Ok here it goes if anyone reads this, just more pointers/thoughts. 1. The most important part of setting up tubeless, regardless of what tape your using, is to first run a tube for a few rides after the tape has been installed, this will ensure your tape is seated/sealed. Also if you have a new tire this will stretch out any folds in a hard casting (new Continental MTB tires need this). Tape install may also be made easier by cleaning your rim surface with alcohol prior. 2. Gorilla tape, ~1", can make for less pain on tape install and the longevity of the tape. 3. I normally make a hole in my tape by melting it with a metal poker and lighter, i've had stans tape split after cutting an x. 4. I've had problems with the valve stem leaking over the years (cx mag had an article on these lately) so I generally like to use gasket maker and an o-ring against the rim surface. This has made this area a little more leak-proof. 5. I used to think that seating one side of the tire was beneficial, but now I disagree, on some tires this will cause too large of a gap and prevent a tire from seating at all. 6. To make the process easier it is always recommended to use an air compressor and soapy water to lube that bead. 7. Remember to add sealant after 2-3 months (thru the valve stem, don't ever break the bead if you don't have to). You should be riding a bike setup tubeless enough to have to replace your tires after 6. If not, in my opinion, tubeless is not for you. Hope that helps. Tubeless is great when you get it right. Cheers!
I agree with you except for a small difference on point 1. I put the tape on, put a tube in, inflate to a high pressure (below the label maximum of course), and let it cure for 24 hours. I've never had a problem if I do this. Patience is key. For what it's worth, I have about 35k miles on tubeless road setups (mostly 700x38, but other sizes as well.)
Don’t know about 7. If your going to ride in a way that’s prone to punctures, and pinch flats if you run tubes, tubeless is the way to go. I run tubeless on my street bike (couple of hundred miles a week) and my fat bike (less than 1k miles a year). But I wouldn’t dream of taking my fat bike on single track or into the desert with tubes. I pack a tube (with a healthy dose of Stan’s in it) in case of tubeless catastrophic failure.
@@curiousgeorge555 I think I meant this in a few ways, mainly if you don't ride your bike weekly I wouldn't recommend tubeless. It can require that muck more effort to get a bike moving after storage. Also, depending on the tire/trail types/environment/how much you ride, tires maybe only get one refill before the tread is worn-out, which can be after 6 months of hard riding. IMO The perfect scenario is if you only break the bead once in a tires life; when removing to throw it away.
I converted two bikes to tubeless. One conversion was done by an excellent bike shop. The other done by me. I had tires going flat (slow leak) on both bikes after 4-6 weeks of commuter riding. I've ridden tubes for years and I have never had a failure from patching a tube on a tour. They are a known quantity. I thought about a tour I did 2 years ago where I ran off the road and crashed my front wheel into a large boulder. The side of the rim was dented badly. There is no way a tubeless tire would have reseated against that rim. But I was running tubes. I installed a spare tube, pumped it up and rode the remaining 40 miles without a hitch. Being able to get home in a remote area is far more important than how "bulletproof" tubeless is alleged to be. I am considering Rene Hearse TPU tubes, but I will never do tubeless again.
I ride in the desert and having tubless tires have made my life much easier. I agree that doing the conversation yourself is very helpful on understanding how to fix your flats if you ever get one
For frequently ridden bikes, it is worth the effort and learning all the new maintenance details. On my tubeless bikes, I've only ever had a flat when the tyre was significantly slashed. I still carry a tube for that eventuality but have given away more tubes to stranded riders than I have used for myself.
I’ve literally just changed to tubeless before watching this video it went really well. I put it off for so long because I was worried it wouldn’t go according to plan! I watched endless RUclips videos before taking the plunge. It’s actually so much easier fitting tires not having to worry about punching the inner tube
Ok, 1) first pump up your bank account, and set aside a lot of time, get ready for a lot of web surfing and garage time, 2) get the right tubeless wheels, 3) get the right tubeless tires, 4) get an air compressor or air compressor type pump, 5) get the right sealant (environ friendly, CO2 compatible, repair bacon compatible, never mix sealant brands), 6) get a tubeless tire repair kit including A) a tubeless valve stem tool B) a tubeless hole repair tool and bacon strips, C) CO2 cartridges [2 min], D) CO2 inflator tool , E) good tire tools, F) extra valve stems with removable cores, G) you may need 10-12 zip ties and a cutter - the zip ties can be used to lightly press the tire to the wheel in hopes of promoting a better tire-to-wheel seal before you use your last CO2 cartridge - there are different zipping strategies for different tires 7) labor: mounting and sealing for the 1st time can be really messy - get a sealant syringe or lots of rags and soapy water 8) If you get air leakage, go back to shop or garage, take tire off, check the sealing tape, if needed, clean wheel and tire and valve stem with warm soapy water, dry and start all over, buy a better brand of tape, buy a lot of tape, remount tire, remount valve stem, add new sealant, 9) for adventurers far from help, its always smart to carry an inner tube - say what? . . . OR just do what 95% of professional bike racers do - just forget the tubeless cure-worse-than-the-disease craziness and use a really good tube (e.g. Specialized, Michelin, Conte) inflated to a reasonable pressure and go riding. :)
It's literally not rocket science... you put some tire goo in the correct tire and rims and you're good to go no flats no issues you can go low pressure it's great
I needed this video. Struggling through home repairs and learning along the way has become my thing since I don’t have a bike shop in my town. I got a pair of gravel tires for Christmas, and I was getting really discouraged by trying to go tubeless. I ran into every problem you did. Thank you.
Excellent Video! Tip for tubeless newbies: Lezyne Pressure Overdrive model floor pump. The pump has an air reservoir that you fill first, then release a fast, large volume of air at once by flipping a foot lever. Tubeless is a pain in the ass, but it is worth it in the southwest where you can pick up six goat-head thorns in the front and back tire at the same time. I was almost crying in the garage one night trying to set up new tires cleaning up old sealant, taping, valves, tires. Egad, even mounting tubeless tires can make you reach for the whiskey!
Tubeless is the way to go for me. To add to your dry test. If a fully pumped tire looks good, no need to unseat the tire again to add sealant. Hopefully you bought removeable core valve stems. Just deflate the tire, remove the valve core, and then squeeze in some sealant. Reinflate.
Tubeless is not the X factor people make out, And when you do get a problem It's a real pain in the ass to sort! I just put sealant in my tubes and carry foam for any moments... Job done!
How stupid ! [ The host can be ... ( no offense ). Just use the inner tube itself to contain the slime sealant itself . "Wanna" a better 'tubeless' than the tube ITSELF ????!???? So help me Lord!!!!!
Manuel Luis,the thing is,it isn’t tubeless if you’ve got a tube in🤣🤣to be honest tubeless is a real pain in the arse if you don’t use the bike enough like me 👍
I find tubeless setups get more tricky with higher pressure tires (like road bike tires). Lower pressure setups (like mountain bike) are much easier. Gravel bike is sort of in between. Depends on the tire width. Anyway, use a tube to "cure" the system and leave it overnight. After removing the tube, use a brush to paint a little sealant on the bead then hit it with a floor pump or compressor (best). At this point it's dry mounted (no sealant added yet). Leave it dry mounted. Get a spray bottle and put soapy water in it. Spray the spoke nipples and value stem and check for bubbles. If everything was done properly, there should be no bubble and the tire should hold air for hours (or even overnight) dry mounted. The longer it hold air dry mounted the better your setup is. (use it like a gauge). After all that, I recommend injecting the sealant into the tire through the valve hole. Remove core first obviously. Re-inflate. Now bounce the wheel around or pick it up and shake it around to splash the sealant around the inside of the tire. Re-install the wheel onto the bike and take it for a short ride. It should be very solid setup after that!
Well, I am cycling around 15000km/year and had this year my first two flats with tubes. Tubeless is the way to go in mountainbiking as I heard, but with all other bikes tubes do great.
My problems with tubes were common sense problems and easier to repair (or get repaired at my local bike shop). Went tubeless 3 years ago and never ending problem with tire. 3 different repair shops, tire replace twice - valves gumming up and today gel leaked out, valve came apart and can't get air in now. Would not go this route again.
@@ForkInTheButt have you had a puncture that had sealed with the sealant in the tube ? I cut a old tube all the way around and use it as a buffer between the tire and new tube . I have hit a couple of 3 inch jagged rocks that they use here to fill pot holes and this time no flat .
I went tubless and used finish lines long lasting sealant. No issues yet with lightsingle track riding on 275+ tyres. A garden weed pressure sprayer is a great hack to use instead of a compressor. The water inlet tube inside the bottles can replace the hard nozzle extension (hard pipe between nozzle and trigger) and the water inlet tube matches a presta vale perfectly. There are a few vids online about it.
Short version: it's all about tolerances. Long version: It's all about tolerances. You can't depend on a loose-fitting tire. You can't depend on a rim that's undersized -- either diameter or width. If the diameter is too small, the tire can slide around and possibly pop into the rim bed's central well. If the width is too small (e.g. half the width of your tire), it's not well-supported during cornering, and can lead to burping and rolling it off the rim. You can't depend on a rim without a bead shelf -- it keeps a (properly sized) tire pushing against the rim sides, and thus sealed -- without it the bead can more easily slide into the rim's central channel. You can't depend on a tire with bumps of rubber on the bead (from where rubber was injected during molding) -- just another pinhole through which air/sealant can leak. Clip them off with nail clippers. You can't depend on tape that's too narrow (narrower than the bed and sealant can seep under it). It needs to come up the sides just enough so the air pressure smushes it between the bead and the rim sidewall -- that's what keeps the sealant from seeping underneath. You can't depend on thick tape, as it rounds out the bead shelf, neutralizing it. You can't depend on a tire whose bead is kinked or stretches. Get tires with soft rubber coatings on the bead, preferably square-ish in profile, as that's more surface area to mate to the rim sidewall. Mavic's tubeless rims (e.g. the new Open Pro with the 'whale humps' like on Zipp NSW's) are great because they have very tight tolerances and a bead shelf. Nox rims also have the shelf, tight tolerances, and with say, Maxxis ReFuse or Panaracer Gravel King SKs, seal with just a floor pump and not even any sealant. I'm sure there are other combinations (Boyd rims come to mind), but these are known to be easy and reliable to work with.
Bead shelf you say... For a noob this is probably the thing that should go at the start of any tubeless how to video. Check if your rim has a bead shelf. To be fair who would knowingly buy a replacement for a damaged rim without one? Thanks for this useful insight.
I've been riding tubes since 2001 and no problem so far , if I get a flat , I carry a case with patches , sandpaper and tire levers and a mini pump attached to the frame ( 15 minutes and I'm back riding ) and I also have helped a lot of riders on the trails .
@Michael Paul I live in Miami , Florida ; most of the trails lack of sharp rocks and that kind of stuff . I don't do air or rock gardens ... bad , bad experiences . I like long flowy trails .
@Michael Paul You are right , my friend ; I've seen videos of mountain biking in Texas and there so many rocks and sharp surfaces , same shit with Arizona .
