Living in New Mexico last winter required the adoption of tubeless tire systems. Arriving in Albuquerque on a Pugsley, I was foiled by goathead punctures on a daily basis. Naturally, as other mountain bikers in town already knew, “going tubeless” was the answer. At Two Wheel Drive, we developed a method to bring fatbikes into the tubeless realm using the split-tube method, also known as “ghetto tubeless”.
For a detailed guide to the split-tube method, check out Fatbike Tubeless, Tubeless Moonlander, and Does it work?. In short, a 20″ or 24″ tube is split along its outside seam to create an airtight rim strip. The tire is mounted atop the homemade rimstrip, without a tube, and a blast of air seats the tire. Finish with liquid sealant, trim the excess rubber from the split tube, and ride. This method has proven reliable, and may be preferred for anyone concerned about tire burps, such as an aggressive rider on rocky trails. For a completely burp-free system, it is possible to apply an adhesive between the tire and the split tube to create a permanent seal, also allowing the tire to be moved from wheel to wheel without breaking the tubeless seal. These two methods typically reduce wheel weight when compared to use of a tube, but not by much.
The final procedure for converting an existing wheel to a tubeless system is very simple in theory, and is the lightest method. A layer of tape is applied to the rim to create an airtight seal. The tire is mounted and seated, and sealant is added. Finally, sealant is distributed inside the tire to seal the bead and any pores in the tire. While the concept is simple, there are several challenges. Seating the tire on the rim can be difficult, especially in the case of a very loose-fitting tire. Some tire and rim combinations mate better than others, due to inexact tolerances and texture along the tire bead. Some of the texture designed on the tire bead is intended to improve the bead lock, reducing the risk of the tire walking on the rim at extreme low pressures, but creating some challenge to sealing.
The beginning front wheel weight is 7lbs 15oz (3.6kg) for a Salsa Mukluk 135mm hub, custom drilled (1.5″ holes) Surly Rolling Darryl rim, butted spokes and brass nipples, 160mm rotor, stock 26×4.0″ tube, 27tpi Surly Nate tire, and about 75 Grip Studs. This will not be a super light wheel, but with all the features– studs, aggressive tread, elimination of puncture risk– it will be just right for my needs. For about $10-$20 per wheel, this is the cheapest way to lighten a fatbike, or any bike. Of course, wheel weight is always more pronounced than weight on the frame. Reducing the friction between tube and tire is also a theoretical gain, evidenced by the rubber dust found within the tire from rubbing at low pressure.
Remove tire, tube, and rimstrip. The Surly rimstrip weighs about 90g.
The naked wheel weighs exactly 3 lbs. The stock tube weighs 15 oz (about 425g)
I take the opportunity to true the wheel.
A layer of high-visibility DOT approved reflective tape is applied to the rim, which will be visible through the cutouts, improving safety in traffic. Similar tape is available in a variety of colors. Look for safety or sign stores catering to industrial and construction accounts.
Finish with a piece of tape.
Next, a layer of Gorilla Tape is applied tightly to the rim, up to the very edge of the bead shelf, just under the hooked edge of the rim. Another layer is added to the other side, meeting in the middle to create an airtight seal. It is theorized that laying the tape right up to the bead helps create a tighter fit at the bead. It certainly helps to seat the tire initially. Other sources suggest several layers of tape.
Mount the tire with a tube to ensure every inch of tape is securely adhered to the rim. This also allows one bead to be seated, reducing the challenges of seating the tire without the tube.
Mount the second bead onto the rim. A cheap 26 ” rubber rimstrip helps to force the tire bead towards the edge of the rim, on the bead shelf, where the tire is most likely to contain air.
Removing the valve core is essential to a quick burst of air. A good compressor is also necessary.
The tire accepts the air on the first attempt, and pops into position. I deflate the tire and install 4-6oz of Stan’s sealant (more if you want, especially in thorn country, or with even bigger tires) through the valve core, although it is possible to dump sealant into the tire before seating. Spin and shake the tire to ensure a good seal all around. Bring the tire up to maximum pressure (30psi). If possible, ride the bike to simulate any disturbances that might arise in real world conditions. This also helps to distribute sealant. Some tires may spit sealant from the bead or from under the valve during installation (120tpi Dillingers on Darryls have done this in my experience), but this 27tpi Nate sealed without a drop. After my experience with Knards on Rabbit Holes, I am amazed. I will revisit that combination soon.
