Airz
Member
So I've just spent the week trying to convert my 2019 Stereo Hybrid 160 Action Team to tubeless and its been an utter nightmare. Now granted this is the first time I've converted a bike to tubeless however there are a number of things I've discovered that should help others if they want to do the same. These tips should work on any of the bikes in the title which use the Newmen Evolution SL E.35 rims. Things like fluids are going to be down to personal preference however I went with Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex as in the tests it seemed like it had a good balance between sealing ability and useful life once in a tire (about 2-4 months). Some brands lasted longer but didn't seem to seal very well and others sealed better but only lasted about a month in the tire.
So onto the tips/things I've learnt
1. Effetto Mariposa tubeless valves will not seal on these rims. I tried everything from adding rubber washers, dipping it in sealant first, using some tire cement. None of these things worked and I think its down to the fact these valves are supposed to fit large shrader and smaller presta holes using an additional rubber seal (these wheels are drilled for shrader inside) but this introduces to much flex in the rubber and it deforms when tightened. I ended up using Joes tubeless valves with a bit of tire cement around the seal but looking at Stans they should work as well and the cement was really just belt and braces as I was fed up removing the tires at that point
I also tightened the valve up with pliers so they wouldn't budge. If you don't do that its very easy when threading on a pump to start unwinding the valve by accident and the only way to really tighten it properly is when the tire is off
2. Use proper rim tape (I ended up using WTB). I did lots of googling/watching youtube videos and people seemed to swear by Gorilla tape however I found it really didn't like to seal well around the valve probably due to the fiber reinforcement creating a slightly textured finish.
3. Use the full 40mm width rim tape. The Newmen site quotes 35-40mm but I found that if the tape didn't cover the entire rim width plus the rim walls it was prone to lifting. When using the full width the tyre effectively traps the tape against the rim when seated holding it in place.
4. I'd highly recommend warming the rims and tape first so that it sticks better. Additionally once I'd taped the rim I would install the tire and inner tube, pump to the max PSI rating and leave it for about and hour or so against a radiator that was warm. This helped to really compress the tape on the rim reducing the chance of it lifting once inflated without an inner tube.
5. Inflate the tire first without any fluid in it and use soapy water around all the spokes and the valve. If there are any leaks at those areas something isn't right and you need to pull the tire off again and potentially re-tape it. Its possible that the leak may seal once the fluid is in there however I found that mostly wasn't the case so why risk it and then have to clean all the sealant out again before you can start re-taping it. Note that leakage around the bead and side wall can happen but this is normal and will seal with fluid inside so don't re-tape if that happens when testing the tire.
6. Get a fluid syringe to fill the tires. Its so much cleaner and easier to fill the tires through the valve. Additionally make sure you remove the valve core when doing so as it will quickly clog up if you don't.
I think that's about it Hopefully this helps others wanting to do the same without having to go through the frustration I have.
So onto the tips/things I've learnt
1. Effetto Mariposa tubeless valves will not seal on these rims. I tried everything from adding rubber washers, dipping it in sealant first, using some tire cement. None of these things worked and I think its down to the fact these valves are supposed to fit large shrader and smaller presta holes using an additional rubber seal (these wheels are drilled for shrader inside) but this introduces to much flex in the rubber and it deforms when tightened. I ended up using Joes tubeless valves with a bit of tire cement around the seal but looking at Stans they should work as well and the cement was really just belt and braces as I was fed up removing the tires at that point
I also tightened the valve up with pliers so they wouldn't budge. If you don't do that its very easy when threading on a pump to start unwinding the valve by accident and the only way to really tighten it properly is when the tire is off2. Use proper rim tape (I ended up using WTB). I did lots of googling/watching youtube videos and people seemed to swear by Gorilla tape however I found it really didn't like to seal well around the valve probably due to the fiber reinforcement creating a slightly textured finish.
3. Use the full 40mm width rim tape. The Newmen site quotes 35-40mm but I found that if the tape didn't cover the entire rim width plus the rim walls it was prone to lifting. When using the full width the tyre effectively traps the tape against the rim when seated holding it in place.
4. I'd highly recommend warming the rims and tape first so that it sticks better. Additionally once I'd taped the rim I would install the tire and inner tube, pump to the max PSI rating and leave it for about and hour or so against a radiator that was warm. This helped to really compress the tape on the rim reducing the chance of it lifting once inflated without an inner tube.
5. Inflate the tire first without any fluid in it and use soapy water around all the spokes and the valve. If there are any leaks at those areas something isn't right and you need to pull the tire off again and potentially re-tape it. Its possible that the leak may seal once the fluid is in there however I found that mostly wasn't the case so why risk it and then have to clean all the sealant out again before you can start re-taping it. Note that leakage around the bead and side wall can happen but this is normal and will seal with fluid inside so don't re-tape if that happens when testing the tire.
6. Get a fluid syringe to fill the tires. Its so much cleaner and easier to fill the tires through the valve. Additionally make sure you remove the valve core when doing so as it will quickly clog up if you don't.
I think that's about it
Hopefully this helps others wanting to do the same without having to go through the frustration I have.