Good video. I have some tips that may help. Firstly as already said it is about tolerance. I now put the tyre on the rim I'm converting before any tape, both sides, to give me an idea of how easy the job is going to be and how much tape to use. I had one tyre to rim that was so tight at this stage I broke a lever and gave up. The tyre worked with another wheel so wasn't wasted. Then electrical tape is what I use to seal the spoke holes, starting at either 3 or 9 o clock to the valve hole 2 wraps erring to one side of the rim and then to the other does the sealing job. If the tyre was tight that's enough. If loose I add a layer of a thicker tape, we call it gaffer tape here, a tape that can rip from the roll to the desired rim width. A loose tyre might require one layer or two. Again out comes the electrical tape for another thin layer of 2 wraps. This may sound like a lot of tape, but I am describing for a loose tyre. Other times I've gotten away with say 4 wraps of electrical tape. Advantages over specific tubeless tape are price, especially if you stuff up and building up the fit slowly. Weight would end up similar. The desired tightness is to require one tyre lever to seat the final part of the second bead, not two and a litre of sweat. One day you may need to get it off! Like now. Next is the valve. I use continental valves cut out of old road tubes. You need to be able to remove the core for a floor pump adaptor to inject as much air in quickly. I just make a tiny hole with a needle and screw the valve through the tape for a tight fit. I leave very little rubber from the old tube around the valve, otherwise it gets in the way of the tyre beads. Fit and screw the little round locking nut on the outside of the wheel tightly and keep tightening from time to time as you complete the next steps. Seat the tyre both sides and inflate with a liberal coating of soapy suds everywhere to about 30psi. More and it can explode off the rim. The tyre should pop into place, if not you might need more tape! Painfully this would mean removing the valve and drying the tyre and wheel so try and judge your tape to tyre tightness before getting this far. One lever remember, not doable with hands alone. Finally you are ready to remove the pump, let out all the air and refit the valve core. Peel back about a quarter of the tyre on one side to pour in your sealant of choice. Using a wheel stand or suspending the wheel or having an assistant is handy. Refit, add more soapy side everywhere and it should now pump up easily. 30 psi is again more than enough. Spin it, ride it, add more soap bubbles, swill the liquid wherever you see soapy air action, which you shouldn't. Then you're done for at least 6 months when you might need to add a bit more sealant if warm weather, or when your tyre tread runs out. Oh yes, after the first 5 minute ride you can let out air to the desired pressure. I go as low as 15 for front 29er 2.3 mtb tyres, 20 on the back. Grip is improved and punctures are now fixed without taking the wheel out of the frame with a product like the Samurai sword. I've had to do that only twice in 11 years of running my DIY tubeless, both in the last year and never had to use the spare tube. You will soon have favourite tyres because they were the ones that were easy to fit! I can see the benefit of inflating with a tube to seat one bead so I'm going to try that, but a good dry fit does the same thing. Good luck.
Very detailed and informative John....can see exactly where you're coming from in relation to fine tuning/reducing the gap between tyre and rim with tape to make it easier to pressurise and get seated...Ta
i would add these “musts”: use a special tubeless valve with rubber o-ring to seal, this must have a removable core (this is also easy to remove on the trail so you can install an innertube to get you home to troubleshoot), use soapy foam/water to help the second bead pop, the soapy water will also bubble to help identify tiny leaks on both sides so you can rotate/shake the sealant to seal, put in an inner tube over night at 40psi to help seal the tape to the rim before adding sealant, this is all for weight savings but i’ve put the sealant in the inner tube on my commuter where i didn’t care about weight but still have the benefits of the sealant, make sure you run enough pressure so the tire doesn’t roll off the rim on off-camber trails.
Great video. I have sent my bike off to have a mechanic set it up tubeless. I love the tubeless setup. I have had very few flats and have to think about my tires way less since going tubeless. A few tips I’ve picked up: orange seal doesn’t dry out as fast as other brands, so it works great in warm weather. Having the right tire im combo is important. I always use a tubeless compatible rim with a tubeless tire and have had no burping or loss of pressure. My mechanic uses a heat shrinking tape for the rim? It’s been super durable. Keep up the great channel Russ.
Small tip, when inflating initially, put a bit of pressure with your thumb on they tyre by the valve. It helps get it started without having to pump like a crazy person. Hope this helps
Loved the video, it was a gem! Some things I already knew, but some good new tips here! Also, the comments are pretty helpful! Setting up tubeless for the first time in my bike so I can go on very long rides in rugged terrain with a little more confidence! Just bought a Muc Off tubless system and I'm pretty anxious to see how it performs! Cheers, from Brazil!
I converted my non-tubeless Dyad rims using tubeless-ready tires (Schwalbe AlMotions) about four years ago and have never looked back. No flats since then and no maintenance other than dumping in a bit of sealant every six months or so. The lower pressures are a welcome and comfortable change.
I have been running tubeless since 2013. Growing up in Arizona you had three options riding off road. Go tubeless, run super heavy triple kevlar tires, or replace tubes every five miles (no none of those other gimmicks work there). When I switched from 26 to 29 I ditched the Kevlar tires and went tubeless. It wasn't the greatest set up but it was better than nothing. Than my wife got some Mavic UST rims and tires that I found could easily be set up with a floor pump. From then on I understood the importance of having a tubeless ready wheel and tire. Even though I now live in Idaho and thorns are less prevalent the peace of mind is still worth it to me, it's nice to not have to worry about flats. Not only that but tubeless set ups ride a lot nicer IMO, and with MTB tires and larger there is a measurable weight savings as well. Yes, you can have a shop do it a lot faster but it's always better to know how to do something yourself in my opinion. Plus you are going to have to refresh that sealant, pay a shop every time and that's going to add up.
I use solid rubber tires on my 2 Huffy bike cruisers. These tires are actually filled with hard foam. Supplier is out of Houston, TX (Husky Bicycles). Takes thicker gauge spokes to support. Rougher ride but no flats.
I started tubeless in 2003 when tires and rims were not set-up well for mounting. Today, with tubeless ready rims and tubeless specific tires, it's a breeze....once you seal your rim- as your video noted. Tens of thousands of miles logged tubeless, and I'll only mount a tube in an emergency, never as a first choice. This only applies to cross bikes (gravel today) and mountain bikes. I'm currently running 14.5 psi on Schwalbe Nobby Nics on a rigid titanium Salsa El Mariachi and she runs fine. Finish Line offers a sealant with carbon strips in the fluid; and, it doesn't dry-up, it's ammonia free. I just break the seal every three months, wipe-out the old sealant and rubber tumbleweeds, and add new sealant- beats trailside repairs while hoping to beat the setting sun on a ride back home.
Man, this was such a great video! I think your tips are really going to help make it easier for those in the process of converting. I agree. It really can be a pita. But I honestly think once you get everything dialed it it is your most bombproof configuration. I also found it was best to go straight to soapy water when I'm first seating the tire. And if you didn't already know about the stans injector might give it a shot on your next conversion. I think it's only ten bucks.
I have two additions. 1. Thoroughly clean the rim with isopropanol or brake cleaner before applying the rim tape. 2. After applying the tape (in my case also by Stans Notubes) I use a hair dryer to heat up the rim and tape. I press the tape to the rim with my thumb. So it is easier to achieve a good contact between rim and tape. So all air bubbles disappear. This works best when the rim is mounted in the bike.
I just bought a bike on Craigslist which I only now discovered has a tubeless setup. I'm a little nervous about my first inevitable struggle with these, but kind of excited too. This video, I think, will go a long way toward preventing at least a couple of mistakes. For instance, I DO have a compressor, but it would never have occurred to me to use it to inflate bicycle tires. Great tips, and thanks for sharing the benefit of your experience.
Hey. Thanks for the video. It really gave me a good idea in which direction to go starting out tubeless. But there is no question. Tubeless is the way to go. So many struggles avoided after taking out the tubes. I found a good method for keeping pressure after your done inflating and the tyre is seated is to rotate and bounce the wheel off the ground several times. Maybe for about 5 minutes. Personally I have had some excellent results doing this. Love the channel. Good motivation for myself.
Out-freaking-standing video! It is to the point...and an honest presentation. I have a relatively new tubeless set-up that due to family and health circumstances beyond my control, my bike sat for a couple years. Happily, now riding my bike, one of my Stans is not holding air. I am assuming the sealant is old...and now I think I need to “rebuild” it (new tape, new sealant, etc). My guess is, that even after watching / listening to your experience, I will STILL make some of those mistakes!! I will definitely buy more tape than I “think” I need!
For final inflation of my tube-less set-up I used a CO2 cartridge to ram as much 'air' as possible as fast as I could into the tire. Using a floor-pump just didn't cut it. They now make a floor pump that can hold a much larger volume of air for things like fat bike tires, and possibly tube-less demands. Nice video! Thanks.
I just converted my non-tubeless rims with some Gorilla Tape and just pressed the valve in without poking a hole first. Got them to seat first try with my regular floor pump, then deflated and added sealant. Holding up great at 30psi on the rocky LA gravel descents
I recently also switched to tubeless. I watched dozens of videos, and nowhere is mentioned the many problems that I encountered. The most important - rim tape. It should be wider than the rim, and it should be laid in the center with a finger.
I went tubeless on 700cx32 tires. Running about 60psi whereas I was at 90 before. Much more comfortable and bike doesn't slide in loose gravel anymore. Not worrying about flats is great. Front worked first time, but I did have a lot of trouble setting up rear wheel. Original tire would not seal properly no matter what. After replacing with tubeless specific tire, found air would escape in bursts from valve area. There was also a small leak from rim metal joints but sealant plugged that right up. After replacing rim tape, tires now keep pressure for weeks.
I made all the same mistakes as you. And then, once on the road have had punctures that a) didn’t self seal and b) continued to leak with a plug. My first tubeless tyres fitted so tightly on the rim that putting in a tube roadside would have been impossible. Given my experience of difficult punctures with tubeless, I felt I had to buy another brand of tubeless tyres. Fortunately, they fit better. But I still experience punctures that do not self seal and plugging the hole still allows a slow release of air -needing a boot once I get home.
I always use a bit of soapy water on the unseated rim when "dry mounting". The soapy water helps to slide the bead onto the rim and where air is still leaking it will bubble up. I know to keep pumping air in till the soap bubbles stop. Then I release the air from the valve, remove valve core and insert the sealant (either with a syringe and tube or some Stan's sealant comes with a needle nose cap). Less chance of getting sealant everywhere.
I went tubeless on my mountain bike. I had such good luck with it that I converted my gravel bike too. But, I had non-stop issues with the gravel bike. I really think tubeless works better at lower psi's such as you find on a mountain bike. I have since converted my gravel bike back to tubes.
Went tubeless in 2009. Didn't have any issues because I did my research beforehand and knew all of this. Most of it was in YT vids on Stan's website. But awesome info for the inexperienced here. I would like to add that before tape installation you should thoroughly clean the rim with solvent so that the tape adheres properly.
Well, I had the VERY special case with WTB Riddler 700x37C tan sidewall pair of tires recently. They've been perfectly mounting dry, losing 4-5 psi overnight, which I found fine with any pair of tires I had before, mainly from Schwalbe though, then they were holding air perfectly with sealant, like 1-2 psi a day, which is even more like measuring error, and after a 2-5 days usually in the morning I find my bike grounded on rims, and re-inflating the tire is not an option already, it'll deflate completely in a couple of hours now. I've tried to find a bend on the rim, attempted to re-glue the sealing tape, I switched couple of brands of tape and sealant, I even got Effeto Mariposa's latex reusable sealant Strip, which is thick and in my opinion could help rim bed to be more air tight, but no luck at all, and the scenario had always been the same: perfect beginning but complete fail of the setup in a couple of days with the need to completely re-mount tires. Only reading other reviews with failed attempts to mount these tires (stated to be tubeless compatible!) tubeless on WTB's website convinced me to switching back to Schwalbe G-Ones, which cured the wheels for me.
