Right, tubes are in with about 50psi. I’ve watched the installation video and he says drilling the rims is really important so I’ll do that as well.

This is one job I’d love to be able to pay a shop to do for me!

Thanks for the help everyone. I’ll let you know whether I manage it tomorrow.

hi gingerflash do you live in or near sheffield,if so come over to mine and i will sort it ive done these kits

GF are you near justridingalong – if so they will do it for you (Hillsborough, Sheffield)

Thanks for the offer Greg, but I’m up in North Leeds.

Good to know that if I really can’t do it, I can go to JRA.

It is worth it mind – makes your bike a lot nicer to ride, if you care about such things. Made my Patriot way nicer to ride, as if I’d spent £300 on new wheels but cheaper. And no puctures 🙂 (touch wood, like)

I’ve decided to test lightweight schwalbe tubes with sealant instead of going tubeless, I reckon it’ll be easier.

I used exactly the same rims with conti tyres. I only used one layer of the yellow tape and I DID NOT drill out the valve hole. No need. I then put the tyre on the rim with some soapy water. Took it down the petrol station with a brass schraeder convertor. Blew the tyre up first time. Then came back home popped a bit of the tyre off the rim and popped some sealant in and pumped back up with the track pump. Once they have been popped onto the rim by a compressor you will find they will blow back up with a track pump. Do not pull much of the tyre off the rim though when putting sealant in as you will be back to square one.

Moral of the story is not to bother with a track pump. I couldn’t get it to mount. My LBS now blows the tyres up for me with their compressor. My advice would be to persevere as the benefits are so great with regard to more grip and puncture proof.

Compressor with the sealant already added inside the tyre. Yes the sealant goes everywhere but it seals much easier and washes off.

I echo the comments about getting a compressor. Petrol station pumps aren’t really upto the job either. Do yourself a favour and go to a friendly car garage or kwik fit. They’re likely to be more than happy to let you use their compressor. Once you’ve got it running and have seen the light, then you’ll see it’s worth buying a compressor. Personally I use a large old compressor but I’m looking to buy a very high power car compressors that 4×4 enthusiasts use to swap over tyres on the move.

Sounds to me like the tyre beads are too high and thus the gap is too big – two layers of yellow tape AND your fabric stuff?!

Stans instructions for 717’s is 1 or two layers of yellow tape only.

Is this a case of RTFM? 😆

Forgot to say, I’d not like to inflate Conti’s with just a track pump, they’re very porous IME.

A compressor is proabably necessary if you want to be able to inflate all brands of tyres, a track pump will usually suffice for maxxis or most genuine UST tyres.

Could try

– set tyre in place
– rope/luggage strap around middle of tyre
– as you tighten loop, encourage tyre bead towards rim (and simultaneously force tyre middle into rim well)
– should increase fit and decrease available volume
– so pumping might work

Second the “watery soap” bit – I just dribbled neat washing up liquid around the rim, gave it a quick wipe to get it touching the tyre and rim, then pumped like fury…

One of the most satisfying sounds in the world is when the soft bubbling noise of the air getting out everywhere is replaced by a sharp hissing then silence as the bl**dy thing finally seals!

Moral of the story is not to bother with a track pump.

Some rims do work with a track pump. I got Speedking supersonics to seal on Stans Olympics with a track pump and no bother at all. Pump fast and within 10 seconds they start to go.

“lightweight schwalbe tubes with sealant “
That wouldn’t stop pinchflats though, would it? That’s my main problem.

“Stans instructions for 717’s is 1 or two layers of yellow tape only.”
I tried that. the tyre was miles too loose. the instructions say that if the tyre’s too loose, put normal rim tape on as well. I did that. Still too loose so I tried another layer of rim tape as well.

Underthesun – that’s pretty encouraging. Will stop off at LBS and try to get a valve adaptor and see if that works. First i’ll have another go with almost neat washing up liquid and less rim tape.

Perhaps the tyres are just too baggy? Are they new or old?

>Perhaps the tyres are just too baggy? Are they new or old?

See post #1 😉

They’re brand new tyres. I finished last night by putting tubes in and pumping to about 50psi so tonight they should be in better shape.

You could try Ghetto/DIY setup, the rim strips might allow for a better initial seal.

Too many pinch flats = tyres not inflated enough for terrain?

Holy moly, I think it’s worked!!!

Went to halfords on the way home to get a schaeder/presta adaptor. They had a cheap mini compressor. With that, and neat washing up liquid, I eventually got the tyre to inflate. It’s stayed up and is now lying on its side with sealant in. Fingers crossed it’ll still be inflated in the morning.

Tomorrow – the rear! 😀

Thanks for all your help and advice.

I knew you’d get there in the end. 😉

blown up to 50psi. Guess what – **** rim split open along the seam!!!

am I reading/you writing that right, GF ?

your RIM split at 50psi ?!?!?!?!

LOL. You’re reading it right, I’m typing it wrong. The tube split, not the rim.

Anyway, I checked the wheel this morning, it doesn’t seem to have lost any air so it looks like it’s worked. In spite of the supersonics apparently being very porous, I had no trouble sealing the tyre at all. Air came through the sidewalls before the sealant went in but as soon as I’d shaken the sealant round once, it was fine.

Yey! Success!

[whispers] has he mentioned that the tyre is on the wrong way round yet??[/whispers]

this is why you don’t want your wife reading stw as well 😉

ROFLMAO at mrs flash…

I was going to get tubless but having just read that, I think it will be much easier to pinch flat once a ride…

GF, this the compressor you got?

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_509553_langId_-1_categoryId_165727#dtab

I have found that once you have fitted a tyre and used it then it gets easier the next time you do it.
I always use a compressor as it only takes seconds to get it on that way and i take the valve core out which helps.

That Halfords compressor looks ok.

Marmite – yes, that’s the one.

I had joked about putting the tyre on the wrong way round and, in spite of checking about 5 times, it got turned round at some point in the process. The Mountain King doesn’t look very direction specific so I think I’ll leave it, for now at least.