I was always one who wondered how people struggled so much with tubeless… until now.

Hope Tech Enduro rims, 1 layer of Stan’s tape. This has been fine with Maxxis and Specialized tyres. Thought I’d give Schwalbe a try (MM snakeskin front/HD super gravity rear).

I feel like I’ve been 10 rounds with Tyson and totally failed! Ended up sticking tubes in.

Front one was so baggy that I could have thrown it on the rim from the other side of the room, so no matter what I tried, I couldn’t get a seal.

Didn’t even bother trying tubeless with the rear, but because of the 6 inch thick sidewalls, I feel like my wrists and fingers have been hammered!

Finally got the bead to seat after much sweating and swearing, only to realise I’ve wrestled the freehub loose! Off with the cassette and freehub back on.

I finished shirtless, covered in shite and wanted to just cry…

So! when I get to round 2 should I just gorilla tape the rims and get rid of the Stan’s tape? Hopefully that will solve the baggy issue?

More tape like you say and go use a compressor.

Maxxis for me next time I change,they go on the rim easily and seal easily too.My Magic Mary needed to stay on the rim with an inflated tube for a couple of days and then still took a lot of effort to get it to seal.The Minion on the rear went on no probs.

I’ve been using a Bontrager Flash Charger and it’s never failed. Just this time, the tyre was that loose, the air just escapes out of the side.

Funny though when I tried seating it with a tube, the bead was solid on the rim, just in the middle it was too slack.

Missus is on Maxxis and she’s really enjoying being right 🙂

Went tubeless for the first time today. Was prepared for the worst but it was ridiculously easy.

Just lucky I haven’t got your tyre and rim combo!

For reference Alex Volar rims with maxxis HR2 and a minion.

Sounds like I will bee staying with maxxis!

Sorry to hear of your nightmare mate. 🙁
I got lucky.

I feel your pain OP. I was finding tubeless easy until I tried a Magic Mary. Couldn’t get it up even with an air reservoir. A day on the wheel with an inner tube and at 40 psi did the trick though.

Keep adding tape until the bagginess disappears.

They can be a real PITA I`v put most on with a Joe blow track pump, but some are just too narrow between the bead to get them to seat and bead up. Those are the days i take them to work for a quick blast of 7 bar off the air line.
The LBs use an air shot pump, they swear by it. Perhaps you could try local shop and ask if they would seat them for a few quid.
FWIW i find older used tyres go on more easily and WTB are by far the tightest on the bead but i really like the Vigillante so I will put up with it.

Dont forget when yo go tubeless you will need the tubeless repair kit for trailside puncture repair 😀 where you must persevere with the ongoing repair for the rest of ride and never give in and put a tube in (even though your carrying one)

Airshot

https://www.sigmasport.co.uk/item/Specialized/Air-Tool-Blast-Pressurised-Floor-Drive-Track-Pump/EIL9?utm_source=google&utm_medium=base&utm_campaign=base&co=GBR&cu=GBP&gclid=CNXfsbfE1NICFQpAGwodansEhg&gclsrc=aw.ds

Tubeless repair

https://www.merlincycles.com/weldtite-tubeless-tyre-repair-kit-85065.html?utm_campaign=googlebase-GB&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=shopping&utm_term=Puncture+Repair&ucpo=23150&gclid=COvxxcrE1NICFSIL0wodj0QH3w

always struggled with the magic mary’s, can take quite a few attempts even with a compressor to get them seated. maxxis, specialized and wtb tyres have always gone straight on really easyly.
once the mary needs replacing i’m going to try a shorty instead, meant to be abetter tyre and should mount up easyer

I’ve had good results with WTB, not so great with Hutchinson, but that was ghetto without proper rims.

Guys, as a noob to tubeless till today…. What is the function of adding more layers of tape in the bottom of the rim?

I imagine it’s to aid sealing on a baggy tyre/ rim combo??

Thanks!

haha oh the irony bigfoot! I’ve just taken my Shorty off to try a Magic Mary.

This is the first time I’ve ever struggled and given up, the Maxxis and Specialized were easier than fitting tubes.

Not had a puncture in 2 years of being tubeless and I kept meaning to buy one of those repair kits.