I went the other direction. When it came time to replace my wheelset, I took a step backward and went tubular. With the advent of and improvements in adhesive rim tape, mounting tubulars is easy and clean. No more permanent gunk on your hands and mounting them true without any wobble can been handled even by a luddite like myself. They're always going to be lighter than clinchers, tubed or tubless and there are still plenty of midrange tire options. Give it a thought.
Ugh, i'm about to go at try #3 on my back tire. First attempt, sealant leaking at rim and wouldn't hold air for more than a few hours. Cleaned everything and retried. After second attempt, sealant leaking at valve stem and flat after about 24 hours. Try number 3 I'm going to pay extra attention to that tape, and make the smallest hole possible. Front tire of course worked first try no problems. Thanks for the tips!
We've been running tubeless for a couple years now and the biggest problem was tire manufacturer's having different tolerances to the different rims. So the dry run is a great way to find this out before you make a big expensive mess.
More expensive at the beginning yes but I get a lot of puncture during my commute and tubeless eventually saved the hustle overall. Pinch punctures fixes themselves as you ride, as witnessed it myself several times. You can get stronger tyre surely with tube option but tubeless is the lighter on the weight. First time I converted I went with the local bike shop but this I am doing it myself and definitely finding it harder. But learning this process is part of the fun.
Your lessons learned are right on!! One other thing that has been very important for me is removal no the valve core for initial inflation and then injecting sealant through the coreless valve.
Every tire is different when going tubeless. I went tubeless on my Ibis Ripmo mtb. It was relatively easy and it was my first time doing it myself. Second time, I was unsuccessful. The tires are the WTB Horizon Road Plus tubeless tires on the Kona Rove. I couldn’t get both beads to seat. Used all the tricks from the internet (seat one side with tube, soap bubbles, took out valve core, etc.) I literally just dropped off my tires at the bike shop to see if they have better luck than me. I’ve had 3 flats with tubes on this bike and it’s worth it for me to go tubeless.
GREAT VIDEO. Now I'm interested in how you'll feel in 6 months, and how much of a pain it is to clean out the gunk and put in new gunk. I'm on the bubble for my commuter bike and I'm relying on YOU to help me figure it all out.
Hi, One option I like is to use a rim strip. You also have to use the yellow tape (if it is a Stans conversion) but the strip helps the tire to seat better, especially if the rim is not tubeless. I have converted several sets of wheels and have never had a problem. I'm even Still using the same 26 inch pair of strips in my current 27.5 rims,
Bro!! Yeah what a pain in the a**!!! All the problems you in countered without a bike shop nearby to get more tape. The compressor was clutch for seating the tires to the rim but overall, totally worth it!!!
I've had amazing luck with tubeless on my MTB, but terrible luck with tubeless on my gravel bike. I've learnt that the pressures have to be much lower than you would think, even for road use. Even though Panaracer Gravelkings are rated to 60PSI tubeless, in practice neither the tyres or most rims are rated to that (which I later found out after reading data sheets). I found this out after having the rear tyre completely blowing off the rim twice at 50PSI and 45PSI, with the latter occuring while riding which trashed my rim. I'm about to give tubeless another go once I replace my rim, but i'm not going to exceed 40PSI.
Don’t know what your tire widths are but 50 and 45 is really HIGH for a lot of gravel tires. I ride mostly 650b x 47 and the tires rarely go north of 30psi. Those tire ratings on the tire has nothing to do with performance but with safety. It a number that is suppose to be half of what it will take to blow the tire off with a tube.
@@PathLessPedaledTV Yep I know that now! But in my defence, without prior knowledge, if you see "tubeless compatible up to 60PSI" stated by the manufacturer as a feature, you assume that 60PSI is a safe operating limit with a safety factor, not an absolute failure limit. So even operating at 80% of that limit should be fine safety-wise, even if it's not advisable from ride quality perspective (which i'm now aware of). But the rim pressure limit was another thing I wasn't aware of. So definitely a learning experience. I run 700x43 GKs. I got used to the feeling of higher pressures with a rigid bike first with road tyres at 100PSI and then gravel tyres using tubes at 60PSI. So it's taking a while to get used to riding with the extra compliance of lower pressures with tubeless (i.e. supple) without thinking that my tyres are going flat.
should repost/update this video, super helpful, just found it now after been subbed for months, would love to know other things you've learned since and your experience with tubeless, never tried
- Pre-work: Scotch-brite the inner rim prior to taping, and clean with compressed air and/or alcohol. This roughs up the interior anodizing and gives the tape a better adherence surface. - Step 4-b: Leave the inflated tube in the tire overnight, and inflate to a modestly high pressure, vis-a-vis recommendations. This will help the tape adhere really well to the rim. I cannot stress this step enough.
Tubless on my Karate monkey from the start ,no problems. After years of riding tubes and high end road bikes ,changed my style completely, bought a Gunnar Hyper X flat mount "gravel" bike, Dt Swiss C1800 wheel set Teravail 700c x 38 tires. Running these tubeless , love it but still having issues with slow air loss. Good tips on the tape job, thanks!
Awesome, awesome tips! I would think one of the other benefits of tip #4, inflating a tube in the tire to "seat" the tire beads is the tube, when expanding inside the tire and against the rim, will help "press" and effectively "seat" the newly installed tape against the little nooks and crannies of the interior rim.Thanks so much for this great video!
I just converted to tubeless today on my Giant Stance 29er. The hardest thing for me (by far) was getting the sealing tape on neatly so that that it was completely flat against the rim. Also, highly recommend using an injection system or syringe to get the sealant into the tire through the stem. I did the first without a syringe, pouring the sealant in and inflating to seal bead, and it was more difficult and messy than using the syringe method.
I reverted back from tubeless to tubes. I've Ryde Taurus 21 rims with Maxxis Minion DHF tyre in front. The biggest, and frankly the only problem I encountered was air leaking around valve. Last valve I tried was Effetto Mariposa Caffe which has conical rubber fitting. I tightened the screw on valve only by my hand, no tools were used. I pumped it up to ~45psi. I was loosing pressure slowly, it stabilized around 38 psi ( I ride ~30psi). Next day I went on pump track and rode around for a bit. All seemed ok. After two days when I came back I had very low pressure (10psi). I pumped it up to 35 but air was leaking around valve more rapidly now. Later I found out that the rubber fitting was destroyed and pushed back too much into rim. For the time being I gave up on this setup. Maybe that rim is just not good enough for the valve. Or maybe I'm doing something wrong.
Things i wish i had known from tourer perspective: 1. Going bikepacking/touring tubeless you must have 100% confidence in setup you’d be using. Dont use newly set up wheels, you have to test your setup and let it break in. Some tires can come off the rim even if set up correctly. You dont want it to happen in the middle of nowhere. 2. You need to train yourself repairing tubeless tires on the route. Sealant all over you can ruin your day and your clothes. 3. You need backup: at least 2 tubes, patches, levers, extra sealant and are obvious things, but I also take with me: valve adapter for car tire compressor, valve core remover, rubber gloves, some paper towels to soak in sealant and zipper a bag. Sealant is not environmentally neutral so you don’t want to clean it up in case you need to switch to tubes. 4. Because of above tubeless Setup for touring/bike packing doesn’t mean weight saving. 5. Local bike shops are rarely prepared to fix tubeless (at least in Europe and Japan) 6. Not all tubeless tires offer the ride quality improvements over tubes (if not for being able to run lower pressures).
I’ve been running tubeless for around 20 years. Mostly for mountainbike but a little for road and cross. It can be fiddle but the ride quality and rare flats is worth it.
Thanks for the video...and thanks all for the comments! Going tubeless on my fatty, got my tape and sealant and tires on the way. Don't know what I'd do without RUclips, I swear!
Thanks! Getting a new bike built up and have never had tubeless before. I am planning on doing some trips where the tubeless benefits will be needed (remote off road touring) so these tips are a good starting point for when I take the plunge.
Good tips. You forgot the golden rule to seat the tires bead initially: REMOVE the valve core. You need the most airflow you can get to get it into the beadseat. Dry seating would be the second most important step. To find leaks soapy water is excellent as it bubbles even when it's just little air escaping the rim. For rim tire combos that are too loose there is a great product: Skinny Stripper. Originally these latex rimstrips were developed for fatbikes as FattyStripper (fun to google the product, especially with the wife looking over your shoulder). Fatbike used to be difficult to setup early on. The manufacturer realized that for cyclocross the needs are similar. Basically it's a latex rimstrip that overlaps over the beadseat reducing the gap between tire and rim, making it a lot easier to fit the tire tubeless. Once it's seated you trim the overlap with an exacto knife or a blade and off you go. Works very well.
Instead of installing and inflating a tube, after you tape your rim, just spray soapy water down into the bead all the way around both sides of the wheel and inflate to seat the bead that way. The soapy water will help the tire slide into the bead easier and if there are any leaks you will see the soapy water bubble and you can address that before you fill with sealant. Once you filled the tire with the air that you want and know there are no leaks then just pull the valve core to release the air, add your sealant, and reinflate. I also then spritzed the bead area again with the soapy water after reinflation just to make sure there were no other leaks.
I didn't realize you weren't tubeless. I've been tubeless for a couple years now and have done a fair amount of setups and some go easy and some don't. Part if it is due to the fact that there isn't a standard that the companies follow. I agree with you on making sure you do a good job with your tape and I like your tip on cutting an x, I'm going to try that!
Tubeless is a funny thing. Ive had lots of issues with a certain rim and tyre combo, and Ive had zero issues with other rim tyre setups. It it hit and miss for me! But once its working well there is no better option. With us though, because we travel by plane often, letting down the tyres by only a few psi is best otherwise there could be sealant all over the inside of the box when you go to unpack! Another nice video!
Best thing I ever did was buy a compressor, it makes life so much easier when dealing with Tubeless, even reusing/remounting tyres that are a bit looser on the bead becomes an easy job
If you want beefy arms, just go tubeless...lol Great video, actually very honest. I am one who will stay with tubes, I ALMOST went for it, but besides all that happens to a person who wants to make the change, but the cost, then there's the maintenance, as the liquid dries up after a few months. That just ruined any thoughts of changing to tubeless. ..I did a ride with 5 riders, 2 of us were tubers, and the other three tubeless, well one got a puncture and as the tyre spun it sprayed that latex crud EVERYWHERE!! AND it just covered his butt, legs, & bike! I offered a tube and because of that sticky crap he had a hard time till FINALLY he got going, straight home that is, to wash off, his bike, himself, and peel the tire off to wash everything off... I actually like to hear people say, "Hey it's working fine for now", but I have been using tube and tire for years, and in my humble opinion, it works for me, AND much, much cheaper :-)
True but we have no idea how many holes that had already been sealed by his sealant, that would have given him a flat on tubes. Spraying liquid is certainly inconvenient. If tubes work for you and you want to save cash and time - I say stay on tubes! =) But considering nothing is stopping a tubeless user from bringing a plug kit as his second layer of defense, and a spare tube as his third layer, that rider will have all the defenses to keep his ride going.
Great tips, thanks. I’d like to mention another point, which is to refill with new sealant. Depending on climate/ temperatures, it could be as often as every 3 months. I opened a mtb tyre which I had set up tubeless 6 months prior and the sealant was mostly turned to rubberised gunk.
