Tubeless ready?

[Herder000]

Ok, never really done tubeless, I've never really been bothered before. However, got my first puncture on my trance e+2. Luckily it stayed up enough for me to get home in the warm and dry to fix it. First thing, the tyre was an absolute b****d to get off! In my, ahem, 40 years of fixing punctures I've never been even close to having so much trouble with a tyre. So thinking I would have completely lost the plot if I'd had to do that out on the trails I thought I'd go tubeless for the first time as it allegedly comes with all the bits I need.
So finally having got the tyre off, first thing is the instructions do not resemble the kit they supply! So a few questions for you people more clued up than I:
I presume I don't need rim tape as it has a nice smooth plastic bit in it already?
They only gave me 3 x 59ml tyre sealant bottles in the kit so I used 1 and a half bottles per tyre, is that enough?
All I did was take out the tube, put the supplied tubeless valve in, pour the sealant into the bottom of the tyre and blow it up, is that it?
For all you UK riders, how often do you need to top up the sealant? Every 6-8 months I read somewhere?
Can I mix it with stans sealant as that is more readily available and is a lot cheaper?
I did one tyre last night as above and it's still inflated so I'm optimistic, but I haven't actually ridden on it since.

 

[KennyB]

looks like you've done all the right things, sounds like the rim is taped already, That amount of sealant sounds about right. I would sheck the sealant (condition and quantity) every 3 months, a PITA unless you use milKit valves - plenty of discussion about these in other threads, they make tubeless setup and maintenance (you can check the sealant without breaking the bead) a doddle. Getting the tyre off the rim is as you say a pain, best way IMHO is to deflate the tyre, lay the wheel on a benchwith the tyre over the edge and the rim supported and push firmly down on the tyre with the heell of the hand. My LBS reckons Giant fill these wee bottles with Stan's Ordinary sealant, don't use Race, it dries out very quickly. By the way check out the Stan's DART system for repairing holes the sealant can't sort on its own
Bit Marmite the whole tubeless v tubes v insert issue, you will get loads of contrary opinions.

 

[Herder000]

Thanks for the reassurance and info Kenny. I'll use Stans from now on then. I was going to carry a spare inner tube, but is it worth carrying a small bottle of spare sealant as well?

 

[KennyB]

Views vary. I rarely carry a tube. Once I get hold of a Stan's DART (it's like a chimney sweep brush that reacts with latex sealant, now on TREDZ website as available but I ordered from my LBS and I'll honour that) I won't carry a tube but I will carry a bottle of sealant and a couple of gas cartridges. My logic is that I've never needed one, if I did have a catastrophic puncture that the DART couldn't sort I'd need a tube, latex gloves, tyre lever, a tyre boot, pump and patches so where do you stop? Wilderness rides are different of course, then it's belt braces and braces repair kit. Another thing, I checked the tyres a couple of days after my last ride and found 2 thorns. After prising them out and rotating the tyre to get the sealant to the holes, I checked the pressure and had only lost 5lbs. Lesson relearned, check after every ride.

 

[steve_sordy]

I wouldn't bother carrying spare sealant. I check my tyre pressure with a digital pressure gauge before every ride and I can tell when the sealant is starting to run out. I already have many punctures in the tyres that have sealed, but all those holes add up and as the sealant either runs out or starts to dry up, the pressure loss between rides starts to increase. So I get plenty of warning. The mini-pump I carry would not add air fast enough to seat a tubeless tyre in my garage, so I wouldn't even contemplate trying to do so trailside.

What I do carry is one spare tube, tyre levers, tyre wall patch, mini-pump. And if the tube gets a puncture I also have some tube patches. In the last ten years or so I have to use the equipment only twice, both because the tyre failed at the bead through a manufacturing defect, not trail damage. So with that track record why do I carry all that kit? Two reasons: 1). As long as I carry all that kit I will maintain that track record. 2). I was able to continue my ride and I avoided two long walks home.

