No luck so far with road tubeless
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 3,682
Bikes: Puch Marco Polo, Saint Tropez, Masi Gran Criterium
Mentioned: 25 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1163 Post(s)
Liked 442 Times
in
315 Posts
No luck so far with road tubeless
I almost got out on the road yesterday with my tubeless compatible wheels on my road bike but no cigar.
I have taped my Dt Swiss R460 rims again and I have changed the valves twice but they still lose like 50% of their pressure in the first 15 minutes. The valves I have been trying that say they are “universal” aren’t.
The tubeless tires are from Excel Sports - 25mm Panaracer and look they would be nice. I spent hours and hours trying to get it right yesterday. I ordered DT Swiss road valves and hope they seal better. Most people would have given up by now. I’m pretty discouraged right now but I guess I’ll hang in there a bit longer.
I have taped my Dt Swiss R460 rims again and I have changed the valves twice but they still lose like 50% of their pressure in the first 15 minutes. The valves I have been trying that say they are “universal” aren’t.
The tubeless tires are from Excel Sports - 25mm Panaracer and look they would be nice. I spent hours and hours trying to get it right yesterday. I ordered DT Swiss road valves and hope they seal better. Most people would have given up by now. I’m pretty discouraged right now but I guess I’ll hang in there a bit longer.
#4
LR÷P=HR
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 2,180
Bikes: 1981 Holdsworth Special, 1993 C-dale MT3000 & 1996 F700CAD3, 2018 Cervelo R3 & 2022 R5, JustGo Runt, Ridley Oval, Kickr Bike 8-)
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 867 Post(s)
Liked 1,205 Times
in
694 Posts
So... $1000 question... where is the sealant leaking from?
If you put enough in there, it's gottsta be coming out!
Barry
If you put enough in there, it's gottsta be coming out!
Barry
#6
LR÷P=HR
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 2,180
Bikes: 1981 Holdsworth Special, 1993 C-dale MT3000 & 1996 F700CAD3, 2018 Cervelo R3 & 2022 R5, JustGo Runt, Ridley Oval, Kickr Bike 8-)
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 867 Post(s)
Liked 1,205 Times
in
694 Posts
Sounds like it's leaking past the rim tape and into the rim itself
Barry
EDIT: This assumes you are rolling the wheel around to distribute the sealant after putting it in.
Likes For Barry2:
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 9,201
Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1186 Post(s)
Liked 289 Times
in
177 Posts
I almost got out on the road yesterday with my tubeless compatible wheels on my road bike but no cigar.
I have taped my Dt Swiss R460 rims again and I have changed the valves twice but they still lose like 50% of their pressure in the first 15 minutes. The valves I have been trying that say they are “universal” aren’t.
The tubeless tires are from Excel Sports - 25mm Panaracer and look they would be nice. I spent hours and hours trying to get it right yesterday. I ordered DT Swiss road valves and hope they seal better. Most people would have given up by now. I’m pretty discouraged right now but I guess I’ll hang in there a bit longer.
I have taped my Dt Swiss R460 rims again and I have changed the valves twice but they still lose like 50% of their pressure in the first 15 minutes. The valves I have been trying that say they are “universal” aren’t.
The tubeless tires are from Excel Sports - 25mm Panaracer and look they would be nice. I spent hours and hours trying to get it right yesterday. I ordered DT Swiss road valves and hope they seal better. Most people would have given up by now. I’m pretty discouraged right now but I guess I’ll hang in there a bit longer.
#8
Senior Member
I used road tubeless for most of a year once. I used no sealant whatsoever. One tire held pressure about as well as a tube, that is I'd have to top off the pressure every other day. The other tire held for a week or so between fill-ups. I only took them off because I couldn't figure out how to get sealant into them (valve was not removable) and I didn't want to take them on a tour that way.
Off-road may be a different animal completely, but I didn't see any advantage for road tires. They were overall more hassle and no perceived benefit.
Off-road may be a different animal completely, but I didn't see any advantage for road tires. They were overall more hassle and no perceived benefit.
