going tubeless?

[RDUB]

Was also considering going tubeless with the horror stories about flat tires. Is there some reason I can't find information on RAD bikes being converted to tubeless?

[RadJohn]

Maybe because the "clincher" profile rims/tires Rad has used (at least until now) technically aren't "Tubeless Ready". The rims don't have the correct profile to properly grip and retain industry standard tubeless tire beads.

There are internet tutorials on doing "ghetto tubeless" conversions of non-tubless rims & tires using the slit tube approach, good luck there.

I'm sure it's been done, one way or another, maybe by someone who lost a tire and crashed and died before they could post about their great mod.

I've had 3 flats on my Mini, all in the first week/100 miles. No tubeless conversion would have survived the biggest puncture, and I would have had slimy,sticky latex all over my bike and a tire flopping all over the place while I tried to push it miles to someplace it could be retrieved. Because I was carrying Park Tool TB-2 Emergency Tire Boots and  GP-2 Pre-Glued Super Patches, I was able to self-rescue by making a temporary repair and riding the ~20+ miles home. The tire was ruined, cords broken. When I replaced it, I added Mr Tuffys (tan, shortened) and sealant to both tires, but I still carry the Park boots & patches. No flats in the last 3700+ miles (fingers crossed).

I bought a Tannus Armour kit, had the things on for less than 20 miles when one of the valve cores in the incredibly crappy tubes they supplied came unbonded, allowing me to test the run flat feature. It works, sort of, better when pushing (NOT easy) than trying to actually ride. After seeing multiple reports of the same thing happening to others, I removed the Tannus thingys and put them where they belong.

I've successfully run tubeless the right way (with fully compatible rims/tires) on two of my bikes in the past, a Cannondale Jekyll and a Salsa Mukluk (a fatty, like Rads). Both bikes could be picked up and carried to the car from whatever trail I was riding if something went wrong, can't so that with a 100+ pound RadMini. Any latex based sealant (including tubeless) eventually dries out and I got tired of the mess and extra hassles involved in maintaining the tubeless bikes, so they're back to conventional tire/tube setups now. Tubeless has its place in the competition world where minor improvements in rotating weight reduction and sidewall flexibility can be fully exploited by pro level riders. Then there are the poser/wannabes with a conscience, who won't just put Stans stickers on their car or bike without actually having the stuff in the tires.

FWIW, I have now added the ~$30 a year RV rider to my AAA annual membership, which covers Ebike retrieval and delivery to anyplace within 50 miles (specifics may vary locally).