Tips and advice for going tubeless.

Danieljephcott

So I think I'm going to give tubeless a go tomorrow. I've watch a few videos but just looking for any further tips people might have.

The wheels I have are: DT CSW EM 2.7 Straightpull Wheelset, 28/28 Spokes, 15QR / Boost 148 X12, 584x25C Tubeless-Ready Rim.

I've got some gorilla tape, joes sealant and some air waves valves.

The tyres im using are, front:Schwalbe Hans Dampf Kevlar 2.35, TrailStar, Tubeless Easy. Rear: Schwalbe Rock Razor Kevlar 2.35, PaceStar, Tubeless Easy.

My concern is once I have taped the rim and added the sealant I won't be able to pump the wheel up quick enough. I have a foot pump from decathlon or I have some co2 canisters or even an electric car pump. Will either of these be ok?

If you have any other little tips then please let me know.

Thanks

Dan

The Rookie

Put the tyre on the rim WITHOUT sealant and inflate it and get it seated on the bead properly, remove the valve core first!

Then either
1/ Add the sealant through the valve (tyre will deflate when you take the pump off obviously), I have some of the tiny Stans '1 tyre' bottles with a nozzle and use that to measure and then pour through the valve.
2/ Deflate the tyre, pop one side off the bead and pour in the sealant.

For your first go at tubeless NEVER put sealant in until you know you can get the tyres up, if you are confident you just pour the sealant in before inflating the tyre.

What are you inflating the tyre with? You may need a compressor or similar for the first inflation, I use the coke bottle 'ghetto' method.

Danieljephcott

I don't have a core remover but could go out and grab one.

So get it seated first but I take It I need to have the rim tape on first. To pump the tyre up I have 3 options. I've got a pump from decathlon which you use your foot: https://www.decathlon.co.uk/520-foot-pu ... 03660.html. Or I have a co2 canister with the valve. I do also have an electric tyre pump in my car.

So do you think it's better poured though the valve or taking a bit of the tyre off to pour it in.

larkim

You don't need a core remover, just an adjustable spanner.

What Rookie says mirrors my recent (and limited) experience. Ghetto inflator is very easy to build, worth doing IMHO. The volume of air transferred quickly through that route is far better than the pumps that I've got. Not tried a CO2 cannister, but that seems wasteful, especially as you might find that they don't go up.

I've only ever poured the sealant in by unseating the tyre a little after a "dry" inflation attempt just to prove in principle (and to get most of the bead seated).

If you do remove the core, once the tyre is up I just quickly get my finger over the end of the un-cored valve, grab the core and then rapidly insert it and twist into place by hand. As you'll have lost a reasonable amount of pressure by that time, I then just pump it up to about 30psi straight after doing that and then do the swilling around of the sealant.

One other tip is to do all of this whilst the wheel is suspended by the rim. Probably goes without saying really, but if you try to do it whilst the wheel is on the ground you'll end up with sealant everywhere!

The Rookie

I don't have a core remover, despite not being Superman (with his muscles of steel) I undo the core with my fingers.

You'll struggle to get air in fast enough with the core in place even if you use a CO2 cartridge.

Danieljephcott

Will give the ghetto inflator a go and will remove the core. Hopefully have a go at this later on just need to drink 2litres of something first haha.

larkim

Sparkling water - 19p at Tesco!

The only bit I struggled to lay my hands on close by was plastic tubing of the right size to fit on the valve. My (still) temporary solution was a fairly short piece of tubing from an old tin of expanding foam, but at some point I need to get a longer and more flexible tube just to make life simpler.

avalanche_expert

In my experience when fitting a new folded tyre from the packaging, the bead can be awkward to seat/seal where the folds have been.

I like to fit the tyre to the rim with an inner tube first to get the tyre to find its correct shape and seated correctly. Then I deflate and break the seal between tyre and rim on one side only, leaving one side still seated. This way you have a much easier time trying to inflate the tyre as it's half seated.

Then carefully pull the tube out and fit the tubeless valve without its valve core. Then push the open side of the tyre back on the rim and using a good track pump, pump as quickly as possible to seat that side and hopefully hear that satisfying pop - pop sound.

After that either add sealant through the open valve before fitting the core or partially break an area of the tyre seal to add sealant. Then refit the valve core and inflate.

Initially I like to inflate to the maximum PSI rating of the tyre to ensure it seats correctly and to test it is holding pressure. I like to leave it like that overnight and next day set to the desired pressure.

Usually works for me. Though some of the lighter weight Shwalbe tyres have had porous sidewalls which constantly leak. I'd imagine the Hans Dampf & Rock Razor you're using will be fine though.

Danieljephcott

Well I gave this a go yesterday. My ghetto inflater was a bit crap (certainly user error). First tyre took me about 2 hours second tyre was maybe 10 mins.

What working for me (in the end) was to take the tyre off and put the gorilla tape on. Using my tyre lever to help sqish the tape. Then put a tube in and pump it up. Then broke the seal on one side and removed the tube. Put the valve in and tighttened up. Then fitted the tyre again leaving a gap to pure in the sealant. Added the sealant, a little more than stated then fitted the rest of the tyre. Pumped it up untill sealed and at around 45 psi and bounced the tyre on the floor while rotating it each bounce. Once it was sealed and I couldn't hear the air escaping I held the hub of the wheel and spun it around for a minute or so and then later it flat on each side for a couple of mins. Re fitting the wheel and job done .

The Rookie

kevinharley

I'll just jump on this thread here with a related, but slightly different query ...

Been running tubleless for a few months without issue, got my LBS to do it as part of a rear wheel build, so I haven't actually had any first-hand experience myself.

At the end of last night's ride, got a puncture. Put some air in and managed to get home but tyre still slowly deflating. Found the hole, not a big one, looks like it was made by a substantial thorn, but the kind of puncture you'd expect the sealant to plug. Put in about 45-50 psi and rotated the wheel hard for several minutes to try and ensure the sealant was forced into the hole, but was still leaking air slowly. As it was midnight by that point, I left it for another time.

I'm wondering why the sealant didn't plug the hole? Might it have dried out, or need topping up?

Assuming the latter, I intend to add some more sealant - how much do I need? And I remove the valve core, pour in the sealant, re-insert the valve core and pump up right?

Cheers

Danieljephcott

In my very limited knowledge I would say it's a lack of sealant. Yep just remove the core add some sealant- don't think it really matters but I would say 30ml would be enough. Then attach core and pump up and try and see if that works.

If not then maybe the hole is just to big and it's a tube or new tyre needed.

larkim

Just keep the tyre off the floor whilst its deflated (might sound obvious, but once you've let the air out putting the wheel on the floor might detach the bead so you might struggle to get it up again).

Having said that, last night I took posesstion of a brand new wheel (a cheapie, Mavic Crossride), so taped it up, put in the valve and got the well used and just-lying-on-the-floor Maxxis Beaver onto the rim. A few easy puffs with the track pump and it was up in no time and I would have sworn the bead was nowhere near the rim as I was installing the tyre!