The final weight of the front wheel is 7lbs 5oz. This is a 10oz (283g) weight reduction. For greater weight loss, it may be possible to use a lightweight packing tape without the thick reflective tape that I installed. Wide Stan’s rim tape is unofficially available through Speedway Cycles in Anchorage.
The final rear wheel weighs in at 9lbs 2oz.
Time to ride home for the night. First impressions are that the bike feels like a rocket. I explore some urban crust on the way home, mounting snowbanks along the roadsides, doing my best to challenge the system. Anything that makes riding more fun is worth it. One and a quarter pounds (567g) less weight in the wheels helps a lot!
In the morning, I go outside for the real test, to see if the tires have held air overnight. Sometimes, small air leaks are impossible to detect during set-up, but will make themselves apparent by morning. If the tire is soft in the morning, add air and agitate. More sealant may help as a failsafe against leaks during initial installation. If possible, put the bike in a stand or turn it upside down, and spin the wheels every time you walk by. Thanks to Kevin at Paramount Cycles and Timely at the Trek Store for advice and encouragement. Thanks to Chris at The Bicycle Shop for assisting the process, and allowing initial explorations on the wheels of his Salsa Beargrease.
Fun, safe, and lightweight– nothing not to like!
Future explorations include other rim and tire combinations, lighter weight preparations (for customers, presumably), and testing at extreme low pressures.
gypsy by trade 
That ‘urban crust’ is a blast right now!
Looks like you’ve got the process pretty well dialed, I need to get around to making the conversion one of these days.
‘More fun’ is a quality I like in my bikes.
Nate, The crust is awesome. I am loving it, especially with Nates and studs. Let me know if you want some help setting up tubeless. You could do the rim prep at home then swing by the shop for a good burst of air and some sealant.
Just showed this to Alyssa, she gave the green light to convert hers too.
She really liked the color coordinated reflective tape idea.
Are you cannibalizing valve stems from old tubes for this, or just forking over a couple bucks to Stan?
Gotta find a few valve stems and get cracking on this.
Thanks – very timely! Looking to purchase a fattie today and was just researching last night on how to run tubeless to save weight. Will also have to review your Knard/RH setup as well, as I hope to purchase that combo as a summer wheelset for the bike. Love your blog and following your adventures!
Gary, Good luck with the new bike, I think you’ll love it. What part of the country are you living in? Goatheads or snowy winters, or both?
I had a lot of sealant leaking from the bead of the 120tpi Knard on the Rabbit Hole, although it showed signs of eventually sealing. It sounds like the 120tpi tires are more likely to leak at first, as I also found on the Dillingers, but if losing weight it your goal, they are much lighter than the 27tpi tires. In fact, the 27tpi Nate is one of the heaviest tires out there, except for some cheap Vee tires (Origin8 Devis8er, for example, about 2kg).
There are some interesting new tires from Vee Rubber claiming to be Tubeless Ready, marked as having a Silica Coumpound in the rubber. From what I’ve seen and heard, they tend to pack with snow due to the composition of the rubber. Additionally, the claimed 4.7″ size if far from accurate. Still the new Vee Snowshoe and Fatback Sterling (from Vee) look like nice additions to the market.
What bike are you planning on buying? Enjoy!
nicholas
Pug Ops. I live in the upper midwest, South Dakota, so mainly snow around here, but there are sharp granite rocks out west in the Black Hills. Thanks for the reply!
Gary
That setup is really reliable- have a solid year on mine at this point. For some reason the 120tpi tires are a little harder to get setup though. I had one layer of tape around the bead with 27tpi tires, and needed three layers with the 120s.
Also, just taping over a wider Surly rim strip (I use a Daryl strip on my Marge Lites) can help hold the tire on more securely, and give the tape some room to stretch, instead of bursting under higher pressure (which happened once, got a pinhole puncture through all the layers of tape).
So, average three layers of tape for 120tpi tires? Best to do the sealing layers first, then a couple of thin strips (1cm) right near the bead? How about a round of Velox cloth tape? I’ve seen this on normal rims for tubeless conversion.
Good to hear your system has been reliable. So, even if the tire is spitting from the bead, you think it will eventually seal and remain sealed? This is not necessarily a sign of a dangerous bead, rather, just a little extra work for the sealant initially?
I do the Surly rim strip, then run a full-width strip of tape over that down the center of the rim. Then I split a strip of tape in half, and wrap around each side, going out to the edge of the rim and overlapping the center strip.
