hhk25

Setting up my first ever tubeless tires. I have brand new Shimano GRX wheels, WTB Byway tires and Orange sealant.

I've installed both beads of the tire and I'm trying to set the beads by inflating the tires to 70psi. However, the beads don't seal enough to get any pressure into the tires. I have not yet injected the sealant.

My understanding was that I had to inflate the tires without sealant first to get a good bead set and then inject the sealant and reinflate. Do I have this wrong?

I'm afraid if I inject the sealant, it's just going to leak out the sides.

echelon3

The way you're doing it is the normal way I do it. It works most of the time, but certain combinations of rims/tape/tires are harder to setup. Once it gets on, it's usually fine.

Are you using an air compressor? With those stubborn combos, I just inflate as quickly as possible until it mounts or "pops" without looking at the gauge.

well biked

I suggest two things: use soapy water (dish soap, etc) on the beads of the tires. If the tires are being stubborn, as it sounds like they are, remove the valve cores and inflate (with an air compressor), you will flood the tires with more air, faster, than is possible with the cores in the valve stems. Once the tires inflate and the beads seat, remove the inflator head and the tire will immediately, deflate, of course. At this point, inject the tubeless sealant. Re-install the valve cores and inflate until the tire bead is fully seated. No need to overinflate, usually.

hhk25

I tried for another hour this afternoon and even had a friend help try to tighten up the tire so it formed a seal. No dice. I believe the problem is that the tire is too loose a fit. I just cannot build up any pressure. The air blows out the side.

It's a WTB tire with TCS logo and the wheel is definitely intended to be run tubeless. If it matters, this is a 650b tire and wheelset. I think I might have to get a different tire.

well biked

Assuming you've already tried removing the valve core (and are using an air compressor), here's another trick that might be worth trying...remove the tubeless valve stem from the rim entirely, install an inner tube, and inflate until the bead seats completely. Deflate, and remove the inner tube. As you do, take care as best you can to not break the bead on one side of the tire. Install the tubeless valve stem again (without the core installed), and repeat what I said above. The idea is that by seating the bead with an inner tube, and then only breaking one side of the tire's bead, you start the process already halfway there.

jbucky1

Covering a few bases... the GRX Wheels (rx570) don't come taped for tubeless, so make sure you have done that, or your bike shop has done that. Otherwise it will not work.

dim

add 60ml of orange sealant ..... add the valve core,

spin the wheel a few times,

turn the valve to the 12 O'clock position and inflate with a track pump

works every time (you may get a bit of sealant leaking on the side near the valve, but just wipe it off after the tyre is inflated (Orange sealant does not damage paint or chrome and just wipes off with a damp rag)

I've also seated some tubeless tyres with the 25g CO2 cannisters but you need one where you can control /switch off the CO2 once the tyre has popped onto the beads (I use the Lezyne Control Drive)

then, let all the CO2 out .... add sealant and re-inflate

(I prefer just adding the sealant before pumping with a track pump)

BTW, there are a few versions of Orange Sealant .... the best one to use is the regular version (not the endurance version) .... it seals larger holes .... this is the one:

hhk25

I removed the valve core and voila, the tire seated in nicely. Thanks well biked.

hhk25

I got the tires installed but now I'm wondering if I should have waited until spring. I will not be riding these much until April. A friend tells me that the sealant will settle and harden, causing an inbalance in the wheel. Is this a real risk?

DrIsotope

Sealant settling and drying out? Possibly. Creating an imbalance? Nah. I had a tire last 13 months, over 6,000 miles, having fresh sealant injected into it every 6 weeks or so (it gets hot here.) That's around half a liter of sealant, and when the tire came off to be replaced, it weighed less than 20g more than a brand new one. Tubeless sealant is over 90% carrier. Orange seal also dries out really slowly compared to some others, so you should have little issue. Just don't let the tire go completely flat, the sealant will dry out in a few days in a flat tire.

hhk25

Thanks for the feedback. I'll leave them as is, spin them whenever I think about it and see what happens in the spring.

tyrion

I try to at least give the wheels a spin on days I don't ride.

(maybe that's useless, just seems like a good idea.)