Thanks to previous help on here my new tyres and Stans fluid arrived this morning so I am ready to give it a go. Another question has popped up in my simpleton mind however and a search of the internet has, so far, failed to provide an answer.
If I need to let air out of the tyre once the Stans fluid is in it and it’s inflated, how do I stop the fluid clogging the valve as I assume it would ‘see’ it as a puncture? Is it just a case of valve to the top of the wheel and wait for fluid to run down to the bottom before letting air out or is there another technique? Or do I have to try and get the pressure right from the start?

You’re making a huge assumption that the sealant actually does what it says on the bottle ;).

If you just put the valve at the top, it’ll be fine. They can get a bit clogged over time but I’ve never really had that much of a problem with sealant in the valve. (This normally affects trying to get a new tyre inflated – if it’s a bit clogged, it makes it harder to get enough air in. You can just remove the core and clean it up though).

i just do valve to the top, a little bit of goo may spray out but nothing to worry about. you might have to degunk or replace the valve core if it gets really bad.

2 other tips if you are a newbe to tubeless. If the tyres were really hard to get sealed in the first place (my on one smorgasboards were a nightmare) try to get hold of either a large syringe or a funnel that will fit in the valve stem. I take the core of the valve out and inject more fluid through that rather than disturbing the seal around the rim.
If you do flat remember to really check the inside of the tyre for thorns.. caught me out first time!!

You’re overthinking it, massively.

Some of the sealant will coat the inside of the tyre, most of it will pool in the bottom. Holes only really get sealed while the wheel is spinning.

Good luck. Have plenty of time and lots of patience for your first go, I remember mine being a disaster. Once you get it, it’s dead easy, though. Keep trying. Definitely worth it and it just gets easier.

I’ve have success with some Alex Rims 18mm bits of crap (my first wheels), Stans Flow EX, Stans Crest and Superstar Carbon AMs (those were very tricky though).

Taping the rim bed is the most important part, I think. Overlap the valve area by 8 inches over it one way then 8 inches past it again so it gets two layers. Then don’t use any kind of knife to puncture the hole. Use the vale itself to do it. Push it through gently. Then lock it down firmly by hand only.

I’ve also taken to taping up then fitting a tube and my new tubeless tyre and letting the tube “push” the tape onto the rim very firmly. There’ll be no bubbles in the tape then and it’ll be really well stuck down and last through many tyre changes without coming up.

Then take out the tube and keep one side of the tyre bead on if you can. Pop the tubeless vale in, then pop the other tyre bead on. Pump up. No gloop necessary. If it works without gloop you’re definitely done.

Then add gloop. I’ve bought the Stans syringe and valve core remover. It’s definitely the easiest way to do it. But if you don’t have it scoop some gloop in before the final bit of the tyre goes on (that’s where it can get very messy because you slip and spill it everywhere!).

Pump up to 40 PSI (maybe a bit more if your rims will take it) and leave the wheel on one side for 10 mins then the other. Then shake around.

You can change the pressure at anytime. I’ve only ever used a track pump. No tyre / rim combo has beaten me yet, touch wood.

With that tape all squished in as above you’ll find that you can remove the tyre and fit a new one in 5 minutes afterwards.

I swapped out a tyre after my breakfast this morning before work ready to ride tomorrow. I’ll let the gloop do it’s thing overnight although it went up first time without any gloop. Holding 40PSI no problem.

I use double the stans to 4 cups, it sits st the bottom of the tyre. 40psimsi it cracks in to position, swing tyre around to get stans all over inside. I leave overnight then run about 18psi in both at moment, 20 front 25 rear in summer. Top up by removing the valve and pumping in new stans every 6 months.

If you get a flat, don’t take whatever’s in out. Spin wheel until stans spurts out if not already stopped, pump up ride on.

The PSI you can run after going tubeless is weight dependent, even rim, tyre width dependent and how quickly you ride and if you ride jumps and drops or rock gardens, etc

Even at the same PSI as you previously ran with tubes it’ll be a lot better though, so start at that.

