Inexpensive Tubeless Upgrade Procedure

I've upgraded quite a few wheels to run tubeless in the last few years, and I recently realized that you don't need the expensive "tubeless upgrade kits" to perform a very high quality conversion to no tubes.

This is a stock Bontrager SSR 29er rim off of a new 2011 Trek X-Caliber. Leave the blue rim tape in place and ...

Add a layer of Velox rim tape on top of it. Then ...

Add a layer of 3/4" electrical tape along one side of the rim. Once complete ... 

Add a second layer of electrical tape along the other side of the rim to fully cover the rim bed.

Adding second layer.

Completed rim bed preparation. Extremely easy!

Create a hole for the valve either with a razor, round file or drill bit.

Add the Stan's NoTubes Standard Valve Stem ... and you've done it! You've successfully converted / upgraded your wheels to be Tubeless Compatable!  

There are loads of How-To's, instructional videos and DIY guides for mounting tires and airing up and sealing tubeless systems. www.notubes.com has a good series of videos and there are also loads of vids on YouTube. I highly recommend using Stan's Tire Sealant.

All together, upgrading this stock wheelset to tubeless cost under $20 (less than 1/3 the cost of a kit). You can safely run lower tire pressures without pinch flatting, creating a more comfortable ride with better traction, and the sealant virtually eliminates flats caused by thorns and most other punctures. And, if ever you do get a flat, you can simply remove the Stan's NoTubes Valve Stem, install a standard tube and roll on :)