Likes For BlazingPedals:
#9
With a mighty wind
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 2,594
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1088 Post(s)
Liked 862 Times
in
490 Posts
I have those rims too. I've also had quite a bit of trouble getting a good seal.
I'm going to add less than 10g per wheel and solve your problem for good.
FattyStripper Tubeless Fat Bike Solution and SkinnyStripper Tubeless CX & DH Solution <link rel="image_src" href="https://fattystripper.com/media/FattyStripper_Logo_320.jpg" / ><link rel="image_src" href="https://fattystripper.com/media/FattyStripper_L
Get the skinny ones.
I've tried and occasionally succeeded with all variants of tubeless. Once I give up, I put the skinny strippers on and it's always perfect.
Tips, keep em clean going on. Install tires that have already been aired up. A super duper tight fit and levers can damage the strippers. They'll still work but not as well.
One ounce to 45ml of sealant per tire.
It will work.
I'm going to add less than 10g per wheel and solve your problem for good.
FattyStripper Tubeless Fat Bike Solution and SkinnyStripper Tubeless CX & DH Solution <link rel="image_src" href="https://fattystripper.com/media/FattyStripper_Logo_320.jpg" / ><link rel="image_src" href="https://fattystripper.com/media/FattyStripper_L
Get the skinny ones.
I've tried and occasionally succeeded with all variants of tubeless. Once I give up, I put the skinny strippers on and it's always perfect.
Tips, keep em clean going on. Install tires that have already been aired up. A super duper tight fit and levers can damage the strippers. They'll still work but not as well.
One ounce to 45ml of sealant per tire.
It will work.
#10
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 3,682
Bikes: Puch Marco Polo, Saint Tropez, Masi Gran Criterium
Mentioned: 25 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1163 Post(s)
Liked 442 Times
in
315 Posts
rosefarts - this is an interesting product and I believe you that it would hold air reliably.
I have not yet abandoned the quest to get it to seal the conventional road tubeless way. In my mechanic fatigue I ordered DT Swiss mountain bike valves and then realized that the road valves are what I need for the R460 rims. So I’ll evaluate between these 2 sets which one’s convex grommet matches up more precisely with the gentle concavity of the R460 rim shelf.
I checked tire pressures sure this morning and the front had 33 psi in it and the rear had 30 psi in it. I put sealant in 3 days ago and did one test ride on these rims. I get the feeling that I am almost there.
I have not yet abandoned the quest to get it to seal the conventional road tubeless way. In my mechanic fatigue I ordered DT Swiss mountain bike valves and then realized that the road valves are what I need for the R460 rims. So I’ll evaluate between these 2 sets which one’s convex grommet matches up more precisely with the gentle concavity of the R460 rim shelf.
I checked tire pressures sure this morning and the front had 33 psi in it and the rear had 30 psi in it. I put sealant in 3 days ago and did one test ride on these rims. I get the feeling that I am almost there.
Likes For masi61:
#11
With a mighty wind
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 2,594
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1088 Post(s)
Liked 862 Times
in
490 Posts
rosefarts - this is an interesting product and I believe you that it would hold air reliably.
I have not yet abandoned the quest to get it to seal the conventional road tubeless way. In my mechanic fatigue I ordered DT Swiss mountain bike valves and then realized that the road valves are what I need for the R460 rims. So I’ll evaluate between these 2 sets which one’s convex grommet matches up more precisely with the gentle concavity of the R460 rim shelf.
I checked tire pressures sure this morning and the front had 33 psi in it and the rear had 30 psi in it. I put sealant in 3 days ago and did one test ride on these rims. I get the feeling that I am almost there.
I have not yet abandoned the quest to get it to seal the conventional road tubeless way. In my mechanic fatigue I ordered DT Swiss mountain bike valves and then realized that the road valves are what I need for the R460 rims. So I’ll evaluate between these 2 sets which one’s convex grommet matches up more precisely with the gentle concavity of the R460 rim shelf.
I checked tire pressures sure this morning and the front had 33 psi in it and the rear had 30 psi in it. I put sealant in 3 days ago and did one test ride on these rims. I get the feeling that I am almost there.
