OK TL mounting done. Some observations:
My tape is 25mm but that wasn’t wide enough for my 23mm hooked rims. So the edges of the rim have no tape. The beads bleed sealant if I pinch the tire at 30ish psi. Not a great omen but I don’t feel like ordering new tape and doing all this crap over again.
2 layers of DT swiss tape allowed me to seat the tire EASILY with a floor pump. I think this comes down to the rim though.
Putting the tire on is now super easy. Still takes a lever, but it doesn’t feel like I’m gonna break anything. I’m elated that I somehow achieved a floor pump seat without impossible-to-mount tires.
Took some shaking with sealant inside to get the tires to stop bleeding air through the sidewalls. After I let the wheels sit flat for while, I pumped the tires up to 70 and went for a 2 hour ride. Lost an unmeasurable amount of air. Yay! Going to see how they hold overnight/perform tomorrow.
70psi is way too high for me to feel a real difference between tubes vs TL. I’m gonna run these at 55 or so tomorrow and see if that feels better