksyrium ES or SL, then you wouldn’t even need the rim-sealing tape to convert to a tubeless set-up, making it cheaper still.