I have a pair of Stan's 340's and Schwalbe Pro One's. Perfect seal, first time. In fact, Stan's rims + Schwalbe tires seems to be built for each other. Anything else, there's too much wiggle room.
At the end of the day, I've decided that life is too short and I've started putting strippers on everything.
Likes For rosefarts:
#12
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 3,682
Bikes: Puch Marco Polo, Saint Tropez, Masi Gran Criterium
Mentioned: 25 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1163 Post(s)
Liked 442 Times
in
315 Posts
Were you riding or spinning the wheel? Seems like you just may need to get some sealant on whatever's leaking and it should seal. How is the fit between the hold and the tapered rubber on the valve? I used Stan's valve stems and it has a tapered rubber section that contacts the hole. When tightened there isn't really an opportunity for leaks.
#13
Senior Member
One piece of un-asked for advice: before you mount the tire, press down on the valve from the top hard with your thumb to seat it and tighten the nut at the same time. Then carefully tighten the nut another quarter turn with a pair of pliers. Personally, I don't worry too much about matching the taper of the valve to the hole in rim. I've used cheap generics from Amazon for the past two years on various road/gravel/mountain rims without issue.
Likes For Hiro11:
#14
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 3,682
Bikes: Puch Marco Polo, Saint Tropez, Masi Gran Criterium
Mentioned: 25 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1163 Post(s)
Liked 442 Times
in
315 Posts
One piece of un-asked for advice: before you mount the tire, press down on the valve from the top hard with your thumb to seat it and tighten the nut at the same time. Then carefully tighten the nut another quarter turn with a pair of pliers. Personally, I don't worry too much about matching the taper of the valve to the hole in rim. I've used cheap generics from Amazon for the past two years on various road/gravel/mountain rims without issue.
#15
Full Member
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 226
Bikes: Specialized
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 145 Post(s)
Liked 54 Times
in
44 Posts
I have the DT R470 rims. They leak air everyday. Need a top up every couple days. Stuck the tire in a container of water to check for bubbles. Don't see any. Switched over to race sealant see if there's any difference.
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 302
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 164 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 44 Times
in
41 Posts
the air usualy leaks out at the actual valve in the stem , because it gets gunked up with sealant and wont ever get a proper seal , it would leak sealant but air will get out , you need to get a pack of valves and clean them often !!
#17
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 3,682
Bikes: Puch Marco Polo, Saint Tropez, Masi Gran Criterium
Mentioned: 25 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1163 Post(s)
Liked 442 Times
in
315 Posts
I have noticed that the presta valves want to unthread themselves when I use my inflation cannister to pressure mount the tubeless tires onto the rim shelf. I don't think they are leaking from the presta valve insert (stem) right now but I will check.
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,150
Bikes: 2013 Surly Disc Trucker, 2004 Novara Randonee , old fixie , etc
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 671 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 49 Times
in
43 Posts
Hey masi61, don't give up! I recently installed 40mm tires on tubeless-ready rims with all sorts of problems. I learned rim taping is usually the source of leaks even when one hears air escaping from the valve area. I needed to add a layer of Gorilla tape over the pre-installed Stans-type thin tape just to seat...perhaps 2 layers of Stans would work better for a 25mm tire.
Using an awl to make a small hole for the valve seemed to work better than using a knife to make a slit. I read recommendations to seal the valve base with rubber cement or silicone but went ahead to add sealant.
One wheel would hold air for ~3 hours & the other ~30 minutes; swirling them around & setting on a bucket helped a bit but surprisingly, riding around the block a few times seems to have done the trick--2 days later I check & wow, tires have retained 90% of the air. I also read about the trick to brush tire beads with a bit of sealant before mounting which seems logical.
Using an awl to make a small hole for the valve seemed to work better than using a knife to make a slit. I read recommendations to seal the valve base with rubber cement or silicone but went ahead to add sealant.
One wheel would hold air for ~3 hours & the other ~30 minutes; swirling them around & setting on a bucket helped a bit but surprisingly, riding around the block a few times seems to have done the trick--2 days later I check & wow, tires have retained 90% of the air. I also read about the trick to brush tire beads with a bit of sealant before mounting which seems logical.
