Caliper

I've been wondering recently what everyone does when swapping tires on tubeless setups? I've had occasion to swap some tires recently and it was a real pain. The old tires weren't worn out, I wanted to try a different tire for a few rides. All the extra work to swap tubeless tires made me wonder if anyone has any tricks for this? I don't usually have a problem seating the bead, it's just all the messing with old dried sealant and fresh sealant that sucks. It takes something that used to be quick and easy but is now a hassle that you need to plan some time ahead for. For people who want to optimize their tire choice for a given ride, how do you do this in a reasonable time and without wasting bunches of money on sealant?

Rides4Beer

Extra wheelset. I haven't gotten to that point yet, I'm just riding the stock tires. But eventually I can see two gravel wheelsets, one with aggressive tires and one with something faster. I wouldn't want to mess with swapping tires.

jimincalif

I have two wheelsets also, one with road and one with gravel tires.

redlude97

i use multiple wheelsets but I can also set up a new tubeless setup in under and hour and be rolling on the road/gravel which includes removing and installing a new set of tires. Its super easy if you are just replacing, but if you're looking to swap and save the old tires, then you simply let the air out by pulling the valve core, break the bead, use a syringe with a hose to suck up any extra sealant, remove the tire, blast the old tire and rim with a hose to rinse off any old sealant and gunk, install new tire and seat with a compressor/chamber or floorpump depending on your setup, add sealant, install valve core, repump, give the rim a spin and shake, install and roll out the door.

HTupolev

Pick an all-rounder tire, build a second wheelset, or use tubes.

Constantly messing with sealant-laden setups is always going to be inconvenient, and it's best to not screw with a tubeless tire's bead seating more than you need to.

chas58

A second wheelset and/or use tubes is probably the best.

I use skinny strippers in my tire (effectively sealing the entire air chamber and making it tubular). If I'm careful I can swap tires (if the bead isn't too tight) which I do occasionally.

For example,
I rotate these tires front/rear a little faster than I can with an inner tubed tire.
Occasionally I put an extra big tire on the front. I can take the tubeless tire off - ride the tubed tire for a couple of weeks, and then just put the tubeless tire back on.

Caliper

Wasn't familiar with this setup, but yes.

Do you mean built yourself? Or where are you finding good wheelsets for that price?

I wasn't aware that tubeless tires had a limited number of installations. Good to know...


I hadn't seen this setup before, interesting. It looks very similar to the old "ghetto tubeless" I've seen though?

DrIsotope

I've swapped out tires on three tubeless wheelsets this year alone. The people claiming mess and hassle have clearly never done it. It might take me 20 minutes to remove one tire, completely clean it and store it, put on another tire, mount, add sealant, and be ready to go. It's 40 milliliters of liquid latex per tire at most, folks. I use syringe to vacuum the sealant out of one tire, and squirt it into another. What little of the sealant goes rogue, Orange Seal rinses off with a little water.

That said, it is a perfect excuse to buy a second wheelset. I have a dedicated set for my knobbies.

DrIsotope

If I cared any less about what you thought, pressing these keys would be too much effort.

I’ve been running 40mL in 700x35s for years. Or so I claim. Who knows. Maybe it’s all a grand illusion for some unknowable end goal.

chas58

Yep - realistically the inside of a tubeless tire should be cleaned out periodically anyway. Get rid of Stanimals, dried puddles and just excess dry gunk.

And extra wheels, running tubes, or skinny strippers are various alternatives. I like the extra wheelset.

redlude97

FWIW I run 100ml in a 38-40c tire when new and top off with 50ml whenever the level drops off. After awhile the liquid carrier does seem to build up and dilute the solids in the sealant but I never run 1 set of tires long enough for that to become a significant problem as I'm constantly rotate tires for conditions on different wheelsets

Zaskar

Two wheel sets
- one is narrower, the road wheels. That set is tubed... easy to swap tires
- wider rims, the gravel/dirt wheels. Those stay tubeless and no tire swapping

chas58

so, how do you know when it gets low? Do you use a dipstick?

chas58

good idea. I'm tending do to that, but I have the wide tires tubed. Actually, the 40mm gets the most use, so it has the skinny stripper so I can easily take it off/on. That lets me put on a tubed 50mm when I need the flotation.

redlude97

Pull the wheel and give it a good shake. If it sloshes its good to go. If I dont hear it or it sounds low I pull the valve core which I do regularly to clean anyways and use a zip tie end to dipstick check

Big R

This all seems needlessly complicated to me...I have two sets of wheels. "Road" wheels running 25mm tires, rarely take them off rim, but no big deal when I do. Orange Seal comes with a dip stick. I can deflate slowly, remove valve core, check level/add if needed--usually without even breaking the bead. Second "off-road" wheels, I swap tires pretty regularly, 5 min cleaning and re-using Orange Seal--if it was good enough to work in the old tire, no reason it shouldn't work in the new one. Whole process is w/i a few minutes of clincher tubed swap out...but I do have a compressor, which is HUGE! Lots of good tutorials on youtube and manufacturers' sites.

Darth Lefty 

Unnecessary maintenance offers opportunities to scratch and mar your stuff. Just keep riding the same ones til they don’t hold air or the tread is gone