OK, I’ve been running tubeless for at least ten years generally without issues and much prefer the ride feel and puncture protection of tubeless. In the last week I tried to correct a slight wobble in a Bontrager SE4 Team Issue tyre on a 29″ Comp 30 Elite rim (both 4 rides old) by deflating, soaping round the bead (which hadn’t unseated) and pumping up again to about 40psi to try and seat it fully – and it blew off the rim. Bead seems ok but it won’t mount again and won’t mount on a Giant 29er rim either – just seems very baggy.

I would have said the bead was damaged but have tried to put a Spesh Butcher on the Bonty rim – same issue, and now I can’t get the Butcher onto the Giant rim either, although it did almost work but blew off at about 25psi. The Butcher had previously been on the Giant rim fine. I put quite a bit of washing up liquid on that too and am wondering if it’s too much.

Anyone had any bad experiences with these tyres/combos? Is it possible to have tyres too well lubed?

I’ve never bothered with soap on the beads. If they won’t seat without, then they will be too bloody tight to get off in a trail emergency.

They definitely get baggier with repeated fitting/use. Maybe you just need a new tyre.

I put some tyres on with my son on Friday, and I carefully put on the soap and water. No end of grief. After I cleaned the soap off it went up no problem.

True story bro.

Soap helps me on road tyres especially.

Bonty rim and tyre combo’s are always a pain to seat, we regularly have to soap, inflate/deflate, wrestle with bead seating tools, and generally arse about before we get them fully seated. No foolproof methods to offer you, just patience, sheer bioody mindedness,copious swearing, and the fact that somebody’s on their way to collect it eventually gets them done.

I’ve always found the bonty stuff good but last time i changed a tyre on my road wheels i had real problems, had to get a new rim strip then it went on straight away. Someone on here told me that the rim strips are almost single use. I’d never changed one before.

Interesting comments – thanks.