I’m going to properly stock up on bits I’ve been neglecting (gorilla tape, tubeless repair etc).

It’s the Super gravity bit that’s the issue i think.

I bought a pair of the 27.5 HD too and they didn’t go anywhere near fitting either my Hope Enduro or Hope Enduro 35w rims (I refuse to snap a plastic lever or even show the rim a metal one).

I ended up ditching them for regular HD’s.

First time I ever went tubeless it was a spesh control on a stans rim. Went up with a foot pump. Piece of piss I thought..

Never come close to that level of success again in following 5 years. Getting it to pop on the rim is just the first hurdle. Some stay up, some dont..no reasoning behind it as all are tubeless ready tyres.

Means I never change tyres and run the same set up in all conditions. Not sure the benefits outweigh the obvious drawbacks

Shwalbe tyres nearly did for me too… Nearly cried one time. Bought new tyres in the end and hey presto!

The Super Gravity went on eventually, wrestling with those sidewalls was horrendous though.

The Magic Mary Snake Skin has really upset me with it’s Wizard’s Sleeve level of slack!

I feel you on the crying 🙂

to aid sealing on a baggy tyre/ rim combo

Exactly that, i had trouble getting the tyres on my old bike people recommended?more tape and it didn’t make sense to me, but i tried it and they went up with a track pump.

What is the function of adding more layers of tape in the bottom of the rim?

I imagine it’s to aid sealing on a baggy tyre/ rim combo??

Yes. To get it to inflate, you need to get air into the tyre faster than it escapes out under the bead, so that the beads are pushed outwards onto the outer parts of the rim where they should seal properly. More tape reduces the size of the gap under the bead.

I have some tyres that are so tight that they form a tight seal just sitting in the rim channel. They’ll go up even with slow pumping on a track pump. Others are loose and need the valve core out plus a blast from the converted fire extinguisher to get them up.

It’s the stupid “tubeless easy” thing schwalbe started doing which should actually be called “easy to put on but so **** loose they won’t go up tubeless”

Poopscoop – Member
Went tubeless for the first time today. Was prepared for the worst but it was ridiculously easy.

You’re being lulled into a false sense of security. Once you’re sold on the whole tubeless thing, the first time you need to fit a tyre where it’s slightly time critical, that’s when the problems will occur.

Thanks for the info on the extra tape guys, will remember that!

ChrisL

You’re being lulled into a false sense of security. Once you’re sold on the whole tubeless thing, the first time you need to fit a tyre where it’s slightly time critical, that’s when the problems will occur.

Yeah, I think your right…
I think I wont be changing tyres as often as I did with tubes. 😯

[/quote]Hope Tech Enduro rims,

this got the same for a rear – wont air up tubeless and I have compressor, all my other tyres and wheels no problems.

Ditch the crap Hope wheel set, heavy, lifeless.

theboyneeds – Member

Shwalbe tyres nearly did for me too… Nearly cried one time. Bought new tyres in the end and hey presto!

Not in this scenario but I have to say Ive felt similar on some occasions with bikes over the years! Cry/ throw the bl**dy thing in the skip….. been a close call on either a few times in the past.

Glad its not just me! 🙂

Try putting a tube in. Seat the tyre by making it go ping. Then deflate carefully to leave one side still seated and remove the tube. Then remove the core from the tubeless valve and fit the valve.

Fold the baggy tyre in and inflate. Don’t add sealant at this stage.

If it works then add the sealant by gently pushing the tyre or put through the core.

An air shot or compressor makes it far easier.

I only ever use schwalbe. I can’t imagine using anything else.

Good luck

I’ve been considering tubeless now that my 29*3.0 tyres arrived from ridewill.it

Just waiting for a good deal on some wide rims.

Anyway, one thing I’ve learned is that a lot of tyres aren’t very supple at first.

This makes them a pita to get on a rim.

Best to get a brew on and then sit with the tyre for half an hour and gently twist it in your hands as though wringing out a wet towel…working your way round the tyre, etc.

Another idea that looks ace, is to cut a strip of foam camping mattress and insert it into the tyre. Apparently the foam strip makes the tyre grip the rim better.

Credit to Ali Clarksons vlog on YouTube for making it look easy:)

Tubeless. Solving a problem that was never there.

