Olde Mtbker

[Ken]

Lucky to bag a Decathlon Stilus at 12 midnight in April. Clicked on buy as the clock ticked over the midnight hour and the screen turned green. Previously been trying for weeks but no stock and no slots. As a 78 yr old normally riding a Giant Anthem in the Pennines and the Cheviots the Stilus is a delight. Changed the grips, saddle and fitted a bar raiser and mudguards. Ridden 250 mls, a lot of it on trails but recently picked up a flat. Pumped up the tyre to reach home but huge difficulty in unseating the tyre bead, Schwalbe Smart Sam 2.6, wire bead. Impossible to fit a new tube out n the trail and only managed with the aid of a vice in the garage. Have ordered a folding tyre in the hope that the bead will be moveable. Might try going tubeless but even so it is essential to be able to remove a tyre on a ride. Any suggestions appreciated, this is a challenge for every biker and it would be great to find a solution.

 

[MPJ]

Lucky to bag a Decathlon Stilus at 12 midnight in April. Clicked on buy as the clock ticked over the midnight hour and the screen turned green. Previously been trying for weeks but no stock and no slots. As a 78 yr old normally riding a Giant Anthem in the Pennines and the Cheviots the Stilus is a delight. Changed the grips, saddle and fitted a bar raiser and mudguards. Ridden 250 mls, a lot of it on trails but recently picked up a flat. Pumped up the tyre to reach home but huge difficulty in unseating the tyre bead, Schwalbe Smart Sam 2.6, wire bead. Impossible to fit a new tube out n the trail and only managed with the aid of a vice in the garage. Have ordered a folding tyre in the hope that the bead will be moveable. Might try going tubeless but even so it is essential to be able to remove a tyre on a ride. Any suggestions appreciated, this is a challenge for every biker and it would be great to find a solution.

Based on my experiences you need to go tubeless as soon as possible, then if you are unlucky enough to get a hole out on the trail that won't re-seal on it's own then I carry those plugs that you push through the tyre.
No need to ever remove the tyre out on the ride then.?
These are the things I used and they got me home; Muc-Off Puncture Plug Repair Kit
Other brands available!

 

[Andyd68]

I am still waiting for one of these bikes god knows if and when they come back in stock. PhilBaker on here I think has converted the current tyres to tubeless due to the tight fit and they seem to work fine but not sure if the tyre is classed as tubeless.

I have been looking at Slime inner tubes but the biggest width I can find is 2.5 so not sure if they are suitable? I have thought about tubeless but don’t you need a pump that in inflates very quickly? Plus people seem to have some issues with them and as I am new to the sport not sure if that’s the way to go.
I don’t know which way to go so I am very interested in what you finally do Ken.

 

[Zimmerframe]

There's quite a few threads on converting to tubeless.

A compressor is ideal, but if the tyre is a tight fit, you can often get away without one. You can also make an inflate device from a coke/soda bottle to give that sudden air burst.

 

[MPJ]

I am still waiting for one of these bikes god knows if and when they come back in stock. PhilBaker on here I think has converted the current tyres to tubeless due to the tight fit and they seem to work fine but not sure if the tyre is classed as tubeless.

I have been looking at Slime inner tubes but the biggest width I can find is 2.5 so not sure if they are suitable? I have thought about tubeless but don’t you need a pump that in inflates very quickly? Plus people seem to have some issues with them and as I am new to the sport not sure if that’s the way to go.
I don’t know which way to go so I am very interested in what you finally do Ken.

I use this to 'pop' the beads into place when changing tyres (valves removed); milKit booster » milkit.bike
Has worked well so far ?

 

[KennyB]

Also install a tube to seat the tyre, then "unseat" one side and carry on. Oh, and Stan's DART is a game changer - no other brands are available IMHO.

 

[Ken]

Based on my experiences you need to go tubeless as soon as possible, then if you are unlucky enough to get a hole out on the trail that won't re-seal on it's own then I carry those plugs that you push through the tyre.
No need to ever remove the tyre out on the ride then.?
These are the things I used and they got me home; Muc-Off Puncture Plug Repair Kit
Other brands available!

Thanks for your tubeless endorsement MPJ. Ordered a tubeless kit and a plug tool kit. Just taken delivery of a folding Smart Sam but the existing wired tyre was an absolute bastard to unseat. Ended up making an acrylic wedge and hammering it into the tyre rim joint lubricated with teflon spray which made a big difference. The thought of no more tyre levers out on the trail is most appealing.