Info for Stan's Fans

RNG1

Well-Known Member
Got some info that may help others out there. I run Stan's 355 rims with his Crows and have not really had any issues...until the Bullldog rump where I burped out most of the air on my front tire on a downhill and ended up costing me more than just the race. I emailed Stan himself just to ask if he felt due to the really soft rubber on the tires if that causes easier burping and he said the opposite is actually true, that the harder the sidewalls the more air will burp, which does make sense if you think about it. Given that I hadn't really had any issues all season I was going to just write it off to being that place being particularly hard on tires. He said to really eliminate burping he has found that using the Olympic rimstrips in addition to the yellow spoke tape that comes with his rims. I just got them today but it will be a few weeks before I can really put it to the test but I thought this might be helpful to people.
 

RNG1

Well-Known Member
Update

Just an update on this topic. Got the Olympic rim strips for the 355 rims and installed. There is a useful short video on his site. I noticed right away that when you put the tire back on it will take air much easier for obvious reasons. In fact I didn't even use the soapy water that is necessary for install without the rim strips and it filled right away. I put in the sealant and then did the shake thing and did the soapy water anyway as normal and it was quicker and easier this way. I did notice that I didn't get the loud popping sounds of the tire getting seated on the rim and emailed Stan (who is really great in returning info) he said that the rim strips kind of eliminate the loud popping that you usually hear. I will do the rear tire when I can as it was just the front that was giving me a problem, but now that I realize how quick it is and if can save a potential burp I will definitely do it. Hope this helps someone out there.
 

ChrisG

Unapologetic Lifer for Rock and Roll
Thanks for the info. I had fabulous success converting non-UST rims with the Olympic strips on my 26" bike. Now that I'm on a 29er, I'm running Stan's Arches, but don't have them converted to tubeless yet. They didn't come with the yellow tape pre-installed.

I've been going back and forth between running the yellow tape or using the rubber strips again. I've had quite a few conversations with riders who run only the yellow tape and have been satisfied, but I've thought all along that the "rubber to rubber" interface created by using the Olympic strip must provide a better seal. Your feedback from Stan's seems to confirm this.
 

RNG1

Well-Known Member
My 355s had the yellow tape and I really did not have any issues until that one race. But my thinking was I wanted to do anything to prevent a reoccurance. I actually left the yellow tape on and put the rim strip over it. Not sure if it matters or not, and the weight issue is minimal. The strips only add 38grams anyway.
 
Top Bottom