Big tip -- when first seating the tire (dry seating) -- inflate without the valve core. Remove the valve core, inflate with compressor, CO2, or pump... much higher volume into the tire quickly. One seated, it will deflate when you remove the air inflator -- add some sealant through the valve, and then add the valve core and inflate. Voila. If having really hard time seating the tire -- add a second layer of tape to help push the tire bead up to the sides of the rim
Julie's Invite is tubeless and constantly losing pressure in both but mainly the rear. Have removed, cleaned, reseated, checked the valve, tyre, etc. Now we carry an extra tube which I've never had to do before... Ironic 🙄
I've been considering it, since I'm replacing the wheels on my bike and the new ones are tubeless compatible. But I'm so used to tubes that for my application - unsupported long distance offroad touring - I'm just going to stick with them. Your video and the comments below have pretty much confirmed that tubeless is not the way for me. For a bike for just riding locally I can see the benefits though.
If someone is having trouble getting tubless tires to seal (loosing 2-4psi over a few days, going totally flat in 4-5 days etc), then pump them up to 40 psi and do the "soap trick," get some soapy Dawn water and put the suds slowly and carefully all over the tire/rim/valve stem and watch for small air bubbles slowing growing before your eyes. leak found.
Patient Swim honestly I have since learned how awesome Stan’s tubeless sealant really is. I converted by tires to tubeless and had leaks everywhere at first but after sloshing that stuff around it completely fixed them. No need to do the soap test. But good point, the soap test only lets you know where a (slow) leak is coming from, then up to you to fix it.
Nice video! Just a few quick questions (if anyone knows) 1. Recently I changed to tires that happen to be tubeless easy (TLE) ones and my bike mechanic asked me whether I wanted to try tubeless. I did so he hooked me up a pair of Schalbe G-ONE rather beefy tires as well as Schwalbe Doc Blue sealant. Now after 6 months I haven't had any flats on my adventure touring bike but I want to top up sealant. However I read on the internet that Stan's NoTubes Race sealant is a better choice compared to Schwalbe's Doc Blue (which is supposed to be the exact same sealant as Stan's regular TIRE sealant. Can I just top up with Stan's NoTubes RACE sealant after a few months? or do I need to first remove the tire, clean it completely and then use Stan's RACE? 2. Stan's claims that their RACE sealant may not be injected through the valve since it is very likely to clog it. Can anyone confirm that, or do you guys tend to disagree with this statement. 3. Do you prefer Stan's RACE sealant over Stan's regular TIRE sealant for long distance bike travelling and adventure cycling? 4. I'm considering a Schwalbe Tire booster/aka Airshot compressor. Does anyone have experience with this compressor? many thanks everyone for your potential reply. Cheers from The Netherlands!
Tim Lange, I run 3.8in tires, so you might want to consider that with my answers. As long as I can hear sealant sloshing, I don’t clean out and replace the sealant. I’ve used Stan’s and Stan’s race, and I’m not sure the race stuff justifies the extra cost. I’ve tended to go with regular Stan’s and just use more (fatter tires). The bike shop guy told me the same thing about Stan’s race through the valve clogging it up, but I’ve used my small trail refill bottle to carefully (slowly) squeeze tubeless race sealant through the valve stem. I’ve never used compressor or tire booster. On my fat tires, I wrap para cord around the circumference of the tire and cinch it, to kind of push the tire walls into the the rim better. Then a floor pump is good enough. For my 50mm tires, I just use a CO2 cartridge and that pings them right out.
I got a flat on my mountain bike. Tire seems to be sealed to rim. I don't know anything about tubeless tires on bikes. They sound like a pain in the ass to me. Rim tape, sealant, putting an inner tube in and riding it then taking it out. I am old school. We used to use inner tubes. If you got a flat you simply put on a patch, inflated your tire and went on your merry way. This tubeless sounds way too complicated. More complicated than it needs to be. I'll bet if I didn't have tubeless like I suspect I probably do i wouldn't have gotten a flat. The tire is worn out. Can I replace the tire and put in a new inner tube? Any advice from you guys out there will be helpful. Thanks so much.
Make sure you use the slime that is specifically meant for tubes. The seal would only be effective if the object that cause the puncture is removed. The other problem is injecting the sealant into the tube, this can be pretty messy as the sealant clogs up the valve hole.
Still haven’t yet converted to tubeless and about two. What I would like to know from you now, in hindsight, is whether or not the right quality, mixed with the ability to go lower pressure is revolutionary or not? I am a newbie with all of this and really not clear that with the bigger tires in an inner tube if you’re limited in how low your tire pressure can go? Obviously with the older much smaller tires, You would have had a pinch flat if you tried lowering the pressure much at all
No tubeless for me. I’ve torn enough sidewalls in the backcountry. Have used powerbar wrappers, bailing wire and even stuffed the tire with grass to get home. I’ll take the extra weight of tubes for the repair ability. Nice vid!
This can't help but come off somewhat arrogant and elitist, but line choice & unweighting the bike through tricky terrain is the best way to prevent sidewall damage. I raced issue-free with the mother of all thin sidewalls (original Racing Ralphs - *before snakeskin*) weekly at the local elite / pro level. Prior to tubeless >> pinch flats
Tubeless is the way to go, without a doubt. Been tubeless for two years now, for me that’s meant 2 years of puncture free riding! If you have tubeless ready tyres, it;s all so easy! It really is! Use Gorilla tape! Don’t put a tube in, no need for that at all! Get your tyre on, pump it up. Remove valve core, inject sealant, replace core, re inflate the tyre and hey presta! You’re good to go! Only tip I have is, get yourself a tyre inflator booster. For that initial air inflation into the tyre. You’ll never look back and you won’t be at the side of the road fixing punctures when you want to be riding either. Peace and love!
Two tips: 1. Use a cartridge inflator to seat the tire. I've been doing this for years. 2. Buy a valve with a removable stem and after you seat the tire, pour the sealant into the stemless valve. It is easy if you cut the sealant cap to fit the valve and slide it over the valve as a funnel. Also, compress the tire slightly while pouring in the sealant and decompress as you fill.
I use a icepick (redhot) to melt a little hole in the tape to put the valve in. Pumping wise... You can put some soapy water around the edges... it makes a sort of temporary seal = a little less "vigorously pumping". At least thats what she said.
Wow this was less of the advantages of tubeless and more of your learning the set up. I would suggest a "review" after you've used the tubeless set up awhile. I have had tubeless set up for years without issue on more than one kind of tire, and I will never go back to tubes. I have only had issues when the shop made a mistake setting it up. Its saved me countless times, and I don't miss tubes or patches. I do think that the title is honest and appropriate. I did smile while listening to your rookie mistakes. Again, I'd really like to hear long term follow up on this conversion. Enjoy the channel keep up the great content.
Michael Smith As someone who went through a similar learning process to Russ, I think the title of the video is spot on. Many people tell you it's easy, when in fact it's just that some combinations of rim and tyre are relatively straightforward, others can be a total bitch. I've been running tubeless for two years on three bikes. They ride very well, and I won't ever run tubes in my mountain bikes again. Narrower (circa 40mm) tyres have been much more trouble for me, and I've recently moved my cross bike back to tubes. Non tubeless tyres are much easier to change (they're nowhere near as tight), and given that I want to put tyres appropriate to the task on this bike, being able to change them in under 20 minutes is well worth the risk of punctures. Also, Russ wasn't reviewing tubeless here. He was sharing what he's learned in setting it up himself. I've got some experience in this area now, and on my cross bike's tyre/wheel combo I think it's a total bitch. Even with something like an Airshot. On my mountain bikes, it's really easy.
I used electrical tape, old valve stems from popped tubes and automotive tire sealant and it actually worked by some miracle. Wouldn’t recommend this because it didn’t work on another tire and there was a very slow leak that took about 4 days to deflate the tire. After I changed out the automotive tire sealant for stans no tubes and it worked great. I would recommend gorilla tape over electrical tape because electrical tape rips off the rim sometimes if you take the tire off the wrong way. And an air compressor makes the process 100x easier.
Yeah. Alot of people think the sealant seals the tyre. Only seals the hole from a puncture. Co canisters will make the sealant go off inside the tyre too
One tip that I felt kind of dumb until it hit me - after adding sealant the last time on one of my tires the bead wouldn't seat. No problem - remove valve core, use the reservoir "manual" compressor, bead seats. Ok but now what - you have no core and if you take the pump off the bead falls away. Finally on the third time did it right - remove the pump - quickly get finger on stem - now quickly move finger and get core back on there. Voila bead still seated. Now inflate away.
I'd love to see a video of how to install an emergency tube in the event of a tubeless failure on the road. Everyone says to carry a tube even if you ride tubeless, but I've yet to see someone install the tube alongside the road.
My tube and boot is just for in case of catastrophic failure when I’m 25+ miles from any kind of civilization. Like a hole I can’t plug in the side wall. Never had use it, but can’t bring myself to not pack it.
@@SmuggiNOLA on a gravel group ride last year I had a guy that crashed me and my bike, and tore a hole in my sidewall with his cleat stepping on my wheel while falling down from his bike) He also bent my rim and broke a spoke, but that's whole another story) We were 45 miles away from any civilization and about 10 miles from the major road, and all I want to say is that you'll never know where the problem would come from)
Three things I've learnt: 1. A new tubeless ready tyre can be very stiff and hard to mount. They get softer after some time with sealant inside, and much easier to mount/remove. 2. I have rims with a central depression around the inside. This makes fitting the rim tape so that it seals much more difficult. 3. It seems that normal is to use presta valves. I prefer schrader. Attention, many things tubeless are presta-only, even if that is not made clear. for example Aieshot booster. Tubeless should be the way to go, just as in cars. There is work to do to make them as trouble free as on car tyres.
Ok here it goes if anyone reads this, just more pointers/thoughts.
1. The most important part of setting up tubeless, regardless of what tape your using, is to first run a tube for a few rides after the tape has been installed, this will ensure your tape is seated/sealed. Also if you have a new tire this will stretch out any folds in a hard casting (new Continental MTB tires need this). Tape install may also be made easier by cleaning your rim surface with alcohol prior.
2. Gorilla tape, ~1", can make for less pain on tape install and the longevity of the tape.
3. I normally make a hole in my tape by melting it with a metal poker and lighter, i've had stans tape split after cutting an x.
4. I've had problems with the valve stem leaking over the years (cx mag had an article on these lately) so I generally like to use gasket maker and an o-ring against the rim surface. This has made this area a little more leak-proof.
5. I used to think that seating one side of the tire was beneficial, but now I disagree, on some tires this will cause too large of a gap and prevent a tire from seating at all.
6. To make the process easier it is always recommended to use an air compressor and soapy water to lube that bead.
7. Remember to add sealant after 2-3 months (thru the valve stem, don't ever break the bead if you don't have to). You should be riding a bike setup tubeless enough to have to replace your tires after 6. If not, in my opinion, tubeless is not for you.
Hope that helps. Tubeless is great when you get it right. Cheers!
I agree with you except for a small difference on point 1. I put the tape on, put a tube in, inflate to a high pressure (below the label maximum of course), and let it cure for 24 hours. I've never had a problem if I do this. Patience is key. For what it's worth, I have about 35k miles on tubeless road setups (mostly 700x38, but other sizes as well.)
