MTB tubeless frustrations!

For as long as I've been biking I have been running my MTB tyres with tubes in the traditional way, but for the past five years or so I have watched the tubeless revolution grow and grow. I've also had my brother in law (a top xc racer) telling me to go tubeless every time I talk to him. So, after being a hold-out for years I have taken the plunge, got a new wheelset, Stan's no tubes fluid, and all the other gubbins to give me a top performing pair of wheels.

The front tyre has gone on relatively easily. The bead fitting into place with a tube in the tyre with a resounding pop, then remove tube, add valve, add washing up liquid, pump up, bead goes back in. Then add Stan's fluid, pump up, shake and we're good to go. Happy days!

Tha rear wheel has been another story. Followed the same procedure, but can not get the tyre to reseat on the bead once the tube is out. It's a conti speed king 2.3 and the rims are Stan's Crest. As hard as I go with the track pump I can't get enough air flow to reseat it. Same with the car tyre pumps down at garages as they all seem to be set up at low flow rates for safety. The wheel is currently sitting with a pressurised tube in it as if that will convince the tyre to take up the same position when I try it tubeless again tomorrow.

Anybody got any tips? Anybody got an air compressor? Anybody want to go for a pint and listen to me complain some more?

Simon

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Permalink Reply by Bill Fitzgerald on September 10, 2011 at 19:12

LOL, I feel sorry for you mate. Sound like the first time I tried gluing my road tubs on. Hope you sort it out soon.

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Permalink Reply by Lee Staples on September 10, 2011 at 19:23

On my UST there is a gully in the middle on the rim. I put the bead into this first and then pump, as the air goes in it will pop and ping it way on to the outta rim.

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Permalink Reply by Simon Clarke on September 10, 2011 at 20:37

Thanks Lee, but there's my problem, the bead goes into the gully, but there is too big a gap between tyre and this part of the rim, so when I pump the air flows out instead of pushing the bead into place. So I need a larger flow of air. Or maybe not air. Maybe if I use one of those CO2 canisters that would provide a big enough flow? Worth a go.

After my previous post I saw a tip on the web about moving the tyre bead from the gully to the outside of the rim with a lever. The tip was presented in a swanky video by Oli Beckinsale, MTB Olympian and national champ. I thought that's it, I'm sorted. I rushed off to give it a go. I was not sorted. I was swearing. At my wheel and at Oli bloody Beckinsale.

Bill, give it a couple of years and tubeless will be the way to go for road tyres and then you can have the pleasure of swearing at tubs and tyres as well!

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Permalink Reply by Lee Staples on September 10, 2011 at 21:36

Another trick, I've sometimes employed is to put the valve stem at the very bottom, put a little weight on the top of the tire squeezing together to make good seal and then pump it like a spring rabbit.

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Permalink Reply by Frankie Hobbins on September 11, 2011 at 22:15

Yeah I always got mine on by just jiggling it round and pumping hard! I never really liked them though I kept burping the air out or getting slow punctures so wen't back to tubes. And my rims are pretty mashed up now :)

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Permalink Reply by Johnny Edwards on September 10, 2011 at 22:15

Always heard good things about tubeless, but have avoided it as I seem to change
my tyres frequently depending upon the conditions.
Ghetto tubeless may be the way should I wish to try it. I've no experience but I always thought
you needed a compressor to get the initial seal and seating. Good luck, I hear the results are worth the pain.

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Permalink Reply by Jonathan Harris on September 11, 2011 at 17:32

Some tyres will go with a track pump, others won't. Even exactly the same tyres - one will work on the front, but won't for the back. One of the joys of tubeless...

You need a fast fill of air, which means either a) a compressor, or b) a CO2 cartridge. If you go for option b, spin the wheel round so the valve is at 12 o'clock and leave for a few seconds, so that all the sealant drains away from the valve. Blasting freezing cold CO2 in to a pool of sealant causes it to harden leaving these funky balls of latex rolling round in your tyres.

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Permalink Reply by Simon Clarke on September 11, 2011 at 20:55

Jonathan, thanks for your help. It seems that my suspicions were right and that I do need to use a compressor (with a decent sized reservoir) or CO2 canister. I have a CO2 connector thing. I do not have a compressor. So that settles which method I'll be trying. Wish me luck. And when I get a top performing wheelset I'll just need a top performing leg-and-lung-set to go with them.

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Permalink Reply by Jonathan Harris on September 11, 2011 at 21:54

I use CO2 canisters every now and again. You can pick boxes of them up cheap from eBay.

Alternatively, you can make your own compressor, Blue Peter-style: http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/ghetto-tubeless-inflato...

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Permalink Reply by Simon Clarke on September 11, 2011 at 22:12

So tempted by ghetto tactics. I had actually seen that and thought it would be a good idea if CO2 failed. Cheaper than cartridges and reusable. When I was a proper engineer a couple of years ago I could have sourced all the bits no problem down the workshop. Now I'm a total desk jockey so will need a trip to the plumbing aisle of Wickes.
On the other hand, think of all the things a compressor could be used for - drying chains, cleaning cassettes, blowing up tyres even.
I'll let you know how I get on.

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Permalink Reply by Simon Clarke on September 21, 2011 at 21:53

***Update***
My mountain bike race came around with only the front wheel running tubeless. Still, wheels are good and light and strong and I had no failures on either tyre while I struggled to a mid table performance. The race was in south Essex and while the course was not too technical it managed to find a hill to go up and down a few times. A very pedally course which kept my heart rate very, very high for a couple of hours.
Anyway, I had a spare hour or so this evening so I had another go at blowing up the rear tubeless stylee and this time just managed it with my track pump. Success! Let the air out, popped in some of the Stan's gunk and crossed my fingers that I could reinflate. A bit of frantic, nervous pumping and the tyre popped into place again. Double success! A bit of shaking round of the fluid, making sure a couple of leaks got sealed and I should now be sorted. Running that tyre and rim together in the race for a while, even with a tube, must have made the difference.

No excuses for mid table mediocrity for the next race. Actually, my next few events will be cyclocross. How long before I start messing about with tubeless for that?