JeffOYB

I'm attempting my first tubeless setup.

I installed my Stans rim tape under strong tension but I still have some wrinkles in the tape. Not terrible but not smooth like a stretched balloon.

Also sometimes the tape is a tiny bit "taller" than the rim edges in a couple places. Seems like this might be OK, just excess beyond and might even help ensure a good air seal. Or maybe it's a big problem. I'll find out soon enough!

I googled this a bit and found where someone installed a tube and inflated to high pressure to seat the tape better. But maybe that was regular rim tape. I'll check that out a bit more before attempting that stunt. (Couldn't find further info.)

UPDATE:

I think I've read and seen pics where the tape goes into the center channel then up onto the shoulder and even a bit more. I trimmed the high parts w a box cutter.

I installed the tire. I inflated. It went pop and ping loudly a couple times. Now the tire looks to be seated and is holding air and is true on the rim. (UPDATE: I used 2 oz Stans sealant per LBS advice.)

However, I dunked the wheel in water and it is bubbling a bit along a few inches in two places on the rim.

There was a place that was letting out quite a bit of air earlier then it pinged and seemed to resolve. But now I have tiny but steady air loss.

Maybe my wrinkly tape job is to blame? I can unmount and peek inside and check. I don't have an air compressor at home. I'd read where if you manually seat the tire you can use a floor pump. I tried it at first and had no luck. It seems like maybe all my wide rim tape is too slippery for the bead to stay up high. My bro a mile away has a compressor.

Back home I tried pumping it up to 45 psi and the air just came out faster. Now I have it back at 25.

A further wrinkle is that this is a secondhand tire. Bontrager Revolt ST2. I dunno if the first owner gave it up coz it leaks or what. Maybe it's only suitable as a tubed tire now. I tried it coz I kinda like the looks of it. I have other tires I can try.

The wheel is a new (maybe NOS?) Bontrager Race Lite.

***

UPDATE 2: Next morning, tire still has 15psi. Not bad! I re-over-inflated to 30psi to see what happens. I'll also ride it some today. Maybe that will help it seal up.

I read about a tip for inflating w a floor pump where you pre-set the beads all around on the rim-lip then inflate. I wonder if because I have the slippery tape up on the bead shelf it will be hard to do this trick. I'm thinking if I get a flat out on the trail. Well, my mini-pump prolly won't do it. I'll be carrying an inner tube.

redlude97

post a picture because what you are saying doesn't really make sense. Are you talking about taller in the middle or did you fill the entire bead channel or what?

JeffOYB

(Hi... Thanks. I'll add my news to the first post as an Update.)

JeffOYB

Maybe I need to ride it a couple miles and the beads might set into the rim better?

I pumped up the tire more and tested it in water again an hour later and it seems like tiny tiny beads of air is fizzing out in two sections each about 8 inches wide along the rim edges.

dsaul

Are you using sealant? Sealant will stop those bead seat leaks and any other holes that may already be in the used tire. I mounted some tires yesterday, just to seat the beads before adding sealant, they were flat today because I never got around to adding sealant.

Slash5

If you install with a tube and let sit with air pressure in it for 24 hrs it will help the tape adhere. The tape should not cover where the bead is going to seat.
Remove the tube and add sealant, seat the bead, air it up and slosh it around. As long as it isn't gushing air, I usually ride it around a bit to help it seat and distribute the sealant.

wschruba

The only setup that is guaranteed to work without sealant is UST spec rims/tires. Everything else is a crapshoot (if you haven't used sealant, though you didn't mention it).

What rim, exactly, do you have? Current generation Trek-manufactured rims, aside from some carbon-fiber models, require the use of a proprietary rim strip in lieu of any tape.

JeffOYB

I am using 2 ounces of Stan sealant in a 26" x 2" tire. The wheel is a Bontrager race lite.

I checked today and it is still holding air! Only 15psi, but still... I updated my first post again with this:

...I re-over-inflated to 30psi to see what happens. I'll also ride it some today. Maybe that will help it seal up.

I read about a tip for inflating w a floor pump where you pre-set the beads all around on the rim-lip then inflate. I wonder if because I have the slippery tape up on the bead shelf it will be hard to do this trick. I'm thinking if I get a flat out on the trail. Well, my mini-pump prolly won't do it. I'll be carrying an inner tube.

*****

I've heard of sealant that includes bits'n'pieces to plug bigger holes -- is that something I should try to do someday? I suppose it's a different product than Stans.

trailangel

Why you have tape over the bead**********************************************************************????

JeffOYB

A question for a question! ...OK.

My tape was too wide for my rim! ...How did that happen? ...My shop only had one width. ...Why did I buy it? I didn't bring my wheel in and only knew my rim was about an inch wide and I didn't study the whole topic beforehand, so I had no idea what the tape was supposed to cover. The shop guy said it would be fine -- we can blame him. So there, mystery solved!

Stick69

If we each take a turn serving as a warning to others then none of us have to do it all of the time. Thanks for sharing.

trailangel

I like Stans tape. What width are you using?

JeffOYB

Tape is 1 3/16".

Rim mics out to almost 1" outer width.

It's holding air 2 days now. I did a hard hour ride yesterday.

Is the worry that it will leak?

Is another worry if I have my tape covering the whole interior and lapping out in a couple places maybe will it make the rim edge too slippery and the bead might slip off sometime?

trailangel

You should use different tape IMO.
Outer rim width 25.4mm
Rim tape width 30mm (1 3/16)

Go to Performance Bike and buy the 21 mm Stans tape, they usually have it on the shelf.

JeffOYB

I hear ya. makes sense. i hate to waste what i bought. i can try another shop.

so what part of the rim interior is the tape supposed to ideally cover? maybe i could use exacto knife and trim my old tape back after i lay it in.

trailangel

Cover just the 'bed' of the rim, not the walls.
Just needs to seal the spoke holes.

JeffOYB

Sounds good to me. ...But I've seen a few pro and official images showing the tape going up and over the shelf to the sidewalls.