Don’t know about 7. If your going to ride in a way that’s prone to punctures, and pinch flats if you run tubes, tubeless is the way to go. I run tubeless on my street bike (couple of hundred miles a week) and my fat bike (less than 1k miles a year). But I wouldn’t dream of taking my fat bike on single track or into the desert with tubes. I pack a tube (with a healthy dose of Stan’s in it) in case of tubeless catastrophic failure.
Did you mean to say 6 months? I'm new so not sure how often I'll be replacing tires.
" replace your tires after 6" Six what?
@@curiousgeorge555 I think I meant this in a few ways, mainly if you don't ride your bike weekly I wouldn't recommend tubeless. It can require that muck more effort to get a bike moving after storage. Also, depending on the tire/trail types/environment/how much you ride, tires maybe only get one refill before the tread is worn-out, which can be after 6 months of hard riding. IMO The perfect scenario is if you only break the bead once in a tires life; when removing to throw it away.
I converted two bikes to tubeless. One conversion was done by an excellent bike shop. The other done by me. I had tires going flat (slow leak) on both bikes after 4-6 weeks of commuter riding. I've ridden tubes for years and I have never had a failure from patching a tube on a tour. They are a known quantity. I thought about a tour I did 2 years ago where I ran off the road and crashed my front wheel into a large boulder. The side of the rim was dented badly. There is no way a tubeless tire would have reseated against that rim. But I was running tubes. I installed a spare tube, pumped it up and rode the remaining 40 miles without a hitch. Being able to get home in a remote area is far more important than how "bulletproof" tubeless is alleged to be. I am considering Rene Hearse TPU tubes, but I will never do tubeless again.
Great video. I went tubeless and now I am back to using inner tubes. I am now searching sealant to inner tube. Thanks again for your video.
I ride in the desert and having tubless tires have made my life much easier. I agree that doing the conversation yourself is very helpful on understanding how to fix your flats if you ever get one
For frequently ridden bikes, it is worth the effort and learning all the new maintenance details. On my tubeless bikes, I've only ever had a flat when the tyre was significantly slashed. I still carry a tube for that eventuality but have given away more tubes to stranded riders than I have used for myself.
This is the best video you have ever made. An honest review of everything that can go wrong. It may be your unique niche -- apart from the fish.
I’ve literally just changed to tubeless before watching this video it went really well. I put it off for so long because I was worried it wouldn’t go according to plan! I watched endless RUclips videos before taking the plunge. It’s actually so much easier fitting tires not having to worry about punching the inner tube
Wow thanks for this video. Made me realize that I love tubes. So many comments on here detract the simplicity of just getting out there to ride!
Ok, 1) first pump up your bank account, and set aside a lot of time, get ready for a lot of web surfing and garage time, 2) get the right tubeless wheels, 3) get the right tubeless tires, 4) get an air compressor or air compressor type pump, 5) get the right sealant (environ friendly, CO2 compatible, repair bacon compatible, never mix sealant brands), 6) get a tubeless tire repair kit including A) a tubeless valve stem tool B) a tubeless hole repair tool and bacon strips, C) CO2 cartridges [2 min], D) CO2 inflator tool , E) good tire tools, F) extra valve stems with removable cores, G) you may need 10-12 zip ties and a cutter - the zip ties can be used to lightly press the tire to the wheel in hopes of promoting a better tire-to-wheel seal before you use your last CO2 cartridge - there are different zipping strategies for different tires 7) labor: mounting and sealing for the 1st time can be really messy - get a sealant syringe or lots of rags and soapy water 8) If you get air leakage, go back to shop or garage, take tire off, check the sealing tape, if needed, clean wheel and tire and valve stem with warm soapy water, dry and start all over, buy a better brand of tape, buy a lot of tape, remount tire, remount valve stem, add new sealant, 9) for adventurers far from help, its always smart to carry an inner tube - say what? . . . OR just do what 95% of professional bike racers do - just forget the tubeless cure-worse-than-the-disease craziness and use a really good tube (e.g. Specialized, Michelin, Conte) inflated to a reasonable pressure and go riding. :)
Or go to a shop and do it for 35 dollars
It's literally not rocket science... you put some tire goo in the correct tire and rims and you're good to go no flats no issues you can go low pressure it's great
Not gonna convert to tubeless cuz wheels aren't tubeless ready. Better save up $ for a brand new gravel.
@@CERVEZAslamor just dont spend an extra 35 dollars on the 300 dollars you already spent going tubeless
Hahaha you said it all.
I needed this video. Struggling through home repairs and learning along the way has become my thing since I don’t have a bike shop in my town. I got a pair of gravel tires for Christmas, and I was getting really discouraged by trying to go tubeless. I ran into every problem you did. Thank you.
Excellent Video! Tip for tubeless newbies: Lezyne Pressure Overdrive model floor pump. The pump has an air reservoir that you fill first, then release a fast, large volume of air at once by flipping a foot lever. Tubeless is a pain in the ass, but it is worth it in the southwest where you can pick up six goat-head thorns in the front and back tire at the same time. I was almost crying in the garage one night trying to set up new tires cleaning up old sealant, taping, valves, tires. Egad, even mounting tubeless tires can make you reach for the whiskey!
Tubeless is the way to go for me. To add to your dry test. If a fully pumped tire looks good, no need to unseat the tire again to add sealant. Hopefully you bought removeable core valve stems. Just deflate the tire, remove the valve core, and then squeeze in some sealant. Reinflate.
MrHockaluger best comment ever
Tubeless is not the X factor people make out, And when you do get a problem It's a real pain in the ass to sort! I just put sealant in my tubes and carry foam for any moments... Job done!
How stupid ! [ The host can be ... ( no offense ). Just use the inner tube itself to contain the slime sealant itself . "Wanna" a better 'tubeless' than the tube ITSELF ????!???? So help me Lord!!!!!
Manuel Luis,the thing is,it isn’t tubeless if you’ve got a tube in🤣🤣to be honest tubeless is a real pain in the arse if you don’t use the bike enough like me 👍
I find tubeless setups get more tricky with higher pressure tires (like road bike tires). Lower pressure setups (like mountain bike) are much easier. Gravel bike is sort of in between. Depends on the tire width. Anyway, use a tube to "cure" the system and leave it overnight. After removing the tube, use a brush to paint a little sealant on the bead then hit it with a floor pump or compressor (best). At this point it's dry mounted (no sealant added yet). Leave it dry mounted. Get a spray bottle and put soapy water in it. Spray the spoke nipples and value stem and check for bubbles. If everything was done properly, there should be no bubble and the tire should hold air for hours (or even overnight) dry mounted. The longer it hold air dry mounted the better your setup is. (use it like a gauge). After all that, I recommend injecting the sealant into the tire through the valve hole. Remove core first obviously. Re-inflate. Now bounce the wheel around or pick it up and shake it around to splash the sealant around the inside of the tire. Re-install the wheel onto the bike and take it for a short ride. It should be very solid setup after that!
Another perfect example why you are important; where else do I get honest 'don't do this' advice? You do that excellently!! Thanks!
I'm actually thinking of going back to tubes. I never had a problem with them and life was simpler with them....for casual riding.
Well, I am cycling around 15000km/year and had this year my first two flats with tubes. Tubeless is the way to go in mountainbiking as I heard, but with all other bikes tubes do great.
My problems with tubes were common sense problems and easier to repair (or get repaired at my local bike shop). Went tubeless 3 years ago and never ending problem with tire. 3 different repair shops, tire replace twice - valves gumming up and today gel leaked out, valve came apart and can't get air in now. Would not go this route again.
@@sebastianr1204 or you can put sealant inside tubes like i did
@@ForkInTheButt have you had a puncture that had sealed with the sealant in the tube ?
I cut a old tube all the way around and use it as a buffer between the tire and new tube .
I have hit a couple of 3 inch jagged rocks that they use here to fill pot holes and this time no flat .
For casual riding there’s no need for tubeless
I went tubless and used finish lines long lasting sealant. No issues yet with lightsingle track riding on 275+ tyres. A garden weed pressure sprayer is a great hack to use instead of a compressor. The water inlet tube inside the bottles can replace the hard nozzle extension (hard pipe between nozzle and trigger) and the water inlet tube matches a presta vale perfectly. There are a few vids online about it.
Short version: it's all about tolerances. Long version: It's all about tolerances. You can't depend on a loose-fitting tire. You can't depend on a rim that's undersized -- either diameter or width. If the diameter is too small, the tire can slide around and possibly pop into the rim bed's central well. If the width is too small (e.g. half the width of your tire), it's not well-supported during cornering, and can lead to burping and rolling it off the rim. You can't depend on a rim without a bead shelf -- it keeps a (properly sized) tire pushing against the rim sides, and thus sealed -- without it the bead can more easily slide into the rim's central channel. You can't depend on a tire with bumps of rubber on the bead (from where rubber was injected during molding) -- just another pinhole through which air/sealant can leak. Clip them off with nail clippers. You can't depend on tape that's too narrow (narrower than the bed and sealant can seep under it). It needs to come up the sides just enough so the air pressure smushes it between the bead and the rim sidewall -- that's what keeps the sealant from seeping underneath. You can't depend on thick tape, as it rounds out the bead shelf, neutralizing it. You can't depend on a tire whose bead is kinked or stretches. Get tires with soft rubber coatings on the bead, preferably square-ish in profile, as that's more surface area to mate to the rim sidewall. Mavic's tubeless rims (e.g. the new Open Pro with the 'whale humps' like on Zipp NSW's) are great because they have very tight tolerances and a bead shelf. Nox rims also have the shelf, tight tolerances, and with say, Maxxis ReFuse or Panaracer Gravel King SKs, seal with just a floor pump and not even any sealant. I'm sure there are other combinations (Boyd rims come to mind), but these are known to be easy and reliable to work with.
Bead shelf you say... For a noob this is probably the thing that should go at the start of any tubeless how to video. Check if your rim has a bead shelf. To be fair who would knowingly buy a replacement for a damaged rim without one?
Thanks for this useful insight.
I've been riding tubes since 2001 and no problem so far , if I get a flat , I carry a case with patches , sandpaper and tire levers and a mini pump attached to the frame ( 15 minutes and I'm back riding ) and I also have helped a lot of riders on the trails .
@Michael Paul I live in Miami , Florida ; most of the trails lack of sharp rocks and that kind of stuff . I don't do air or rock gardens ... bad , bad experiences . I like long flowy trails .
@Michael Paul You are right , my friend ; I've seen videos of mountain biking in Texas and there so many rocks and sharp surfaces , same shit with Arizona .
