Two rides in two weeks and both were ruined by the sealant spraying the countryside until it had all gone – it just wouldn't seal. I tried rolling the wheel, gently inflating, everything. Different wheels (different bikes), one on a Stans Flow rim and one on a converted 719. Both times it was a nasty little cut across the tread and both times in the first 6 miles.

Am I doing something wrong, or do many tubeless rides end in a long walk (having sprayed the surrounding flora and fauna with Stan's sealant)?! (Sorry if I sound ranty but I'm a bit hacked off).

or do many tubeless rides end in a long walk

Just stick a tube in? Hence, you may have to carry a tube.

That's nothing to do with your rim. Its either the tyre or the sealants fault if a hole doesn't seal (or you just got really unlucky).

What tyres were you using? And what sealant? Sure you had enough sealant in there?

Did you shake and leave the bottle upsidedown before pouring it out? The sealing particles sink to the bottom of the bottleif you don't and you just get the latex liquid that won't seal on it's own

Yes, I admit I've got lazy in not carrying tubes. Need to buy some more and start carrying them again – I was a little trusting of tubeless it seems. I went over as I was so hacked off with punctures.

I had recently done the conversions; each had the recommended two scoops of jizz. First tyre was Bontrager ACX, second a brand new Nobby Nic UST. I suspect heavier tyres may not been so keen to be slashed, but I don't really want to put tractor tyres on…..

I suspect that the lack of tube makes the tyre more susceptible to cuts, but that is on a tiny sample of 2.

Khani – yes, as much as you can pour a bottle upside down!

You slice a tyre and you're prety much fecked whatever tyre/sealant combo you use.

Seeing as the tubeless guys are all here – I'm having trouble inflating my panaracer fire XC tyre. Using XM317 rims + BMX tubes, and CO2 to inflate w/ lots of soap. Nobby Nics worked first time with no problems (far far easier than I was expecting), but no luck with the panaracers.

The problem seems to be that the tyre sits (loosely) in the well of the rim, leaving a massive gap all around the tyre for the air to leak out. In fact the beads of the tyre don't even open out to cover the value opening properly meaning half the air goes right around the tyre. Any top tips for getting around this? I though string or zip ties to 'push' the tyre onto the rim…or something?

Thanks, sorry for the thread invasion but nobody needs 2 tubeless threads on the go at once!

I though string or zip ties to 'push' the tyre onto the rim…or something?

Usually I just push the tyre down onto the rim around the valve, and that does the trick. If that doesn't help, use elastic bands, so that they will stretch with the tyre. Can see it going badly with sting or zip ties, and cutting them might also be a problem.

brand new Nobby Nic UST

flimsy kack IME

elastic bands

Smart. Thanks.

flimsy kack IME

I'm beginning to wonder. I wish there was a tyre as fast-rolling but a little more solid.

A slashed tyre (as opposed to a hole) is pretty fatal IME but probably just statistical bad luck. Same thing happened to my Nobby Nic first ride and wasn't even that flinty – really worrying but I patched it internally with a tube patch and just I have just ridden all 7 days of Trans Wales (plenty of slate and sharp bedrock there) without a problem so initial mishap was just bad luck / chance. Last year did it on Racing Raiphs that feel even thinner.

Giving the bottle a good shake and using lots are pretty important as well. I use the JRA stuff rather than Stans but only out of habit.

Tubeless is definitely worth perservering with I think.

Thanks for the re-assurance hh45. Where did you get the patch from and I will try again. I would have used the old toothpaste tube trick between the tyre and tube had it not been tubeless.

Thanks all.