If you don’t overlap the center strip, the sealant eventually works it’s way into any crack it can find, screws up the adhesive of the tape, and pools up in little bubbles in the Surly strip. I wouldn’t use cloth tape- since it’s cloth, it could get saturated with Stan’s.
And yep, three layers were what the 120tpi tires needed. With one layer, they would burp in corners at low psi. I wouldn’t worry about a little sealant leaking around the bead
Awesome write up Nick! If we ever see more snow again that requires lower pressure I suspect you will see no problems with leaking. I could run my clownshoes with BUD and LOU setup tubeless using the tape method down to 2psi in front and 3psi in rear with no issues burpings or the tire coming unseated. Glad to hear the bike feels lighter and snappier! Anything to make the large beast bikes feel faster is welcome.
Thanks Kevin. I am really confident in my rim and tire combination. As I’ve said before, all the Nate/Darryl combos I’ve worked with have mated very nicely; this is much improved over older Surly tires.
Any notes from set-up of your Borealis Carbondale rims?
As we look at more tubeless-specific rims in the future, I hope that much of the guessing and shop time can be replaced with riding. I also wish to inspire others to go tubeless for the myriad benefits. I’d forgotten how some parts of the country are still skeptical of it. Funny that AK is so far ahead with fatbikes, and behind the curve when adopting tubeless systems.
Hey Nick!
I have been running the Vee Rubber 8’s 120tpi tubeless ready tires for a couple of months now, super easy to setup on marge lites and havent had air leaks since initial install
I originally ordered the much cheaper version of these tires but the vendor must have ran out and they sent me these instead for the same price! happy accident i suppose. while not nearly as aggressive as my nates i have been pleasantly surprised by these tires, great traction and fast rolling. A perfect combo for the mixed terrain of Boston.
plus the weight saving compared to the nates is an added bonus!
-Landon
Boston, MA
Landon, I’ve not considered the Vee 8s before, as the Knards weren’t even aggressive enough for my preferences (in NM, decomposed granite; and AK, snow). However, the quality of the ride on a tubeless 120tpi Knard was a large part of my adoption of tubeless tires. Goatheads also had a lot to do with it.
Any thoughts on “Tubeless ready” Vee tires. I handled some Vee Snowshoe tires for the first time today at the shop.
We got 20+ inches of snow last night so I got a chance to get out on the Pug with tubes in it. I wanted to get some miles on it before I went tubeless but now I’m thinking about just doing it. Taking a pound so rotating mass off the bike is big and would get the build down to 30lbs.
Ok, I’m heading to the garage now with beer in hand. Tubeless or bust. Thanks for the write up.
Jeff. I think you will appreciate the change. Good luck!
I do notice the weight reduction, and enjoy more rapid transit around town. Moreso, I enjoy climbing snowbanks and practicing technical maneuvers on the strange frozen snow sculptures left after weeks of freeze-thaw. The new wheels are tons of fun!
Thanks for the how too. I was able to set up a pair of 60tpi Gum-wall Nates on my Pugsley using the Gorilla tape and Stan’s sealant. About (4) Stan’s scoops of sealant per tire from the Stan’s bottle. I never removed the Stan’s presta valve core – I just fired the air from the small air compressor in my garage & they popped into place even without the 26″ compression strip. The gum wall Nate is the lightest tire I’ve ever run on my Pug – the weight isn’t far off from the 120tpi version if Surly’s data on their website is correct. Thanks for the tubeless lesson. I thought I was going to buy some Knards for the summer on my Pug but the lighter weight Nates might just be the ticket! Plus, I’m a sucker for Gum-wall tires, I just love the look – which is even better tubeless.
Have you had experience with water (or dirt) getting between the rim, the non-stick layer, and the gorilla tape?
I have not. I have found Gorilla tape or quality duct tape to be reliable. It is important to mount and inflate a tube in the tire before completing the tubeless installation, to adhere the tape to the rim as best as possible. Otherwise, I could see how water and dirt might slowly work under the adhesive.
Do you put the sticky side down on the rim so that the holes are sticky? Or do you put a narrow non-stick layer down first on the rim to cover the holes, and then use even wider tape to hold that first layer down?
The tips and content can help you a lot. Tubeless is nothing new nowadays. Tubeless wheels have fewer flats from punctures, and help in smoother ride. As this is the main reason that it helps from getting puncture very frequently.