Valve core out.

Compressor

The air blow gun with a thin nozzle jammed into the valve.

Not failed me yet even on the baggiest of supposedly non tubeless compatible tires

Use the ratchet strap/old tube method around the outside of the tyre to splay out the bead closer to the rim, even more effective if u’ve seated one side with a tube first. Then add your sealant via the valve.works well with fat tyres which can be notoriously baggy

Ensuring the bead close to the valve is seated on both sides works for road tyres with a track pump. With the larger MTB tyre volume an air shot and making sure both sides around the valve are seated should also work well.

Ironically I was fitting my new Hope Enduro wheels yesterday and hit the same issue.

I’ve used Schwalbe tyres for years and never had any problems on Mavic UST or Stans rims. Can’t get them to work on Hope.

The rim is a crap shape for taping, wide tape can’t conform to the deep well in the centre. Narrow tape doesn’t cover the mystery random holes near the edges. Both sizes just make a mess. The tyres popped up fine, but couldn’t get enough pressure to seat the beads properly due to air pissing out around the spokes.

I too whacked some tubes in after a couple of hours and put tubeless on the ‘things to do when I have more time’ list.

Tubeless. Solving a problem that was never there.

Just like discs on road bikes eh?

damascus – Member

Try putting a tube in. Seat the tyre by making it go ping. Then deflate carefully to leave one side still seated and remove the tube. Then remove the core from the tubeless valve and fit the valve.

That’s been it for me with troublesome ones, one side beaded and the other then off for removing the tube…. I’m yet to fail with this method.

I’ve had plenty of problems with Schwalbe Racing Ralphs, same issue, just too loose to go up. They are easy to get on, then the pain starts. I had to remove the tyre once to repair a hole and I could not get it back on. I used a homebrew airshot, more tape (after 4 layers I think it was getting a bit excessive). Stuck a bontrager tyre on and it went up first time with a track pump.
Although, I haven’t had a problem with Rocket Rons.

Then I had the opposite on the road tubeless, Schwalbe One Pro’s. Almost impossible to get on, then I got a puncture the sealant didn’t seal, and it took me 20 minutes swearing at the roadside to get the damn thing off. I’ve not switched to Hutchinson Sectors and they just went on easily, and pumped up with a track pump.

6079smithw – Member

Tubeless. Solving a problem that was never there.

Solving my issue with getting pinch flats and punctures from small thrones.

@damascus – I tried all that as a last ditch attempt. Seating one side of the bead with a tube, had ratchet straps and all sorts over the tyre 🙂

I might invest in some new rims eventually anyway and have someone build them onto my existing hubs. I know what you mean about the deep well being a pain to tape.

When I first did it, it took a full roll of Stan’s tape to get right and that’s supposed to be good for 4 wheels!

I’ll admit to being a massive tart as the only reason I changed is because I thought they looked good 😳

I’ll run with tubes until I get a puncture or new rims for now. Pinch flats were the reason I went tubeless and I’ve not had a flat for 2 years.

Tubeless. Solving a problem that was never there.

Your probably right, I’ve been tubeless for 4 years and not had a single puncture in that time.

What a waste of time. 😆

Solving my issue with getting pinch flats and punctures from small thrones.

Pointy…

The rim is a crap shape for taping, wide tape can’t conform to the deep well in the centre. Narrow tape doesn’t cover the mystery random holes near the edges. Both sizes just make a mess. The tyres popped up fine, but couldn’t get enough pressure to seat the beads properly due to air pissing out around the spokes.

Maybe try the veloplugs? Might need a bit of sealant (mastic or latex) to help seal. 5g per wheel so on par with 7g of stans tape.

washing up liquid bubbles… really helps with seating.
I use 2 shots in from my airshot to really get Schwalbes seated correctly.

I use rim strips and have noticed that the section of strip containing the valve often sits a bit higher that the rest of the strip this can create a big air gap just past the valve which makes it really hard to inflate as the air does not get round the tire. I used sellotape to lift the rim strip up and then cut it away by the valve hole to ensure the strip was sitting at a constant height.
The only major problem I have is that I always manage to fit the tire the wrong way round!!