I want to go tubeless on my gravel bike and the rim is tubeless ready. It has orange rim tape fitted - do I need to apply rim tape on top of this before adding sealant and fitting tubeless valves? Or can I just fit the tubeless valves and work away from there? The already fitted tape does not completely cover the valve hole leaving approx a 1/4 moon - is this an issue?
No, that tape should already be the tubeless tape. The hole at the valve is fine, as the valve will plug it.
Just tried it and there is some seepage around the spoke holes ☹️
What are the wheels?
Ive had some that have been pretty badly taped from the factory so it might be best to just pick that tape off and do it yourself with new tape.
MERIDA EXPERT SL II rims on silex 400.
Can’t find much info about them online other than links to the full bike so assume they’re something else rebranded as Merida. An eBay listing shows them as tubeless ready but without tape and valve which to me isn’t really tubeless ready, to call it that implies it at least comes pre taped.
I’d just rip the tape off and do it yourself and see how it goes.
Tubeless ready can simply mean that the rim profile is tubeless compatible. Some are pre-taped with tubeless tape, some just have cheaper rim strips that aren’t air tight.
Job done. Fitted rim tape and all good. Thanks for the help.