Fixin’ to set up a tubeless Marge Lite and Nard, and a Rabbit Hole and Dirt Wizard for my Big Dummy. Also getting an Ice Cream Truck with a second 29+ wheel set and will do the same treatment for both of those wheel sets. Here in Santa Fe, movie’ to ABQ in the fall.
Shannon, Sounds like a good idea for NM. Most 120tpi Surly tires will stretch more at the bead than the wire bead 27tpi tires. You can expect to build up the rim with about 3 layers of Gorilla Tape or quality duct tape to properly seat these tires and make a good seal. With 27tpi tires, I’ve had some luck with one layer of tape, although your experience may vary based upon exact rim and tire dimensions. For ultimate reliability, the split tube method is still a surefire approach.
Before using any sealant, you can always test the set-up with a blast of air. If the tire seats and holds pressure for a minute or more, sealant will do the rest. If the tire is bleeding tons of air (from the bead, rim bed, or valve base), re-evaliate the system. Usually, you must build up the rim bed some more.
Best of luck. Let me know if you have any more questions. The guys at Two Wheel Drive should be able to help. Is suspect Mellow Velo or Broken Spoke could also be of assistance.
Thanks. Do you know if there is a particular sealant I should get? Thanks
I think that I am going to go with the caffelatex. You mention that “For greater weight loss, it may be possible to use a lightweight packing tape without the thick reflective tape that I installed. Wide Stan’s rim tape is unofficially available through Speedway Cycles in Anchorage.” I think that I understand what you mean by this, but just want to run it by you to make sure. What do you mean by this? Do you mean that I could just use some of the unofficial wide stand with nothing else. Wouldn’t dirt stick to it through the holes. Or do you mean that I can replace the reflective tape with the stans (only turn it inside out so dirt doesn’t stick to it) and still use the gorilla tape over it? Or do you mean use stans for both replacing the reflective tape and for replacing the gorilla tape. I hope you understand my question.
I think some kind of tear-resistant rim tape should be used over the holes. This could be a lightweight nylon ribbon from the craft store, a layer of reflective tape as I used, or the stock Surly rim strip. I know the Surly strip weight about 90g, similar specialized strips (appear to be nylon ribbon, with Velcro attachment) weigh about 50g, and you could probably fashion something a little lighter if you want. Then, you could use a layer or layers of quality packing tape from edge to edge. It would be prudent to mount and inflate the tire this way before adding sealant.
There is a chance that the tire will not fit tightly with this system, which is why many people choose to use Gorilla Tape or similar, which substantially thick. If you need to build up the rim bed. you may be able to use narrow strips of tape on the bead shelf and avoid adding weight in the center groove. Then, after narrow strips of Gorilla Tape on the bead shelf, cover the entire system with a smooth layer of packing tape. Install the tire with a tube and inflate to 20-30psi to ensure that all the tape is properly sealed to the rim. Then try inflating without a tube. If the system holds air (mostly), add sealant. If air is escaping quickly, identify the source and reconfigure.
Air leaks from three place: the tire bead/rim hook junction, the rim tape, the base of the valve. Be sure to tighten the locknut on the valve tightly. For most rims I use a pair of pliers to get a couple of extra turns on the nut.
Got it. Thanks you for your service.
I like the reflective safety strip idea. But I think that I am not going to go that route and I am going to go with the low visibility option instead. Would you happen to know off the top of your head who makes the “specialized strips (appear to be nylon ribbon, with Velcro attachment) weigh about 50g,” off the top of your head? I know that I can go to the craft store and get my own ribbon, but It would be nice to get some specialized ribbon. Otherwise I’ll probably just use the surly rim strip although it is heavier.
Specialized makes most everything for their own bikes, which is part of their approach to price and performance.
It would be easiest to reuse the Surly rim strip, for sure.
Very nice. When I replace my rubber, this is the way I’m going to go!
Is it possible to do this with a little hand pump? I am going into the desert and want to go tubeless because of all the cactus spines that don’t seal up well with tubes. How do I seat the bead without a compressor?
Mark,
You won’t need to, most likely. The plan is to have a super-solid tubeless setup so no engineering failure can take place en route (a nice tight fit between the rim and tire is what I mean mostly, and a well sealed rim bed). Otherwise, the only thing that will force you to unseat a bead and remount with a burst of air would be a catastrophic tire puncture or sidewall cut. In that case, it is often beyond the scope of casual field repair to make the tire “tubeless ready” once again. This is when you would choose to install a tube. But first, check the tire very, very carefully for foreign objects.
