Browsing an article about mountain biking technique recently, we were surprised to read the phrase, "...for those of you who still haven't gone tubeless..." Well, that's us, and we'll admit it stung a little, being the gear-forward geeks that we like to think we are around here. So a project was born, and if you're a noob like us wondering (1) why tubeless, and (2) how tubeless, read on.
First, why tubeless? Queue the reasons: less chance of a flat (especially pinch flats), ability of sealant that remains in the tire to plug small punctures, lower pressure equals less bounce and larger contact patch for better traction on climbs and corners, less weight (bc no tube, duh), and the aforementioned softer ride. Done x6.
On to the how, but first the deets: last summer we retired our ancient but still rockin' Gary Fisher Sugar 3+ full suspension, and upgraded (sidegraded?) to a Co-op Cycles DRT 2.1 hardtail. We liked the single chain ring, disc brakes and 27.5+ tire size but missed the butt-saving grace of a rear shock, and read somewhere that the low pressure of a tubeless setup makes for a more comfortable ride. The DRT 2.1 was already equipped with tubeless ready Scraper i45 27.5 rims and Ranger 2.8 tires, both from WTB, but for some reason it had a tube. Game on.