PS: Despite having as many as two dozen or so punctures in each tyre at one time, I have never actually seen a thorn sticking out. I certainly would not even contemplate removing the tyre just for a look to see if there was any protruding on the inside. That is what sealant is for, to seal the puncture and stop you getting a flat.

 

[KennyB]

I check for thorns from the outside, you can see the end of the thorn and remove it in the comfort of your own home. Spare sealant is in the event of a major hole that sprays loads of sealant out before I can get the plug in. Idea is to put the sealant in through the hole, then DART, then CO2. Could have made that clearer.

 

[GrahamPaul]

I certainly would not even contemplate removing the tyre just for a look to see if there was any protruding on the inside. That is what sealant is for, to seal the puncture and stop you getting a flat.

That's the horrible job you get just before you stuff the tube in following a catastrophic trailside failure. I had to do that this summer - took forever to get the tyre clear enough of dry latex on the inside to be able to feel the thorns sticking through.

 

[p3eps]

I've been tubeless for about 3 years now, and have hardly had any "known" punctures. I always carry a tube, pump, levers etc just incase, but have never had to use them.

I once had to pull a 2" nail out of my tyre... to which it hissed for a few seconds, then burbled, then stopped and sealed! Lost a couple of psi, but it was barely worth pumping up again.
I've had 27.5 x 3" fat tyres for a while now, and have to run the Stan's Racing sealant... as the standard Stan's was bleeding through the sidewalls!
It's too thick to top up through the valves, which means partly taking the tyre off the rim every 3 or 4 months to check / top up.

My new Rail is ready for collection on Monday, and the first thing I'll be doing is removing the tubes and pouring in some Stan's.

 

[KennyB]

Once the sidewalls are sealed won't ordinary sealant be ok?

 

[Beekeeper]

I find that once you break the bead on a tyre even if it’s just one wall then getting it off the rim is easy, you just push the wall into the centre of the rim and it drops down into the “U” shaped centre. This gives the tyre more room and it can literally wobble of the rims completely from here just using finger force.

 

[p3eps]

Once the sidewalls are sealed won't ordinary sealant be ok?

Ha ha... you’re probably right. I bet I could use standard Stan’s now without it leaking through.

I actually had the tyres replaced under warranty because they leaked, and the manufacturer (Specialized) advised using the Race sealant.

 

[KennyB]

I just don't like the stuff, the one problem I've had in 8 years is Race sealant put in by the LBS in a new bike. Dried out in a few weeks. I suppose if it lasted longer it would be called Races.

 

[Giff]

I've been tubeless for about 3 years now, and have hardly had any "known" punctures. I always carry a tube, pump, levers etc just incase, but have never had to use them.

I once had to pull a 2" nail out of my tyre... to which it hissed for a few seconds, then burbled, then stopped and sealed! Lost a couple of psi, but it was barely worth pumping up again.
I've had 27.5 x 3" fat tyres for a while now, and have to run the Stan's Racing sealant... as the standard Stan's was bleeding through the sidewalls!
It's too thick to top up through the valves, which means partly taking the tyre off the rim every 3 or 4 months to check / top up.

My new Rail is ready for collection on Monday, and the first thing I'll be doing is removing the tubes and pouring in some Stan's.

Which Rail ?......can you post what you think of it ? Thanks G.

 

[p3eps]

Which Rail ?......can you post what you think of it ? Thanks G.

9.9. Collect tomorrow, but unlikely to ride it until the weekend (apart from a quick blast round the streets!).
Have to fit the invisiframe and sort out the tubeless first.

 

[Giff]

I'd really like to know what you think......have you ridden one or compared it to the 9.7 or 9.8 ? They look brilliant but I haven't seen one for real yet.

 

[p3eps]

I'd really like to know what you think......have you ridden one or compared it to the 9.7 or 9.8 ? They look brilliant but I haven't seen one for real yet.

My first emtb, and the first I’ve ridden - with the exception of a Rail 5 down the street and back at my LBS!
I hope it meets my expectations.

 

[Giff]

I bet it will.....looks the best out there at the moment. It would be great to hear what you think after a few rides.