To entertain the idea, if you were to build up the rim to fit very tight with a deflated tire, you may be able to seal with a hand pump. But even then, it may be a challenge without a floor pump. If you are trying to do this, consider building up the rim bed with foam then layering with tape as I did several years ago for a “ghetto tubeless” conversion (https://gypsybytrade.wordpress.com/2012/12/16/fatbike-tubeless/)
In addition, you may do some searching on the internet for DIY tubeless field equipment. I’ve heard of some plastic soda bottle designs that contain a pressurized burst of air, charged with a small frame pump.
Finally, just plan to use a ton of sealant at the beginning of your voyage. The volume will diminish over time, from both punctures and atmosphere, and it will not make your bike appreciably more difficult to pedal. Stan’s and other sealant can do some amazing things.
Thanks, I’ll try that. It is a Big Fat Larry on a Rolling Daryl so it’s pretty loose before the bead seats. I like the plastic water bottle idea, I’ll have lots of those. FYI, here is the blog post I made for my last trip. I want to do more exploration of the surrounding canyons, and didn’t do more last time because of lack of water and I wasn’t very good at catching food and desalinating water. But now they’ve had some nice storms come through recently, and I’ll have better techniques for food, and a better desalinator. Hey, maybe if you want to come…
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=70746&page=20
so after inflating the tires with a tube to sit the beads and tapes what happens? I’m not following everything plus the valve core…how did to install it?
Dean, The tube assists to seat the beads, one of which will remain seated in the following steps. Unseat one bead, then reinflate the tire with a blast of air. The previously unseated bead should reseat on the bead shelf. If not, then additional modifications may be needed. If so, add sealant, inflate, and ride. The removal of the valve core enables a more powerful blast of air through a larger channel. It may not be necessary, but with fatbike systems, it often is.
Going to try scotch tough tape perhaps instead…heard it’s lighter and lasts longer. http://cyclesinlife.com/tubeless-fatbike-conversion-update/
I haven’t tried it, but Gorilla Tape is really quite heavy, and has a tendency to be undermined by sealant after a few months. Scotch Tough tape sounds like a good solution.
So, just to clarify, put the tape on the rim, seat the tire with a tube, inflate the tube to push the tape down, remove the tube by removing only one of the beads, reseat the bead, add sealant through the core, inflate with a compressor to 30 PSI. Shake and bake. Ride .. and hope. 🙂
Jeff, that’s the idea. Just visualizing the process is the hard part. The install is fairly easy.
Do you feel tubeless would be helpful for the Great Divide Mountain Bike Trail? I’m going to bike it with my Moonlander. I’m concerned about the goat head thorns etc., but I’m equally concerned about whether a tubeless setup would last for 3k miles, and the possibly of spokes breaking and other wheel issues which would require cutting holes in the tape.
A middle ground may be to put the Stans right into the inner tubes. That is the way I’m currently leaning towards. Thoughts based on your experiences? Thanks.
Tubeless is helpful for everything, all the time, everywhere. If you’re looking for fewer flats and less time wasted with your mini pump, the reduced weight is just a bonus. If you are trying to save weight, the reduced flats and lessened rolling resistance sweeten the deal. The Moonlander will ride much better without those 500g tubes in there. Also, ever notice the small rubber shard inside your tire? Those are a sign of friction between the tire and tube at lower pressures.
I rode a Pugsley down the Divide with tubes, and added sealant to the tubes in Colorado where we diverted to some of the Colorado Trail and assorted routes down to NM. I had very few flats in the northern part of the route and few flats in CO and NM, not sure if the sealant did much except to add weight to an already heavy set of wheels. But while living in NM I waged war with goat heads, and sealant in the tubes only helps to seal the smallest punctures and you must use the proper 4-5″ tubes for it to work at all (no lightweight tubes). While living and working in Albuquerque I finally converted to tubeless– practically and spiritually speaking– and haven’t ridden with tubes ever since. This is where we first started learning and developing tubeless methods for our fatbikes, although many others were exploring these ideas in other parts of the country. In the future, be sure to select tubeless ready equipment when it is available, and tubeless fatbike equipment is now officially available from a growing list of companies. The information in this post and elsewhere on the blog should get you to a reliable tubeless system on you Surly rims and tires.
