Hi all,

I got a new road/commuting bike in May 2015, fitted with Stan’s Grails with 28mm Conti Gatorhardshells. All went well, until I tried to go tubeless. I bought and fitted the Stan’s tape no problem, installed the valves, and with soapy water the tyre went on and inflated easy. However, when I got to 5 bar (of 8 maximum) the tyre exploded off the rim, damaging the bead – a €60 tyre destroyed.
I then decided to fit some 32mm Conti Sport Contact 2s I had lying around. These too went on and inflated easily, but then exploded off the rim at 4 bar (of 6 maximum) but with no visible damage to the bead. I tried again and got the same result, before carrying on with the same tyres using inner tubes again.
I checked my tyre pressures this morning and topped up to 5bar (of 6 max). Rode to work fine but during lunch we heard a big bang. In my office, where I keep my bike, the Conti had come off the rim and the inner tube exploded.
I suspect that temperature gradient might have some impact on what happened today (bike was chilly when I inflated tyres and office must be 15°C warmer) but I can’t go on like this. Can anyone please tell me which tyres/brands are actually going to stay on my Grail rims? Tubeless or tubed I just need to feel a bit safer than I do now. I have spare tubes but I’ll be catching a car ride home tonight. Cheers, Gaidong.

I had the same problem on those rims (only once, though!) – I found you need to fit the tyres with extreme care, making sure the bead is properly worked into the centre of the channel all the way round. There should be a pronounced “crack” as the tyre inflates and seats properly against the rim. This was with 25mm Conti GP4 season.

But it sounds like you were trying to go tubeless with non-tubeless tyres?

Weird, I thought that grails were rated for higher pressure than Iron Cross. That said friends have had lots of problems with alpha 340 with tyres blowing off in the past. I would be tempted to get a tubeless specific tyre and give it a go.

Weird, I thought that grails were rated for higher pressure than Iron Cross.

They are: I run about 90PSI in mine. But clincher road tyres are not designed to be run tubeless – the bead isn’t strong enough apparently.

you need tubeless tyres.

I listened to man off the internet and slid down the road at 25 mph. 🙁

you need tubeless tyres.

THAT

– if you’re infalting to road-type pressures you need a really, really unstretchy bead

Been using Grails for 18 months, had the same problem, could not get above 60 psi before my Mich Pro race 3 tyres blew off the rim, a few times they stayed up and then blew off randomly when stationary after a few days.

I did a lot of research and the only tyres that have been perfect running tubeless are Hutchinson Fusion 3 tubeless. I have been running these tyres tubeless for several thousand miles with no problems, no tubes and no punctures.

(Tomorrow I will have two flat tyres LOL :oops:)

I’ve put about 500km into a pair of Schwalbe One Tubeless 25c’s on my Grails.
At 110/115psi with two layers of tape – I’ve had zero leakage worth mentioning – and no terrifying issues such as beads blowing off!

They seem to roll easily as fast as typical tubed 23c’s, and are significantly more comfortable and grippy than the last set of tubed 25c’s I used.

Amazing tyres really.

Been using Grails for 18 months, had the same problem, could not get above 60 psi before my Mich Pro race 3 tyres blew off the rim, a few times they stayed up and then blew off randomly when stationary after a few days.

I ran Michelin Pro 4s on mine before I switched onto contis, they went on fine at normal road pressures.

The really odd thing about the tyre blow off on mine was that I fitted the tyre, did a 60 mile ride, and it blew off two days later. There was a fairly small puncture in the tube more akin to a pinch with a tyre lever than the slit you might expect. But since I refitted it I’ve done about 500 miles without any more problems.

Thanks for that chaps. I called Stan’s today (using work ‘phone!) and he (not Stan himself) warned me of my tubeless gaff. However, the tyre that came off the rim today had a tube but this same tyre had previously jumped off tubeless – ergo the bead must have been damaged buy this. I don’t think I want to stretch to tubeless road tyre costs just now, so I’ll just buy a set of decent training tyres. Bloody expensive experiment that road-tubeless idea. The ones that happened a few weeks ago (tubeless) were in the house too and I covered the entire sitting room, cat included, with latex. Bring on those solid tyres please!

Bring on those solid tyres please!

Get some from Tannus, that Samuri fella raves about them.

“Get some from Tannus, that Samuri fella raves about them.”

Indeed I will. I am going to use up the (more or less) undamaged GatorHardshell and another Gatorskin I have lying around. And then get my Tannus on. Only deal is that with Grails (internal width 20.3mm) you have to take a minimum 32mm tyre due to their pin fitting system. No big deal for my commute but if I ever plan to go faster…

Cheers