Okay, next question! With all the fancy modern and shiny bits on my new bike I decided to take the plunge and go tubeless last night (ooerr matron!), but failed miserably. I’m trying to fit Joe’s Eco tubeless system to Alex Volar 2.5 tubeless ready system rims fitted with a Maxxis High Roller 2, Minion DHF combo of tyres. I cleaned the rim and removed the spoke tape that the shop mechanic had put on while wearing boxing gloves (only explanation I can think of for missing so many spoke holes), and fitted the supplied yellow tape over the spokes. I then fitted the tubeless rim belt, which for all the world looks like the bottom half of an inner tube with the valve still attached. This went on easy enough with the belt running up the rim, over the plastic bead and into the slot that the ridge of the tubeless ready tyre fits into. All fine so far and I hadn’t even used a sweary word. Now the instructions told me to fit one side of the tyre onto the bead (I’m assuming that’s into the bead, on top of the rubber rim belt to make an airtight seal, right?). Now, note I said ‘told me’, didn’t show me how, just told me to fit one side of the tyre to the wheels bead. Is it a magic spell? Do I need three extra hands? Apart from anything, the few times I had even partial success (by running a tyre lever under the tyre and pulling it onto the bead, the tyre still wasn’t seating properly into the rim. Although that might change as it was put under more tension, but I never got that far as it kept popping back off. So, do I have the right tubeless system for my wheels and rim combo? The rims are 25mm internally, and I think the kit said it’d fit 21-24mm rims in 27.5″ guise, but I’m pretty sure the sizing is correct anyway. I know that everyone says blast it with high pressure air, but surely there has to be some sort of seal for that, and it just wasn’t happening last night. Is there a trick to getting the tyre onto the bead? Better yet, is there anyone who’d like a nice bottle of wine in exchange for coming over and showing me how to fit the damn things? :-p

Beagy x

Why are you using a tubeless rim belt? If it’s a tubeless ready rim then you only need the yellow tape, a valve and some sealant.

Aaaaah, that would make a lot more sense. I’m going to hang my head in shame, go away from my desk now for a wee bit and maybe bang my head against the wall?

Thank you,

C.

Don’t bang it too hard BB 😀
Best way of seating a bead is to blast it with air then pop the other side off, I woouldn’t attempt trying to get only 1 side on!
I find using a 3litre diving bailout bottle charged to 232 bar as the perfect air source for seating tubeless 😀

Bloody hate tubeless. LBS did it for me so I could play in France and get used to it before a boys trip to Spain. All fine for a week in UK, take bike out in France front is flat, pump it up and it fountains sealant from around the valve. It’s now got a tube in and two days from when I get back to get it sorted to pack for Sierra nevada. There must be a better way?

I don’t get how people have issues with tubeless. I’ve been running it for 5 years now, on 3 bikes. The only issue I’ve ever had has been the odd ripped tyre.

Just use proper rim, proper valves, a proper TL tyre and a decent pump or compressor if you’ve got one…maybe I’m. Just lucky!

As simonbarnes said ^.

Then you might be able to seat the tyre with just a trackpump. Or if that doesn’t work, put a tube in to seat the tyre, then pop one bead off, remove tube, put the valve back in, add sealant and pump it up again.

Airshots/ pop bottles/ compressors etc just speed it all up as you can rely on them (mostly) inflating and sealing the tyre first go with the sealant in.

Just use proper rim, proper valves, a proper TL tyre and a decent pump or compressor if you’ve got one…maybe I’m. Just lucky

I think you’ve been lucky.

I have rage inducing problems about 70% of the time that I try to fit a tubeless tyre.

The other day I tried to get my new “gravel” bike set up. Tubeless rims, tubeless tyres, Joe Blow trackpump, co2, sealant, soapy bubbles on the tyre/rim join to help it seal. Not even close.

Last night I made the pop bottle compressor and put loads more tape on. Still nothing, except a pool of sweat and a sore thumb after bashing it off the brake disc.