Tubeless 101 Part 2

Tubeless 101 Part 2:

Last time I posted on this subject I mentioned that tubeless set ups may not be for you and that they are more technical and require more maintenance than tubed set ups. This time I am going to get into more of the techniques and tips which can help you if you should decide to actually pursue this tubeless madness.

First of all, you'll need a good supply of sealant, tubeless valve stems, valve cores, a way to introduce sealant into your tires, and it wouldn't hurt to have some tubeless tape around. Basic tools like tire levers, a pair of needle nosed pliers, a valve core remover, and a really good pump are also requisite items. It also wouldn't hurt to have a small air compressor handy as well.

By now you should be getting the idea that tubeless tire set ups are not only more technical and maintenance intensive, but more expensive as well. By the way, I highly recommend getting legit items and do not try to cut corners, like getting Gorilla Tape instead of real tubeless tape, as an example. While many will say this is just fine, it doesn't make sense that it is "better" than the real deal, or why would there be tubeless tape at all? Besides, Gorilla Tape can soak up sealant and fail, which will happen faster than with using real tubeless tape. Besides the mess you have cutting it to size, and getting it on right, Gorilla Tape doesn't save you anything in the long run. And yes, I've used it before. 

So, in that vein, it also needs to be said that in 2020 fudging tubeless set ups is not only unnecessary, but it is very unwise. Systems exist, so use them. If you don't have tubeless rims, tires, or the proper tools and equipment, it just doesn't make sense to reinvent the wheel, so to speak, and garage-tech your way along until you get a successful set up. Unless you are just curious, have a ton of time to waste, and think you are "saving money/beating The Man" by doing it your way. Your time is valuable. You just need to buck-up and do it right, save time, and get to riding. Or.....use tubed set ups. Again- tubeless tires are not for everyone. 

That said, I will now recommend what I've found to work well over my 14 years or so of messing around with tubeless set ups.

Sealant: Muc-Off No Puncture Hassle Tubeless Sealant, Orange Seal, Caffe Latex. In that order, and all of those are better than Stan's, which isn't bad, but Stan's is my last choice.

Tubeless Tape: Stan's, Muc-Off, Velocity Blue. In that order. WTB is actually Stan's tape, so that is on the list too. DO NOT USE DUCT TAPE or GORILLA TAPE. Oh, and by the way, I've heard good things about Whiskey tape, but I have yet to use it. (Note- Muc-Off tubeless tape is so new it isn't online yet. You can get it at Andy's Bike Shop)

Injector: Get a sealant injector. You'll thank me later. The best is KOM Cycling's unit. Caffe Latex also makes a decent one.

Valve Core Remover: Park Tools or KOM Cycling's which comes with some killer tire levers.

Valves: Mavic used to make the best ones. But anything that is not aluminum is best. Pay attention to the bases. Some are meant to fit certain inner rim wells and others won't so well. Velocity makes good valves. WTB has decent ones. Bontrager's are specific to their plastic rim strips, but are sturdy and work great.

Pedros lever, WTB tire.

How To Remove A Tubeless Tire And Recover Sealant:

First step: Remove air. Open the valve and release as much as you can, then remove the valve core to get it all out. Next: Press the bead of the tire off the rim bead shelf of the rim toward the center of the rim. Do this ALL THE WAY AROUND and on BOTH SIDES of the tire. 

NEXT: Lift the tire upward away from the rim by pinching the beads together at one point on the tire and pulling away from the rim. Stick a tire lever under one side of the tire's bead, pry over the rim, (see image) and push the lever away from you, peeling the tire bead over the rim as you go. Now you should have one side of the tire off. STOP here and do not spill any sealant that remains inside the tire.

Hang the wheel off a hook or something similar and wait for 15-30 minutes. This will allow any sealant in the tire to settle into a pool at the bottom of the wheel. You can do this previous to working on the wheel by setting the wheel in a static position for a time, but you'll have to be careful not to rotate it as you work the tire off the rim bead shelf and peel off one side of the tire. The idea here is to recover any wet sealant in the tire. If there is none, I'll cover the next steps in my next post.

After setting for a while your tire should look like this with a pool of sealant at the bottom.

You then suck up the sealant with a sealant injector, and push what you recover into a container.

Put your recovered sealant back into the bottle, (if you purchased commercially available sealant) or in a separate container that is opaque and sealable. Once you have hoovered out as much sealant as you can, you can wipe out the remaining bit with a wet rag. Then your tire should be easily removed by hand, most likely. You might need a lever, but if so, only one should do the trick.

The last bead should come over the rim fairly easily.

Inspect the inner casing of the tire for any casing degradation. Sealants can degrade tire casings over time. Also, just the fact that the casing has to do the job of holding the air and handling all sorts of abuse can damage casings. If you see any deformation, it is time for a new tire. Now- maybe the tire isn't quite right, but usable. In that case, keep it for a tubed set up. But don't risk it as a tubeless tire again. Ditto if the tire casing stretched a lot and fits too loosely after dismounting. Double that ditto if the tire ever blew off the rim, even once. Yes- this can be an expensive lesson. Did I mention tubeless set ups are more expensive than tubed? I'm pretty sure I did....... Anyway-

If the tire checks out, I usually hang it up to allow it to air dry. If you are going to re-use it, then there are a few things you'll need to do, which I will cover in my next post. I will also cover how to mount a tire.

Notes On Storing Sealant: Keep your recovered sealant in a cool, dry, dark place. It will last longer this way. I have stored sealant for well over six months and have seen no issues with use afterward, but some sealants do better than others. Also- clean your sealant injector by sucking up warm water and pushing it out again several times. Sealant will muck up an injector causing blockage if you do not clean up the innards of the injector immediately after using it.

Okay, next time I will have the tire clean up and mounting procedure I use to share with you in Part 3.