Good video. I have some tips that may help. Firstly as already said it is about tolerance. I now put the tyre on the rim I'm converting before any tape, both sides, to give me an idea of how easy the job is going to be and how much tape to use. I had one tyre to rim that was so tight at this stage I broke a lever and gave up. The tyre worked with another wheel so wasn't wasted. Then electrical tape is what I use to seal the spoke holes, starting at either 3 or 9 o clock to the valve hole 2 wraps erring to one side of the rim and then to the other does the sealing job. If the tyre was tight that's enough. If loose I add a layer of a thicker tape, we call it gaffer tape here, a tape that can rip from the roll to the desired rim width. A loose tyre might require one layer or two. Again out comes the electrical tape for another thin layer of 2 wraps. This may sound like a lot of tape, but I am describing for a loose tyre. Other times I've gotten away with say 4 wraps of electrical tape. Advantages over specific tubeless tape are price, especially if you stuff up and building up the fit slowly. Weight would end up similar. The desired tightness is to require one tyre lever to seat the final part of the second bead, not two and a litre of sweat. One day you may need to get it off! Like now. Next is the valve. I use continental valves cut out of old road tubes. You need to be able to remove the core for a floor pump adaptor to inject as much air in quickly. I just make a tiny hole with a needle and screw the valve through the tape for a tight fit. I leave very little rubber from the old tube around the valve, otherwise it gets in the way of the tyre beads. Fit and screw the little round locking nut on the outside of the wheel tightly and keep tightening from time to time as you complete the next steps. Seat the tyre both sides and inflate with a liberal coating of soapy suds everywhere to about 30psi. More and it can explode off the rim. The tyre should pop into place, if not you might need more tape! Painfully this would mean removing the valve and drying the tyre and wheel so try and judge your tape to tyre tightness before getting this far. One lever remember, not doable with hands alone. Finally you are ready to remove the pump, let out all the air and refit the valve core. Peel back about a quarter of the tyre on one side to pour in your sealant of choice. Using a wheel stand or suspending the wheel or having an assistant is handy. Refit, add more soapy side everywhere and it should now pump up easily. 30 psi is again more than enough. Spin it, ride it, add more soap bubbles, swill the liquid wherever you see soapy air action, which you shouldn't. Then you're done for at least 6 months when you might need to add a bit more sealant if warm weather, or when your tyre tread runs out. Oh yes, after the first 5 minute ride you can let out air to the desired pressure. I go as low as 15 for front 29er 2.3 mtb tyres, 20 on the back. Grip is improved and punctures are now fixed without taking the wheel out of the frame with a product like the Samurai sword. I've had to do that only twice in 11 years of running my DIY tubeless, both in the last year and never had to use the spare tube. You will soon have favourite tyres because they were the ones that were easy to fit! I can see the benefit of inflating with a tube to seat one bead so I'm going to try that, but a good dry fit does the same thing. Good luck.
Very detailed and informative John....can see exactly where you're coming from in relation to fine tuning/reducing the gap between tyre and rim with tape to make it easier to pressurise and get seated...Ta
i would add these “musts”: use a special tubeless valve with rubber o-ring to seal, this must have a removable core (this is also easy to remove on the trail so you can install an innertube to get you home to troubleshoot), use soapy foam/water to help the second bead pop, the soapy water will also bubble to help identify tiny leaks on both sides so you can rotate/shake the sealant to seal, put in an inner tube over night at 40psi to help seal the tape to the rim before adding sealant, this is all for weight savings but i’ve put the sealant in the inner tube on my commuter where i didn’t care about weight but still have the benefits of the sealant, make sure you run enough pressure so the tire doesn’t roll off the rim on off-camber trails.
Great video. I have sent my bike off to have a mechanic set it up tubeless. I love the tubeless setup. I have had very few flats and have to think about my tires way less since going tubeless. A few tips I’ve picked up: orange seal doesn’t dry out as fast as other brands, so it works great in warm weather. Having the right tire
im combo is important. I always use a tubeless compatible rim with a tubeless tire and have had no burping or loss of pressure. My mechanic uses a heat shrinking tape for the rim? It’s been super durable.
Keep up the great channel Russ.
Small tip, when inflating initially, put a bit of pressure with your thumb on they tyre by the valve. It helps get it started without having to pump like a crazy person. Hope this helps
Loved the video, it was a gem! Some things I already knew, but some good new tips here! Also, the comments are pretty helpful! Setting up tubeless for the first time in my bike so I can go on very long rides in rugged terrain with a little more confidence! Just bought a Muc Off tubless system and I'm pretty anxious to see how it performs! Cheers, from Brazil!
I converted my non-tubeless Dyad rims using tubeless-ready tires (Schwalbe AlMotions) about four years ago and have never looked back. No flats since then and no maintenance other than dumping in a bit of sealant every six months or so. The lower pressures are a welcome and comfortable change.
I have been running tubeless since 2013. Growing up in Arizona you had three options riding off road. Go tubeless, run super heavy triple kevlar tires, or replace tubes every five miles (no none of those other gimmicks work there). When I switched from 26 to 29 I ditched the Kevlar tires and went tubeless. It wasn't the greatest set up but it was better than nothing. Than my wife got some Mavic UST rims and tires that I found could easily be set up with a floor pump. From then on I understood the importance of having a tubeless ready wheel and tire.
Even though I now live in Idaho and thorns are less prevalent the peace of mind is still worth it to me, it's nice to not have to worry about flats. Not only that but tubeless set ups ride a lot nicer IMO, and with MTB tires and larger there is a measurable weight savings as well.
Yes, you can have a shop do it a lot faster but it's always better to know how to do something yourself in my opinion. Plus you are going to have to refresh that sealant, pay a shop every time and that's going to add up.
I use solid rubber tires on my 2 Huffy bike cruisers. These tires are actually filled with hard foam. Supplier is out of Houston, TX (Husky Bicycles). Takes thicker gauge spokes to support. Rougher ride but no flats.
I started tubeless in 2003 when tires and rims were not set-up well for mounting. Today, with tubeless ready rims and tubeless specific tires, it's a breeze....once you seal your rim- as your video noted. Tens of thousands of miles logged tubeless, and I'll only mount a tube in an emergency, never as a first choice. This only applies to cross bikes (gravel today) and mountain bikes. I'm currently running 14.5 psi on Schwalbe Nobby Nics on a rigid titanium Salsa El Mariachi and she runs fine. Finish Line offers a sealant with carbon strips in the fluid; and, it doesn't dry-up, it's ammonia free. I just break the seal every three months, wipe-out the old sealant and rubber tumbleweeds, and add new sealant- beats trailside repairs while hoping to beat the setting sun on a ride back home.
Man, this was such a great video! I think your tips are really going to help make it easier for those in the process of converting. I agree. It really can be a pita. But I honestly think once you get everything dialed it it is your most bombproof configuration. I also found it was best to go straight to soapy water when I'm first seating the tire. And if you didn't already know about the stans injector might give it a shot on your next conversion. I think it's only ten bucks.
I have two additions.
1. Thoroughly clean the rim with isopropanol or brake cleaner before applying the rim tape.
2. After applying the tape (in my case also by Stans Notubes) I use a hair dryer to heat up the rim and tape. I press the tape to the rim with my thumb. So it is easier to achieve a good contact between rim and tape. So all air bubbles disappear. This works best when the rim is mounted in the bike.
Ah, Tubeless. My general experience has been that it’s a massive pain in the arse to set up but once you’ve sort it it, it really is brilliant.
I just bought a bike on Craigslist which I only now discovered has a tubeless setup. I'm a little nervous about my first inevitable struggle with these, but kind of excited too. This video, I think, will go a long way toward preventing at least a couple of mistakes. For instance, I DO have a compressor, but it would never have occurred to me to use it to inflate bicycle tires. Great tips, and thanks for sharing the benefit of your experience.
Hey. Thanks for the video.
It really gave me a good idea in which direction to go starting out tubeless. But there is no question. Tubeless is the way to go. So many struggles avoided after taking out the tubes. I found a good method for keeping pressure after your done inflating and the tyre is seated is to rotate and bounce the wheel off the ground several times. Maybe for about 5 minutes. Personally I have had some excellent results doing this.
Love the channel. Good motivation for myself.
Out-freaking-standing video! It is to the point...and an honest presentation. I have a relatively new tubeless set-up that due to family and health circumstances beyond my control, my bike sat for a couple years. Happily, now riding my bike, one of my Stans is not holding air. I am assuming the sealant is old...and now I think I need to “rebuild” it (new tape, new sealant, etc). My guess is, that even after watching / listening to your experience, I will STILL make some of those mistakes!! I will definitely buy more tape than I “think” I need!
For final inflation of my tube-less set-up I used a CO2 cartridge to ram as much 'air' as possible as fast as I could into the tire. Using a floor-pump just didn't cut it. They now make a floor pump that can hold a much larger volume of air for things like fat bike tires, and possibly tube-less demands. Nice video! Thanks.
I just converted my non-tubeless rims with some Gorilla Tape and just pressed the valve in without poking a hole first. Got them to seat first try with my regular floor pump, then deflated and added sealant. Holding up great at 30psi on the rocky LA gravel descents
I recently also switched to tubeless. I watched dozens of videos, and nowhere is mentioned the many problems that I encountered. The most important - rim tape. It should be wider than the rim, and it should be laid in the center with a finger.
Thanks for the truly helpful videos. Way more true to life than most.
I went tubeless on 700cx32 tires. Running about 60psi whereas I was at 90 before. Much more comfortable and bike doesn't slide in loose gravel anymore. Not worrying about flats is great. Front worked first time, but I did have a lot of trouble setting up rear wheel. Original tire would not seal properly no matter what. After replacing with tubeless specific tire, found air would escape in bursts from valve area. There was also a small leak from rim metal joints but sealant plugged that right up. After replacing rim tape, tires now keep pressure for weeks.
I made all the same mistakes as you. And then, once on the road have had punctures that a) didn’t self seal and b) continued to leak with a plug. My first tubeless tyres fitted so tightly on the rim that putting in a tube roadside would have been impossible. Given my experience of difficult punctures with tubeless, I felt I had to buy another brand of tubeless tyres. Fortunately, they fit better. But I still experience punctures that do not self seal and plugging the hole still allows a slow release of air -needing a boot once I get home.
I always use a bit of soapy water on the unseated rim when "dry mounting". The soapy water helps to slide the bead onto the rim and where air is still leaking it will bubble up. I know to keep pumping air in till the soap bubbles stop. Then I release the air from the valve, remove valve core and insert the sealant (either with a syringe and tube or some Stan's sealant comes with a needle nose cap). Less chance of getting sealant everywhere.
Thanks for the video tips, there are so many people gonna need the knowledge.
I went tubeless on my mountain bike. I had such good luck with it that I converted my gravel bike too. But, I had non-stop issues with the gravel bike. I really think tubeless works better at lower psi's such as you find on a mountain bike. I have since converted my gravel bike back to tubes.
Went tubeless in 2009. Didn't have any issues because I did my research beforehand and knew all of this. Most of it was in YT vids on Stan's website. But awesome info for the inexperienced here. I would like to add that before tape installation you should thoroughly clean the rim with solvent so that the tape adheres properly.
Well, I had the VERY special case with WTB Riddler 700x37C tan sidewall pair of tires recently. They've been perfectly mounting dry, losing 4-5 psi overnight, which I found fine with any pair of tires I had before, mainly from Schwalbe though, then they were holding air perfectly with sealant, like 1-2 psi a day, which is even more like measuring error, and after a 2-5 days usually in the morning I find my bike grounded on rims, and re-inflating the tire is not an option already, it'll deflate completely in a couple of hours now.
I've tried to find a bend on the rim, attempted to re-glue the sealing tape, I switched couple of brands of tape and sealant, I even got Effeto Mariposa's latex reusable sealant Strip, which is thick and in my opinion could help rim bed to be more air tight, but no luck at all, and the scenario had always been the same: perfect beginning but complete fail of the setup in a couple of days with the need to completely re-mount tires.
Only reading other reviews with failed attempts to mount these tires (stated to be tubeless compatible!) tubeless on WTB's website convinced me to switching back to Schwalbe G-Ones, which cured the wheels for me.
