CONTEST WINNER! FRIENDS DON'T LET FRIENDS RIDE TUBES

Last month we announced a contest to hook up one lucky rider with a new set of wheels and a quart of our sealant. We asked for three reasons why you, or a friend or family member, hadn't yet made the switch to tubeless. We received a bunch of great responses and it was very difficult to select the winner. In the end we found Matt from Utah's submission for his daughter Leah to be our favorite. Matt's Reasons for not making the switch:

1. My daughter Leah is a 1st year NICA racer and I built her up a race bike, but I didn’t finish the job by converting her wheels to tubeless.

2. I must enjoy fixing flats and wasting money on tubes, because that’s what I’ve been doing every week after her rides. 3. I was ready to pull the trigger on a tubeless set of tires, but the kid at the bike shop questioned whether her wheels were tubeless compatible...isn’t any rim compatible enough with Stan's tape and sealant....and enough patience and will to make it happen?! 4. Extra credit: new wheels would make all of my daughter’s dreams come true! Please help me stop stop patching tubes, it’s way too 1987.

We liked Matt's response a lot for two main reasons. First, it highlights one of the biggest barriers to trying tubeless: inertia. Lots of riders aren't happy riding with tubes, but they never get around to making the upgrade. They just keep on fixing flats. Finally committing to making the switch can make a big difference in your riding, though. If you really want to make that switch, set a day aside, mark it on the calendar, and go for it. We're here to help you plan ahead, too. Feel free to contact us for any of your questions. The second reason we liked Matt's response so much is because we saw an opportunity to clear up a really common misconception. While just about any rim can be converted to tubeless, some do require more than just Stan's tape and sealant. Most wheels labeled tubeless ready can be converted simply by adding Stan's yellow tape, sealant and a valve. Wheels that are not tubeless ready, including many older rims, often use a different internal rim shape that require one of our tubeless conversion rim strips. So the answer to Matt's question is yes, nearly all rims can be converted to tubeless, but there are two different ways to get there, and one is much, much easier than the other. Of course the easiest way to experience the added traction, reduced rolling resistance, and puncture protection of a tubeless system is to start with Stan's NoTubes rims with our patented Bead Socket Technology and Stan's sealant, and that's exactly what we sent to Leah for her tubeless conversion. Good luck with the rest of your season Leah and we hope you enjoy your Crest MK3 Wheelset and quart of sealant! Considering making the switch to tubeless? Check out the flow chart below to help you figure out what is needed to make the switch. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns about converting your wheels to tubeless! We're here to help.