Do you remember similar thoughts installing your first Stan’s type conversion? I’m rather surprised at how impressed I am that there are no tubes in my tyres now.

My experience went super smoothly just using a track jump. So much so that I thought I must have done it wrong since I had no leaks at all converting Mavic XC717’s with Spesh Fast Track 2Bliss (tubeless bead, standard sidewall). I followed the process through anyway just in case, I just didn’t have any leaks to guide me.

Are they still up? My spesh 2bliss tyres went up like a dream with just a track pump, as you say, but they lost air overnight and it took a couple of reinflations to seal them completely.

EDIT – interested to hear how you get on with fast traks tubeless. I’m thinking about a dryer conditions faster tyre and this one was in the back of my mind.

My first go was also with 2Bliss Fast Traks (the LK version), on a split BMX tube. Went up easily and stayed up.

I suspect that using tyres that aren’t brand new makes it easier as the bead is already a good shape.

Martin – I found the Fast Traks excellent for dry, dusty conditions. Similar to racing Ralphs. Running them tubeless made them even better, and solved all the thorn punctures I used to get. Not quite as grippy as my current LarsenTT on the back, but faster.

Currently running a 2bliss Captain on the front and it holds air as well as the “proper” UST Larsen on the back (on UST rims now).

2bliss do inflate very easy. I’ve got Ground Controls on Mavic Crossride Ceramics (717 variant) they wouldn’t hold air for more than a day though. Nice ridden the rear is holding air, but the front still leaks a bit

Do you remember similar thoughts installing your first Stan’s type conversion? I’m rather surprised at how impressed I am that there are no tubes in my tyres now.

Yep, don’t know if it was real or a placebo effect but the bike seemed to ride better!

My spesh 2bliss tyres went up like a dream with just a track pump, as you say, but they lost air overnight and it took a couple of reinflations to seal them completely.

Did you remember to scrub the inside of the tyre first?

Yup, still pressured up 3 days later, yet to ride them off road though.

They weren’t new, in fact the rear is almost worn out, but I wanted to try the 2Bliss bead before considering the conventional tyres of choice here in Western Australia of the Maxxis Crossmark and Ignitor.

I’ve been riding Fast Traks in 2 and 2.2 sizes for a couple of years now and find them excellent in our sandy, pea gravel, dusty and dry conditions. When it’s loose they float controllably.

I suspect that using tyres that aren’t brand new makes it easier as the bead is already a good shape.

Not sure this is the case as tyres seem to stretch a bit over time and become a bit baggier – in my experience this has made used ones a bit harder to seal. The best way to fit new tyres is to mount them with a tube first and leave them for a day or so. Spesh and Bonty tyres do usually go up easy though 🙂

Did you remember to scrub the inside of the tyre first?

Was lazily trying to get away without it! They’re holding pressure very nicely now though.

I’ve not seen scrubbing the inside of the tyre mentioned anywhere else before. What’s that supposed to do?

I found the new Ground Control to be grippier, but I get a little trail buzz as it gets drier.

I think you can scrub in a bit of stans fluid to help it seal, or air can permeate the sidewalls. Or something like that.

This thread has reminded my to go and check / shake the Stans laden FS which has been lying about unused for months 😐

I’ve got 2bliss ground controls on Stan’s rims sealed with Stan’s fluid. They sealed reasonably easily. Since then I’ve had to top them up once since Christmas. They work very well. I find the ground controls better in wet mud than my old Captains. I also think they roll better.

2bliss renegades on the light wheels and they popped on easily, have stayed up, and provided mucho amusement on a very wet day late last year (didn’t grip much in the gloop, but cleared immediately so always gave their best and didn’t block up the Anthem with mud).

Nice to hear that the Ground Controls and Renegades work well tubeless.

Incidentally, I see from the Spesh website that the Captain has now disappeared, replaced by the Ground Control. Also good to hear that the replacment is better!

1st tubeless ride, took the pressure down to my usual 30 psi in the 2.2 Fast Traks to compare over my usual route. No burps despite the narrow rims for the tyre size, so next ride I’ll go lower.

The grip did seem better, which is exactly what I’m after because our trails get progressively looser in Summer due to the heat – it was only 34 degrees today. Hard to say if they rolled better due to the soft conditions, I will probably have to wait Autumn to really test this, but I did seem a little faster for less effort.

The unexpected bonus for me was the trail smoothing. I had expected this when I came to running lower pressures in the 20’s, but I didn’t realise it would be more comfortable for any given pressure. This is a real pause for thought on whether I should bother getting a 29er dually to look after my lower back.