For me doing big drops and smaller jumps and racing I need 30PSI in the rear. I only weigh 75kg kitted out but I can bottom out a rim doing drops if I don’t keep around 30PSI in there. And it’s 40PSI if you go to Antur Stiniog – that place eats rear rims otherwise.

If I’m doing XC singletrack I’ll lower the rear slightly to 27PSI. In the front with a huge volume Magic Mary on I can be at 22PSI though and it’ll be fine but it’s around 27PSI in smaller volume tyres.

30PSI is a good starting point for the rear, 2PSI lower in the front.

Thanks to all for the very helpful replies.
Gelert – that’s really useful info, having lost 21 kilos over the last 3 months I now weigh pretty much the same as you so that will help me with a starting point for set up.
Cheers,
Tim

Quick question.
Don’t you find that dropping to these low pressure creates drag. Can’t imagine to ever going below about 40psi. Not because of pinch punctures but because everything feels so slow. Can’t see grip as an issue to be honest as it isn’t lacking in the FoD where most of my riding is not in manicured Welsh trail centres. Just wondering.

@mattsccm
No..!
I run between 25-27ish (well on my gauge) on the full sus. Really dosnt feel draggy at all, but there seems to be loads of grip.
As mentioned above the smorgasbords I run on my HT felt dreadful until I fiddled with the pressures, they worked best for me down at about 25psi.
Don’t get me wrong, they also feel horrid if they go to low. It gets a bit squirmy and I have had a tyre off a rim because the pressure got to low.

If you have trouble getting air in first time, because it’s leaking around the bead, try a bungee cord around the centreline of the tyre. It sometimes presses the tyre into place enough to get air in.
I’ve tried all manner of tubeless techniques over time, but these days I just use an old tube & ghetto it regardless

Also, try suspending the wheel by some rope if your popping the Stans in by opening the bead a little. It helps keep the stuff at the bottom of the tyre while you work.

And how the hell did you shift 21kg in three months…that’s some achievement. Well done.

mattsccm – There is an article here that seems to suggest lower pressures actually mean less rolling resistance? It was one of a lot of articles I read whilst trying to decide whether tubeless was worth it or not. I don’t know whether it’s right – I guess I’ll find out once I convert and start messing around with tyre pressures?!
takisawa2 – thanks for the tips, I’ll try them! I shifted 21kg in 3 months by reducing my daily calorie intake to 1300, increasing my exercise levels, giving up alcohol and logging/calorie counting everything I eat/drink every day using the free ‘My Fitness Pal’ app on my phone. I cook a lot of the recipes from the Hairy Dieters books too as they tend to be very tasty as well as low cal! And now comes the hardest part – keeping the weight off and getting fitter!
Cheers,
Tim

Quick question.
Don’t you find that dropping to these low pressure creates drag. Can’t imagine to ever going below about 40psi.

Within reason softer tyres roll better off road. They deform over obstacles that higher pressure tyres rebound/ping off.

I can’t imagine going over 30psi, and that’s me riding in the Lake District with normally 24 front, 26.5 rear.

OP, do you know about the fairy liquid ?

OP – the sealant is just liquid, so with only 30cc or whatever in the tyre it’s never goign to come out of the valve, at least not more than a squirt. The puncture sealant relies on the fact that punctures are on the outside of the tyre, and when you are riding the centrifugal force pushes the sealant towards the outside where it seals the hole.

Don’t you find that dropping to these low pressure creates drag.

Not to 30psi, Because the lack of tube makes the rolling resistance far less, less energy is lost flexing the carcass. So with tubeless you get less RR with the same pressure, or lower pressure and hence more grip for the same RR.

I’m 90kg, and I use 30psi front and rear in Specialized 2.35″ tyres on my Salsa. Going lower simply takes a slight edge off the bumps, but being a rigid bike it’s still bumpy as hell with 20psi, it’s just slightly softer. However 20psi is noticeably slower on road and because I’ve built the bike to cover ground on and off road I use higher pressures.

If I’m not doing much road on a ride I might go down to 20 but there’s a risk of dinging the rims.