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 869
Bikes: 2008 Dawes Haymaker 20XX Leader LD515 TotoCycling Road Bike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 27 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 32 Times
in
19 Posts
Did you air it up to max psi and spray water around the entire wheel? Even the smallest leak would make a noise and show bubbles forming.
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Lebanon (Liberty Hill), CT
Posts: 8,473
Bikes: CAAD 12, MASI Gran Criterium S, Colnago World Cup CX & Guru steel
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1743 Post(s)
Liked 1,281 Times
in
740 Posts
This is why I went with the Mavic wheel/tire system.
#21
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 1,410
Bikes: 2017 Specialized Allez Sprint Comp
Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 850 Post(s)
Liked 344 Times
in
247 Posts
One piece of un-asked for advice: before you mount the tire, press down on the valve from the top hard with your thumb to seat it and tighten the nut at the same time. Then carefully tighten the nut another quarter turn with a pair of pliers. Personally, I don't worry too much about matching the taper of the valve to the hole in rim. I've used cheap generics from Amazon for the past two years on various road/gravel/mountain rims without issue.
#22
Banned
so?, put a tube in it ..
heard feedback from trying to do tubeless on past transam tour-race competitors ,
running tubeless race type tires, expressing regret for doing so.
on the the starting end they did that work with the sealant on the sidewalk, being a huge mess..
As it could be hosed off..
...
heard feedback from trying to do tubeless on past transam tour-race competitors ,
running tubeless race type tires, expressing regret for doing so.
on the the starting end they did that work with the sealant on the sidewalk, being a huge mess..
As it could be hosed off..
...
Likes For bruce19:
#24
With a mighty wind
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 2,594
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1088 Post(s)
Liked 862 Times
in
490 Posts
My theory is that the air leaks along the strip, anywhere, then tracks to the valve. So even a perfect seal may cause a air to come out at the valve. I also think this is why strippers work so well.
I've had luck seating the tape by inflating a tube and tire on it for a day or two before mounting sans tube.
He-man force to screw in the valve stem is assumed.
I stopped using road tubeless. I don't get many flats and tubes and tires are lighter than their tubeless+sealant counterparts. Especially so if you get those crazy expensive orange tubes ( I don't go that far). Gravel and mountain bike though, I'd rather fight at home and have a reliable ride.
I've had luck seating the tape by inflating a tube and tire on it for a day or two before mounting sans tube.
He-man force to screw in the valve stem is assumed.
I stopped using road tubeless. I don't get many flats and tubes and tires are lighter than their tubeless+sealant counterparts. Especially so if you get those crazy expensive orange tubes ( I don't go that far). Gravel and mountain bike though, I'd rather fight at home and have a reliable ride.
#25
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 3,682
Bikes: Puch Marco Polo, Saint Tropez, Masi Gran Criterium
Mentioned: 25 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1163 Post(s)
Liked 442 Times
in
315 Posts
My theory is that the air leaks along the strip, anywhere, then tracks to the valve. So even a perfect seal may cause a air to come out at the valve. I also think this is why strippers work so well.
I've had luck seating the tape by inflating a tube and tire on it for a day or two before mounting sans tube.
He-man force to screw in the valve stem is assumed.
I stopped using road tubeless. I don't get many flats and tubes and tires are lighter than their tubeless+sealant counterparts. Especially so if you get those crazy expensive orange tubes ( I don't go that far). Gravel and mountain bike though, I'd rather fight at home and have a reliable ride.
I've had luck seating the tape by inflating a tube and tire on it for a day or two before mounting sans tube.
He-man force to screw in the valve stem is assumed.
I stopped using road tubeless. I don't get many flats and tubes and tires are lighter than their tubeless+sealant counterparts. Especially so if you get those crazy expensive orange tubes ( I don't go that far). Gravel and mountain bike though, I'd rather fight at home and have a reliable ride.
Thank you for the tip about setting the tape by using a tube to smooth it down. I have tried to smooth it out with my finger or this plastic woodworking glue spreader mini spatula thing that I thought might work. But I have noticed lots of little air bubbles randomly. I really am trying to do my "due diligence" with this tubeless install but man this is getting ridiculous!