What you'll need: One roll of Gorilla Tape (Hey Cheapskate! Don't substitute any other brand.), a pen, a box knife with a brand new blade, tubeless valve stems (we used American Classics), your favorite wheels, and a measuring device.

Tip:

Danger!

How to Convert Your Wheels to Tubeless With Gorilla Tape

Step 1 - Clean the rims and then measure the width of the rim, outside to outside. This is how wide your sealing tape will need to be sized in order to span the ID of the rim surface and seal correctly.

Step 2 - Measure the width you will need and then mark the tape with a pen.

Step 3 - Brace the pen with your hand against a table so that the tip lines up with the mark on the tape and then spin the tape roll to mark the entire circumference.

Step 4 - Find a New York Times Best Seller or piece of wood that will space the box knife blade to the line on the tape. Hold the knife securely and slide it across the book about an inch at a time to slice the tape to the proper width. Go around two or three times to ensure that you cut deep enough to provide enough length to get around the rim.

Step 5 - Line up the end of the tape about two inches beyond the valve stem hole and begin taping the rim.

Step 6 - Stretch the tape from the roll and use a subtle side to side motion to encourage the edges of the tape to settle evenly below the rim beads.

Step 7 - Overlap the tape about three inches over the valve stem hole.

Step 8 - Use your fingertips to smooth the edges of the tape below the rim beads. Then push the tape down to adhere it to the center of the rim.

Step 9 - Use tip of box knife to cut an X through the tape at the valve stem hole.

Step 10 - Insert valve stem and hand tighten the stem nut to a secure, snug fit. Repeat the steps for the next rim and you are gold.

Past Tech Tuesdays

I was faced with a dilemma recently when Syntace sent me their new XC wheelset with super-wide 35-millimeter ID rims. I wanted to convert them immediately to tubeless for the review, but the widest Stans No-Tubes kits I had in my personal stash would not span the monster rims. Help came from an unusual source. The CEO of One of the world's most prestigious carbon wheel makers mentioned that they tested a number of wheel sealing tapes and discovered that over-the-counter Gorilla Tape performed better than anything they found. The wheel maker ships its tubeless wheels with Gorilla Tape - albeit, custom cut and rolled to exact specifications - but Gorilla Tape nonetheless. I had heard the same tip from Pinkbike readers, so I bought a roll and the stuff worked beautifully. So here it is, another Ghetto Tech Tuesday.A roll of Stans No-Tubes tape is designed to fit standard-width rims perfectly and is a tried and true tubeless conversion. Use a Stan's kit unless you are short on cash or need a custom tubeless conversion. That said, a roll of Gorilla Tape costs about ten bucks US and will seal a lot of rims - and there is always Ghetto tubeless bragging rights to consider.When you are working with razor-sharp knives, like the box-knife depicted in this how-to, take extra safety precautions. Move the knife slowly and deliberately and work away from your opposite hand or body when possible.