Mounting tubeless then...

munkster

So I've built my rear Pacenti SL23/Dura Ace wheel and thought I'd give mounting a tubeless tyre a go (Hutchinson Atom Galactik). Cor blimey, they (mainly Ugo) weren't joking when they said that these rims are a sod to get mounted.

So, what tricks am I missing? I can't even get one side on, epic fail so far :-(

I have some of the Schwalbe "Easy Fit" stuff and haven't tried that yet but I honestly can't see how a bit of lube can make up the deficit I need to make up, but will try it tomorrow when my thumbs have recovered. Can heating the tyres up somehow help? Should I take the valve out until I have one side actually ON maybe??

Surely I cannot be defeated yet! The wheel looks so lovely as well, who'd have thought it would be such a cruel mistress...

DKay

Yep, they're a right b'stard to fit tubeless tyres to! I broke two levers and nearly both of my thumbs fitting mine. A bit of lube does help as does warming up the tyre. I resorted to placing the tyre in near boiling water for a few minutes, quickly mounting the thing opposite the valve and lubing the bead. Then working super fast with two levers to get the tyre mounted before it cooled down. One was easier to do than the other, but it was still a nightmare and if you think getting the first side done is hard, the other one will make you cry with frustration.

I used Stans rim tape and had the bead right inside the rim well before anybody says anything.

munkster

Thanks for that, that really makes me optimistic for the next few days! ;-)

So you resorted to levers - is it OK to use levers then? I thought I read somewhere to avoid them on tubeless set ups in case you damage the rim channel where the tyre sits. I guess if I have no choice, I have no choice...

This is beginning to remind me of when I worked in a curtain rail factory when I was at school and ended up with blood blisters on both thumbs from pushing just-cast plastic fittings onto metal parts for days on end over the summer hols... Happy days! :-)

DKay

I used Conti plastic tyre levers. They're not as hard as the alloy on the SL23 rim which is a good job as I had to give them a bit of stick, hence why I broke two of them. Be assured that the SL23 rims are very study though! Tyre levers such as the VAR and Kool Stop Tyre Jack are supposed to make the job easier, but got knows what you're supposed to do if you ever want to take the tyre off again. On the upside, the fit is so tight, tubeless tyres inflate and seat with very little effort.

My thumbs took two days to recover...

munkster

Bath full of hot water it is then...!

*sob*

ElectronShepherd

Serious question, being an inner tubes and clinchers sort of person. If these things are that hard to get on and off, what on earth do you do when you're 30 miles from home and get a puncture? Knock on someone's door and ask if you can fill their bath with hot water?

DKay

ElectronShepherd wrote:

Serious question, being an inner tubes and clinchers sort of person. If these things are that hard to get on and off, what on earth do you do when you're 30 miles from home and get a puncture? Knock on someone's door and ask if you can fill their bath with hot water?

You pray that it's summer or the puncture is small enough for the sealant to plug. Otherwise, you're screwed. I've never, ever gashed a tyre, touch wood.

ugo.santalucia

ElectronShepherd wrote:

Serious question, being an inner tubes and clinchers sort of person. If these things are that hard to get on and off, what on earth do you do when you're 30 miles from home and get a puncture? Knock on someone's door and ask if you can fill their bath with hot water?

Most tubeless rims are OK... you always need levers, but they are not hard... this particular Pacenti one is a bit of a bitch...

munkster

I've borrowed some funky VAR levers any experience? I usually use Schwalbe levers which are normally pretty good.

Update: PMA goes a long way. I have successfully mounted a Hutchinson Atom Galactik onto these blessed rims. Once I'd decided it was *going* to happen it took a mere 10 minutes! It has now inflated easily using a CO2 cannister and seems to be holding pressure OK. Am I right in thinking that addition of sealant at this stage (well, after letting it down again and injecting via valve) won't help keep it inflated? ie. if it's going to hold air it will hold air as of now?

Second Q - how much Stans sealant for a 23mm tyre like this usually?

DKay

So were the VAR levers a success then? Adding sealant now certainly wouldn't hurt and I'd imagine that it would assist in helping to keep the pressures up. I add around 30 - 40ml of sealant.

munkster

Cool, thanks. I didn't actually use the fangled VAR lever to be honest, just two Schwalbe ones and the regular VAR one. Mainly because that one was closer when I was grabbing for a third lever!

Brute force and ignorance won the day, that's for sure ;-)

Thanks again.

ugo.santalucia

I would leave them overnight with no sealant, just to check how airtight they are. Then add the sealant. You don't need CO2, with a tight rim a pump is plenty

munkster

Ah well, too late. Curiosity and a little bit of impatience to fettle got the better of me so they've got just under 2oz of sealant inside them now. All went well, not a drop spilt using the syringe thing, pretty happy with that.

They seemed pretty stable after an hour without the sealant. In all seriousness I'm not sure what I would have done (or will do!) if they aren't air tight anyway. I really don't look forward to having to get these tyres off again...

Oh and yeah, no need for CO2 the second time round.