Velocity Synergy Tubeless?

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Jamie Hascall

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Jul 12, 2023, 1:21:12 AM7/12/23
to 650b
Hi all,

We're getting ready to refurbish my wife's Rivendell Glorious after over 10 years since it was seriously ridden. We need to replace the old Grand Bois Hetres and we wondered if the 2007 vintage Velocity Synergy rims are possibly tubeless compatible? My gut feeling is that they're not but I wondered what others experience has been. We're looking putting a set of Compass Baby Shoe Pass on.

Thanks,
Jamie


Harry Travis

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Jul 12, 2023, 4:27:52 AM7/12/23
to Jamie Hascall, 650b
What could make the Dyad rim incompatible with tubeless use? A well that is less than optimal for easy tire mounting? 

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Harry P Travis
16.5.1

On Jul 11, 2023, at 10:21 PM, Jamie Hascall <mr.wa...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi all,

We're getting ready to refurbish my wife's Rivendell Glorious after over 10 years since it was seriously ridden. We need to replace the old Grand Bois Hetres and we wondered if the 2007 vintage Velocity Synergy rims are possibly tubeless compatible? My gut feeling is that they're not but I wondered what others experience has been. We're looking putting a set of Compass Baby Shoe Pass on.

Thanks,
Jamie


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David Dye

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Jul 12, 2023, 10:10:15 AM7/12/23
to 650b
None of the Synergy rims have ever been tubeless compatible, or the Dyad for that matter.

That said, nothing's stopping you. In the early days, there weren't any 'tubeless' rims or tires, we just converted them. Tape the rim up real good and see if you can get a tire to seat. If not, try a little more tape. Worst case, the split-tube method works every time. 

Will Boericke

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Jul 12, 2023, 10:48:00 AM7/12/23
to 650b
Yes, can tubeless any rim with enough work.  Keep adding tape until you can barely get the tire on.  The tighter, the better.

Giant caveat: the worst type of tubeless failure is the burp: sideways pressure on the tire causes loss of pressure.  It is hard to reset a tire in the field that has suffered this problem.  True tubeless rims are equipped with a bead shelf to help hold the bead in place and prevent this failure; DIY rims obviousaly are not.

All to say: if you ride this bike on roads and do not corner aggressively, tubeless setup on non-tubeless rims will probably be fine.  I think the big quesiton is: what are you looking to gain from tubeless?  If you live in goathead country, that to me is the best argument for tubeless on a non-mountain bike.  If you don't get that many flats with tubes, I don't think it makes sense to add levels of complexity to your tire setup and maintenance by going tubeless.

Will, whose stable has three sets of tubeless tires, smallest is 650x47

Jamie Hascall

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Jul 12, 2023, 12:39:36 PM7/12/23
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Thanks all, That's what I figured but I thought I'd ask as there might be a viable workaround available. What's funny is that this bike spent the majority of its working life in goathead ridden Santa Fe and we would have loved to have had tubeless tires there. However, that was over 10 years ago and  the entire system was in its early development so we just Slimed our tubes and put in barriers. Now we're in Seattle where the worst danger is a little glass. We'll just go ahead and use tubes as always and call it good.

Eric Garvock

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Jul 12, 2023, 1:28:27 PM7/12/23
to 650b
I would be extrmeley cautious setting up a low support sidewall like a baby shoe on a non-tubeless rim. Even with adding a lot of layers of tape that doesn't guarantee the bead will stay seated on the rim. I've had a tire roll off the rim complteely (H plus son Achetype/Vittoria Terreno tire, stans sealant, gorilla tape, stans valves) mid corner and depending on the scenario that could be bad news for the person riding the bike or poeple riding around them. Especially if it's the front tire (which tends to take hard hits often). 

Ask yourself this, would you rather deal wiyh your tire randomly rolling off the rim and a possible trip to the ER OR would you rrather deal with a flat tire every so often?

I think folks who suggest it's ok to convert a non-tubeless rim haven't experienced what I described and to their credit don't understand how unsafe that is. In the rim/tire/tube equation the tube is acting as a phusical barrier to prevent the tire from coming off (why downhill bikes still used tubes until somewhat recently) so it's a total gamble unless you (or your wife) try it out with that specific combo. 

-Eric 

Chris Cullum

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Jul 12, 2023, 1:45:25 PM7/12/23
to Jamie Hascall, 650b
Lots of answers already but the short answer is no. Those Synergy rims can't even seat a tubed tire straight reliably, I would never attempt tubeless with that rim. And they tend to crack. No thanks.

Jamie Hascall

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Jul 12, 2023, 1:50:14 PM7/12/23
to 650b
Yeah, in doing searches for a real answer to this question I ran across the whole thread about cracking and size issues. I remember dealing with seating problems with them too but they are what's on the bike. I'll inspect them thoroughly when I take the old Hetres off as they've got a good 12-14K miles on them. If new rims are called for, they will get replaced with something that we can use tubeless. Otherwise, new tires and tubes will do. Thanks for all the help.

Harry Travis

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Jul 12, 2023, 3:22:41 PM7/12/23
to Jamie Hascall, 650b
I didn’t wish to disrespect OP’s rims; but looking at current Velocity USA descriptions, I was surprised when tubeless-ready is explicitly stated. You have to look carefully in the product description verbiage.

So, the A23 rims, also in production for a long time , ARE stated to be tubeless ready/compatible. 

I have a new pair, highly polished FS. I’m pleased with those I’ve used. Negligibly narrower than Synergy and Dyad rims. 

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Harry P Travis
Portland, OR USA
16.5.1

On Jul 12, 2023, at 10:50 AM, Jamie Hascall <mr.wa...@gmail.com> wrote:

Yeah, in doing searches for a real answer to this question I ran across the whole thread about cracking and size issues. I remember dealing with seating problems with them too but they are what's on the bike. I'll inspect them thoroughly when I take the old Hetres off as they've got a good 12-14K miles on them. If new rims are called for, they will get replaced with something that we can use tubeless. Otherwise, new tires and tubes will do. Thanks for all the help.

Will Boericke

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Jul 12, 2023, 6:42:22 PM7/12/23
to Harry Travis, Jamie Hascall, 650b
Even Velocity's "newer" rim profiles don't have a lip at the edge of their bead platform, and people have complained about the reliability of setting up tubeless tires on their rims because of that.

Kinlin's bead shelf
image.png

Velocity A23:
image.png



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Harry Travis

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Jul 12, 2023, 7:51:12 PM7/12/23
to Will Boericke, Jamie Hascall, 650b
I’m not tubeless with my A23 wheels. But, wow are there satisfying multiple “pops’ when the last sections of fire beads ‘click’ in. That’s from three different brands of flexible tires 38-42mm,  made by Panaracer on contract to others. 

To protect the rim, I don’t expect to inflate such tires to less than 35psi should I go tubeless after tiring of glass shards and truck tire wire causing flats. I’ll look on the www for reports of dissatisfaction such as you describe. 

I think, Will, that you are showing an illustration of the A23 rim, not a true section. Not to further cavil, but by enlarging the illustration of the Kinlin, I can detect the minimal lip and also the the mild slope from flat.

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Harry P Travis
16.5.1

On Jul 12, 2023, at 3:42 PM, Will Boericke <wboe...@gmail.com> wrote:


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