The Battle Rages On

Haven't quite sealed up.....yet!

About two weeks ago I wrote how I was setting up the "Orange Crush" with the new A-23's and a tubeless set up on the Clement X'Plor USH tires.

I gotta say, it's been a big battle so far!

I got the tires set up enough for a quick spin around the block or two, but they would not seal up enough to hold air overnight. No way, no how.

I kept at it for a solid week after work and writing duties, but to no avail. I was going to give up and throw on some tubes, but I decided to give my buddy MG a call. He is the one that I got the sealant recipe from in the first place. MG has set up so many tires tubeless it's crazy. From fat bike tires to cyclo cross rubber and everything in between. I decided to tap his vast knowledge and experience before throwing in the towel.

Samo ole, same ole...

MG had some enlightening ideas. Thicken up the solution, add more than I thought before, and do some fancy slam action on the tires. (I'd get into details, but it's pretty boring stuff, really.) Well, the signs are pointing to a victory now. Thing is, it will be two and a half weeks soon before I get these to set up! Dang! Hopefully it'll be worth it. What makes it even more frustrating is that some of you have commented saying that these tires set up tubeless for you just fine. Meh!

So for today's 3GR the Orange Crush looks like it always has for the last several weeks. Not that this is bad, but I was ready to sport the silver goodness, and I just can not quite trust it yet. Of course, I'll do a close in ride this weekend, hoping to bed in the USH/A-23 combo, and if it fails, I won't have far to walk home!

One positive that has come from all of this inflating-deflating, and that is that the USH tires have stretched a bit, now coming closer to the width of the MSO's. They probably won't get all the way there, but I bet they are 37mm wide now.

Well, that's the update on those. Hopefully I'll have good news later in the weekend. At least I am making headway now. Thanks MG! (Hope that the Dakota 50 went well for ya today!)