Most importantly, after taping the rim be sure to inflate the tire on the rim without sealant. If it holds air for 30 seconds or 5 minutes, you’ve done it so go ahead and add the sealant. If you can’t get the tire to seat on the rim or it leaks lots of air and won’t really reach 20psi, you should probably add another layer of tape to the rim for a tighter fit. Retry inflation. Then add sealant if it passes the test.
The tubeless system should last the duration, although be sure that the rim tape you use is properly adhered to the rim and itself before adding sealant. Most sealant has a way of undermining adhesives. Best to inflate a tube inside the tire after installing the rim tape and let it sit for some time.
If you aren’t packed to the gills and are riding 5″ tires I shouldn’t think you will break any spokes. Check spoke tension in the wheels before leaving, or have a shop look at them. Often, a few turns of a spoke wrench can help bring the wheels back to true. A quarter turn on all the spokes isn’t a bad idea for most machine built wheels after some ride time on a new bike, after everything has stretched and settled. And even in the event of a broken spoke you can usually unthread the broken section of spoke and reuse the nipple.
I hadn’t thought about the fact I don’t have to take the nipple out of the rim, very good insight. I’ll give the conversion a go, and also check my spoke tensions. Thanks for this great blog, I’ve been enjoying reading your entries.
Just to confirm, where does the valve come from in this method? In reading your other pages describing tubeless, you seem to suggest that the method described in this page doesn’t use a split tube, so where does the valve come from?
It sounds scary to add sealant to bare gorilla tape, you’d think that would eat through the glue after a while and it would all just slough off.
Also, does Stan’s lose effectiveness after a while, maybe lose its rubber ingredients? On my Baja trip I was getting so many flats with the tube, most of which wouldn’t seal up because spine bits stay in there between the tube and tire and continually agitate it and make new leaks (cactus spines are barbed and would almost always break off rather than pulling out. The big agave spines at the beginning of the trip left huge holes but those sealed up because there are no barbs on them and they came out completely). Going tubeless would solve this problem. But near the end, after a couple weeks, after a major flat, even when I took the tube out of the tire and squeezed the tube so that Stans would squirt out the spine hole, it wouldn’t seal. I had to apply a regular sticky flat patch on the tube.
Mark, The valve is a standard tubeless valve, sold in singles or pairs at your LBS. It is like a standard presta valve but with a thick conical base to seal against the inside valve hole of the rim. It will necessarily will have a removable core so that you can add more sealant to the tire on the trail. This is useful in the event that you lose a lot of sealant to an unusually large puncture, or if you plan to be traveling more than a few weeks or months. The sealant will eventually become more water than latex, and will eventually dry up depending upon many factors.
The Gorilla tape works well, but I have found that the sealant does eventually undermine the adhesive. This usually happens at the end of the tape where you have toughed the adhesive with your fingers and where the sealant can slowly work its way under. It is a slow process, 6 months or more, and in some cases it could last a lot longer. The seal is not immediately broken if this happens.
Thus, you may consider finding a tape which resembles commercial tubeless tape like Stan’s. I think Orange Seal may be selling a wide tape by now. However, if you don’t have tubeless ready rims you may have to build up the rim bed to inflate the tire and for a safe and tight fit at the bead, which is one thing the Gorilla Tape does very well. It is very thick (and heavy), but several layers of Gorialla tape can make almost any rim tubeless capable. Check with your LBS for Orange Seal 45mm tape (also here: http://www.jensonusa.com/Orange-Seal-45mm-Fat-Bike-Tubeless-Tape).
The split tube method is super reliable, but reseating a tire on the road could be fussy, even with a compressor. The method op taping the rim basically creates a rim with a ‘tubeless ready’ profile, and the rest is much like any other tubeless system.
Carry an extra 4-8oz. of sealant in Baja. And still bring the tubes. Tubeless tires seal much, much better than tubes with sealant. You will be amazes. Also ,if shopping for tires consider tubeless ready models from Bontrager, 45NRTH, Vee, Schwalbe, or the 27tpi Surly tires.
And, bring a presta valve core remover (or small pliers) to install extra sealant through the valve without unseating the tire.
Just as a side note. It is NOT recommended to leave your bike upside down, if you have hydraulic brakes.
The bike in the post has Avid BB7 brakes, not hydraulics. However a properly bled brake shouldn’t have any issue with being stored upside down, but yes, sometimes storing a bike by hanging it upside down will require the blake to be rebled.
i have one question, How does one apply a “quick burst of air” through a presta or regular valve stem with the core removed?
This may sound silly but I cant feature the air fitting on my air hose that would do that.