I went the other direction. When it came time to replace my wheelset, I took a step backward and went tubular. With the advent of and improvements in adhesive rim tape, mounting tubulars is easy and clean. No more permanent gunk on your hands and mounting them true without any wobble can been handled even by a luddite like myself. They're always going to be lighter than clinchers, tubed or tubless and there are still plenty of midrange tire options. Give it a thought.
not recommended for anyone living in a city. not recommended for longer rides.
Ugh, i'm about to go at try #3 on my back tire. First attempt, sealant leaking at rim and wouldn't hold air for more than a few hours. Cleaned everything and retried. After second attempt, sealant leaking at valve stem and flat after about 24 hours. Try number 3 I'm going to pay extra attention to that tape, and make the smallest hole possible.
Front tire of course worked first try no problems.
Thanks for the tips!
We've been running tubeless for a couple years now and the biggest problem was tire manufacturer's having different tolerances to the different rims.
So the dry run is a great way to find this out before you make a big expensive mess.
More expensive at the beginning yes but I get a lot of puncture during my commute and tubeless eventually saved the hustle overall. Pinch punctures fixes themselves as you ride, as witnessed it myself several times. You can get stronger tyre surely with tube option but tubeless is the lighter on the weight. First time I converted I went with the local bike shop but this I am doing it myself and definitely finding it harder. But learning this process is part of the fun.
Your lessons learned are right on!! One other thing that has been very important for me is removal no the valve core for initial inflation and then injecting sealant through the coreless valve.
Scott Booth lolol! How fun was it figuring that out? I had it spill all over until the light turned in my head.
Every tire is different when going tubeless. I went tubeless on my Ibis Ripmo mtb. It was relatively easy and it was my first time doing it myself. Second time, I was unsuccessful. The tires are the WTB Horizon Road Plus tubeless tires on the Kona Rove. I couldn’t get both beads to seat. Used all the tricks from the internet (seat one side with tube, soap bubbles, took out valve core, etc.) I literally just dropped off my tires at the bike shop to see if they have better luck than me. I’ve had 3 flats with tubes on this bike and it’s worth it for me to go tubeless.
GREAT VIDEO. Now I'm interested in how you'll feel in 6 months, and how much of a pain it is to clean out the gunk and put in new gunk. I'm on the bubble for my commuter bike and I'm relying on YOU to help me figure it all out.
Hi, One option I like is to use a rim strip. You also have to use the yellow tape (if it is a Stans conversion) but the strip helps the tire to seat better, especially if the rim is not tubeless. I have converted several sets of wheels and have never had a problem. I'm even Still using the same 26 inch pair of strips in my current 27.5 rims,
Bro!! Yeah what a pain in the a**!!! All the problems you in countered without a bike shop nearby to get more tape. The compressor was clutch for seating the tires to the rim but overall, totally worth it!!!
I've had amazing luck with tubeless on my MTB, but terrible luck with tubeless on my gravel bike. I've learnt that the pressures have to be much lower than you would think, even for road use. Even though Panaracer Gravelkings are rated to 60PSI tubeless, in practice neither the tyres or most rims are rated to that (which I later found out after reading data sheets). I found this out after having the rear tyre completely blowing off the rim twice at 50PSI and 45PSI, with the latter occuring while riding which trashed my rim.
I'm about to give tubeless another go once I replace my rim, but i'm not going to exceed 40PSI.
Don’t know what your tire widths are but 50 and 45 is really HIGH for a lot of gravel tires. I ride mostly 650b x 47 and the tires rarely go north of 30psi. Those tire ratings on the tire has nothing to do with performance but with safety. It a number that is suppose to be half of what it will take to blow the tire off with a tube.
@@PathLessPedaledTV Yep I know that now! But in my defence, without prior knowledge, if you see "tubeless compatible up to 60PSI" stated by the manufacturer as a feature, you assume that 60PSI is a safe operating limit with a safety factor, not an absolute failure limit. So even operating at 80% of that limit should be fine safety-wise, even if it's not advisable from ride quality perspective (which i'm now aware of). But the rim pressure limit was another thing I wasn't aware of. So definitely a learning experience. I run 700x43 GKs.
I got used to the feeling of higher pressures with a rigid bike first with road tyres at 100PSI and then gravel tyres using tubes at 60PSI. So it's taking a while to get used to riding with the extra compliance of lower pressures with tubeless (i.e. supple) without thinking that my tyres are going flat.
should repost/update this video, super helpful, just found it now after been subbed for months, would love to know other things you've learned since and your experience with tubeless, never tried
- Pre-work: Scotch-brite the inner rim prior to taping, and clean with compressed air and/or alcohol. This roughs up the interior anodizing and gives the tape a better adherence surface.
- Step 4-b: Leave the inflated tube in the tire overnight, and inflate to a modestly high pressure, vis-a-vis recommendations. This will help the tape adhere really well to the rim. I cannot stress this step enough.
Tubless on my Karate monkey from the start ,no problems. After years of riding tubes and high end road bikes ,changed my style completely, bought a Gunnar Hyper X flat mount "gravel" bike, Dt Swiss C1800 wheel set Teravail 700c x 38 tires. Running these tubeless , love it but still having issues with slow air loss. Good tips on the tape job, thanks!
I went tubeless for a year here in Nor Cal and the benefits didn't outweigh the hassle, I'm happy with tubes for now.
Awesome, awesome tips! I would think one of the other benefits of tip #4, inflating a tube in the tire to "seat" the tire beads is the tube, when expanding inside the tire and against the rim, will help "press" and effectively "seat" the newly installed tape against the little nooks and crannies of the interior rim.Thanks so much for this great video!
I just converted to tubeless today on my Giant Stance 29er. The hardest thing for me (by far) was getting the sealing tape on neatly so that that it was completely flat against the rim. Also, highly recommend using an injection system or syringe to get the sealant into the tire through the stem. I did the first without a syringe, pouring the sealant in and inflating to seal bead, and it was more difficult and messy than using the syringe method.
I reverted back from tubeless to tubes. I've Ryde Taurus 21 rims with Maxxis Minion DHF tyre in front. The biggest, and frankly the only problem I encountered was air leaking around valve. Last valve I tried was Effetto Mariposa Caffe which has conical rubber fitting. I tightened the screw on valve only by my hand, no tools were used.
I pumped it up to ~45psi. I was loosing pressure slowly, it stabilized around 38 psi ( I ride ~30psi). Next day I went on pump track and rode around for a bit. All seemed ok.
After two days when I came back I had very low pressure (10psi). I pumped it up to 35 but air was leaking around valve more rapidly now. Later I found out that the rubber fitting was destroyed and pushed back too much into rim.
For the time being I gave up on this setup. Maybe that rim is just not good enough for the valve. Or maybe I'm doing something wrong.
Things i wish i had known from tourer perspective: 1. Going bikepacking/touring tubeless you must have 100% confidence in setup you’d be using. Dont use newly set up wheels, you have to test your setup and let it break in. Some tires can come off the rim even if set up correctly. You dont want it to happen in the middle of nowhere. 2. You need to train yourself repairing tubeless tires on the route. Sealant all over you can ruin your day and your clothes. 3. You need backup: at least 2 tubes, patches, levers, extra sealant and are obvious things, but I also take with me: valve adapter for car tire compressor, valve core remover, rubber gloves, some paper towels to soak in sealant and zipper a bag. Sealant is not environmentally neutral so you don’t want to clean it up in case you need to switch to tubes. 4. Because of above tubeless Setup for touring/bike packing doesn’t mean weight saving. 5. Local bike shops are rarely prepared to fix tubeless (at least in Europe and Japan) 6. Not all tubeless tires offer the ride quality improvements over tubes (if not for being able to run lower pressures).
I’ve been running tubeless for around 20 years. Mostly for mountainbike but a little for road and cross. It can be fiddle but the ride quality and rare flats is worth it.
Thanks for the video...and thanks all for the comments! Going tubeless on my fatty, got my tape and sealant and tires on the way. Don't know what I'd do without RUclips, I swear!
Thanks! Getting a new bike built up and have never had tubeless before. I am planning on doing some trips where the tubeless benefits will be needed (remote off road touring) so these tips are a good starting point for when I take the plunge.
Good tips. You forgot the golden rule to seat the tires bead initially: REMOVE the valve core. You need the most airflow you can get to get it into the beadseat. Dry seating would be the second most important step. To find leaks soapy water is excellent as it bubbles even when it's just little air escaping the rim. For rim tire combos that are too loose there is a great product: Skinny Stripper. Originally these latex rimstrips were developed for fatbikes as FattyStripper (fun to google the product, especially with the wife looking over your shoulder). Fatbike used to be difficult to setup early on. The manufacturer realized that for cyclocross the needs are similar. Basically it's a latex rimstrip that overlaps over the beadseat reducing the gap between tire and rim, making it a lot easier to fit the tire tubeless. Once it's seated you trim the overlap with an exacto knife or a blade and off you go. Works very well.
Instead of installing and inflating a tube, after you tape your rim, just spray soapy water down into the bead all the way around both sides of the wheel and inflate to seat the bead that way. The soapy water will help the tire slide into the bead easier and if there are any leaks you will see the soapy water bubble and you can address that before you fill with sealant. Once you filled the tire with the air that you want and know there are no leaks then just pull the valve core to release the air, add your sealant, and reinflate. I also then spritzed the bead area again with the soapy water after reinflation just to make sure there were no other leaks.
I didn't realize you weren't tubeless. I've been tubeless for a couple years now and have done a fair amount of setups and some go easy and some don't. Part if it is due to the fact that there isn't a standard that the companies follow. I agree with you on making sure you do a good job with your tape and I like your tip on cutting an x, I'm going to try that!
Tubeless is a funny thing. Ive had lots of issues with a certain rim and tyre combo, and Ive had zero issues with other rim tyre setups. It it hit and miss for me! But once its working well there is no better option. With us though, because we travel by plane often, letting down the tyres by only a few psi is best otherwise there could be sealant all over the inside of the box when you go to unpack! Another nice video!
Two Wander Yonder 8
Great video thank you great tips. I really like the tube tip to seat half the tire. Now why didn’t I think of that! 😅
Best thing I ever did was buy a compressor, it makes life so much easier when dealing with Tubeless, even reusing/remounting tyres that are a bit looser on the bead becomes an easy job
Totally! Best $130 I've ever spent.
If you want beefy arms, just go tubeless...lol
Great video, actually very honest. I am one who will stay with tubes, I ALMOST went for it, but besides all that happens to a person who wants to make the change, but the cost, then there's the maintenance, as the liquid dries up after a few months. That just ruined any thoughts of changing to tubeless. ..I did a ride with 5 riders, 2 of us were tubers, and the other three tubeless, well one got a puncture and as the tyre spun it sprayed that latex crud EVERYWHERE!! AND it just covered his butt, legs, & bike! I offered a tube and because of that sticky crap he had a hard time till FINALLY he got going, straight home that is, to wash off, his bike, himself, and peel the tire off to wash everything off... I actually like to hear people say, "Hey it's working fine for now", but I have been using tube and tire for years, and in my humble opinion, it works for me, AND much, much cheaper :-)
True but we have no idea how many holes that had already been sealed by his sealant, that would have given him a flat on tubes.
Spraying liquid is certainly inconvenient. If tubes work for you and you want to save cash and time - I say stay on tubes! =)
But considering nothing is stopping a tubeless user from bringing a plug kit as his second layer of defense, and a spare tube as his third layer, that rider will have all the defenses to keep his ride going.
Great tips, thanks. I’d like to mention another point, which is to refill with new sealant. Depending on climate/ temperatures, it could be as often as every 3 months. I opened a mtb tyre which I had set up tubeless 6 months prior and the sealant was mostly turned to rubberised gunk.
Big tip -- when first seating the tire (dry seating) -- inflate without the valve core. Remove the valve core, inflate with compressor, CO2, or pump... much higher volume into the tire quickly. One seated, it will deflate when you remove the air inflator -- add some sealant through the valve, and then add the valve core and inflate. Voila.
If having really hard time seating the tire -- add a second layer of tape to help push the tire bead up to the sides of the rim
I just love watching your videos. You have a really soft calm voice, like Mr. Rogers.
Julie's Invite is tubeless and constantly losing pressure in both but mainly the rear. Have removed, cleaned, reseated, checked the valve, tyre, etc. Now we carry an extra tube which I've never had to do before... Ironic 🙄
I've been considering it, since I'm replacing the wheels on my bike and the new ones are tubeless compatible. But I'm so used to tubes that for my application - unsupported long distance offroad touring - I'm just going to stick with them. Your video and the comments below have pretty much confirmed that tubeless is not the way for me. For a bike for just riding locally I can see the benefits though.
They are great once setup. Certain combinations work better than others. But definitely not as easy or intuitive as many make it sound.
If someone is having trouble getting tubless tires to seal (loosing 2-4psi over a few days, going totally flat in 4-5 days etc), then pump them up to 40 psi and do the "soap trick," get some soapy Dawn water and put the suds slowly and carefully all over the tire/rim/valve stem and watch for small air bubbles slowing growing before your eyes. leak found.
Then what do you do?
Patient Swim honestly I have since learned how awesome Stan’s tubeless sealant really is. I converted by tires to tubeless and had leaks everywhere at first but after sloshing that stuff around it completely fixed them. No need to do the soap test. But good point, the soap test only lets you know where a (slow) leak is coming from, then up to you to fix it.
Nice video!
Just a few quick questions (if anyone knows)
1. Recently I changed to tires that happen to be tubeless easy (TLE) ones and my bike mechanic asked me whether I wanted to try tubeless. I did so he hooked me up a pair of Schalbe G-ONE rather beefy tires as well as Schwalbe Doc Blue sealant. Now after 6 months I haven't had any flats on my adventure touring bike but I want to top up sealant. However I read on the internet that Stan's NoTubes Race sealant is a better choice compared to Schwalbe's Doc Blue (which is supposed to be the exact same sealant as Stan's regular TIRE sealant.
Can I just top up with Stan's NoTubes RACE sealant after a few months? or do I need to first remove the tire, clean it completely and then use Stan's RACE?
2. Stan's claims that their RACE sealant may not be injected through the valve since it is very likely to clog it. Can anyone confirm that, or do you guys tend to disagree with this statement.
3. Do you prefer Stan's RACE sealant over Stan's regular TIRE sealant for long distance bike travelling and adventure cycling?
4. I'm considering a Schwalbe Tire booster/aka Airshot compressor. Does anyone have experience with this compressor?
many thanks everyone for your potential reply.
Cheers from The Netherlands!
Tim Lange, I run 3.8in tires, so you might want to consider that with my answers. As long as I can hear sealant sloshing, I don’t clean out and replace the sealant. I’ve used Stan’s and Stan’s race, and I’m not sure the race stuff justifies the extra cost. I’ve tended to go with regular Stan’s and just use more (fatter tires). The bike shop guy told me the same thing about Stan’s race through the valve clogging it up, but I’ve used my small trail refill bottle to carefully (slowly) squeeze tubeless race sealant through the valve stem.
I’ve never used compressor or tire booster. On my fat tires, I wrap para cord around the circumference of the tire and cinch it, to kind of push the tire walls into the the rim better. Then a floor pump is good enough. For my 50mm tires, I just use a CO2 cartridge and that pings them right out.
I got a flat on my mountain bike. Tire seems to be sealed to rim. I don't know anything about tubeless tires on bikes. They sound like a pain in the ass to me. Rim tape, sealant, putting an inner tube in and riding it then taking it out. I am old school. We used to use inner tubes. If you got a flat you simply put on a patch, inflated your tire and went on your merry way. This tubeless sounds way too complicated. More complicated than it needs to be. I'll bet if I didn't have tubeless like I suspect I probably do i wouldn't have gotten a flat. The tire is worn out. Can I replace the tire and put in a new inner tube? Any advice from you guys out there will be helpful. Thanks so much.
Great video. I’m rebuilding my Surly LHT and making the jump to tubeless. It will be this weekend’s project. We shall see....
knowledge is POWER. thanks for the tips. DIY everything!!!!
The tip I learned about was putting slime in your tubes to act as a sealant. I have not done this yet but most likely I will in the future.
Make sure you use the slime that is specifically meant for tubes. The seal would only be effective if the object that cause the puncture is removed. The other problem is injecting the sealant into the tube, this can be pretty messy as the sealant clogs up the valve hole.
Still haven’t yet converted to tubeless and about two.
What I would like to know from you now, in hindsight, is whether or not the right quality, mixed with the ability to go lower pressure is revolutionary or not?
I am a newbie with all of this and really not clear that with the bigger tires in an inner tube if you’re limited in how low your tire pressure can go? Obviously with the older much smaller tires, You would have had a pinch flat if you tried lowering the pressure much at all
No tubeless for me. I’ve torn enough sidewalls in the backcountry. Have used powerbar wrappers, bailing wire and even stuffed the tire with grass to get home. I’ll take the extra weight of tubes for the repair ability. Nice vid!
This can't help but come off somewhat arrogant and elitist, but line choice & unweighting the bike through tricky terrain is the best way to prevent sidewall damage.
I raced issue-free with the mother of all thin sidewalls (original Racing Ralphs - *before snakeskin*) weekly at the local elite / pro level. Prior to tubeless >> pinch flats
carry an emergency tube
Tubeless is the way to go, without a doubt. Been tubeless for two years now, for me that’s meant 2 years of puncture free riding! If you have tubeless ready tyres, it;s all so easy! It really is! Use Gorilla tape! Don’t put a tube in, no need for that at all! Get your tyre on, pump it up. Remove valve core, inject sealant, replace core, re inflate the tyre and hey presta! You’re good to go! Only tip I have is, get yourself a tyre inflator booster. For that initial air inflation into the tyre.
You’ll never look back and you won’t be at the side of the road fixing punctures when you want to be riding either. Peace and love!
i used garilla tape and it worked the first time on both tires no probs and stans.
when dry mounting the tyres, use soapy water on the beads...its just so much easier to mount the tyre
This was a big learning point for me. It makes all the difference.
Two tips: 1. Use a cartridge inflator to seat the tire. I've been doing this for years. 2. Buy a valve with a removable stem and after you seat the tire, pour the sealant into the stemless valve. It is easy if you cut the sealant cap to fit the valve and slide it over the valve as a funnel. Also, compress the tire slightly while pouring in the sealant and decompress as you fill.
thank you Russ, making all the mistakes so we don't have to!
seems like a lot of extra worries going tubeless, is the ride really a lot better?
no
Yes. No tubes means no pinch flats means lower pressure means more comfort.
I use a icepick (redhot) to melt a little hole in the tape to put the valve in. Pumping wise... You can put some soapy water around the edges... it makes a sort of temporary seal = a little less "vigorously pumping". At least thats what she said.
Can you make a normal tube tire tubless by doing a good tape job and getting the right valve stem?
Wow this was less of the advantages of tubeless and more of your learning the set up. I would suggest a "review" after you've used the tubeless set up awhile. I have had tubeless set up for years without issue on more than one kind of tire, and I will never go back to tubes. I have only had issues when the shop made a mistake setting it up. Its saved me countless times, and I don't miss tubes or patches. I do think that the title is honest and appropriate. I did smile while listening to your rookie mistakes. Again, I'd really like to hear long term follow up on this conversion. Enjoy the channel keep up the great content.
Michael Smith As someone who went through a similar learning process to Russ, I think the title of the video is spot on.
Many people tell you it's easy, when in fact it's just that some combinations of rim and tyre are relatively straightforward, others can be a total bitch.
I've been running tubeless for two years on three bikes. They ride very well, and I won't ever run tubes in my mountain bikes again. Narrower (circa 40mm) tyres have been much more trouble for me, and I've recently moved my cross bike back to tubes. Non tubeless tyres are much easier to change (they're nowhere near as tight), and given that I want to put tyres appropriate to the task on this bike, being able to change them in under 20 minutes is well worth the risk of punctures.
Also, Russ wasn't reviewing tubeless here. He was sharing what he's learned in setting it up himself. I've got some experience in this area now, and on my cross bike's tyre/wheel combo I think it's a total bitch. Even with something like an Airshot.
On my mountain bikes, it's really easy.
I used electrical tape, old valve stems from popped tubes and automotive tire sealant and it actually worked by some miracle. Wouldn’t recommend this because it didn’t work on another tire and there was a very slow leak that took about 4 days to deflate the tire. After I changed out the automotive tire sealant for stans no tubes and it worked great. I would recommend gorilla tape over electrical tape because electrical tape rips off the rim sometimes if you take the tire off the wrong way. And an air compressor makes the process 100x easier.
Yeah. Alot of people think the sealant seals the tyre. Only seals the hole from a puncture. Co canisters will make the sealant go off inside the tyre too
One tip that I felt kind of dumb until it hit me - after adding sealant the last time on one of my tires the bead wouldn't seat. No problem - remove valve core, use the reservoir "manual" compressor, bead seats. Ok but now what - you have no core and if you take the pump off the bead falls away. Finally on the third time did it right - remove the pump - quickly get finger on stem - now quickly move finger and get core back on there. Voila bead still seated. Now inflate away.
Great video. I was thinking of going tubeless and doing it myself. Glad I watched your video.
I appreciate the knife idea!
I'd love to see a video of how to install an emergency tube in the event of a tubeless failure on the road. Everyone says to carry a tube even if you ride tubeless, but I've yet to see someone install the tube alongside the road.
This is a very good point. My tyres are *extremely* tight and i don’t think I’d be able to unseat and reseat the bead with a mini hand pump
My tube and boot is just for in case of catastrophic failure when I’m 25+ miles from any kind of civilization. Like a hole I can’t plug in the side wall. Never had use it, but can’t bring myself to not pack it.
@@SmuggiNOLA on a gravel group ride last year I had a guy that crashed me and my bike, and tore a hole in my sidewall with his cleat stepping on my wheel while falling down from his bike) He also bent my rim and broke a spoke, but that's whole another story)
We were 45 miles away from any civilization and about 10 miles from the major road, and all I want to say is that you'll never know where the problem would come from)
@@4tressed Mr Murphy rides bikes too!!!
That's what their smartphone is for, they call for service.
Three things I've learnt:
1. A new tubeless ready tyre can be very stiff and hard to mount. They get softer after some time with sealant inside, and much easier to mount/remove.
2. I have rims with a central depression around the inside. This makes fitting the rim tape so that it seals much more difficult.
3. It seems that normal is to use presta valves. I prefer schrader. Attention, many things tubeless are presta-only, even if that is not made clear. for example Aieshot booster.
Tubeless should be the way to go, just as in cars. There is work to do to make them as trouble free as on car tyres.