Tubeless - your ritual

[pistonbroke]

The £100 deal from Planet X? I've got these on my Freeranger gravel bike and they do have drain holes. I used 25mm wide tubeless tape which extends up the side of the rim a bit and they went up and more importantly stayed up 1st time. I'm using 47mm Specialized gravel tyres. If I'm right, it wouldn't be the first time PX have bought a batch of problem OEM wheels dirt cheap and sold for cheap. They once bought a container of Vision wheels that were so oversize that it was impossible to get tyres off with normal levers and using something tougher usually broke the tyre bead.

[Dave Barter]

The £100 deal from Planet X? I've got these on my Freeranger gravel bike and they do have drain holes. I used 25mm wide tubeless tape which extends up the side of the rim a bit and they went up and more importantly stayed up 1st time. I'm using 47mm Specialized gravel tyres. If I'm right, it wouldn't be the first time PX have bought a batch of problem OEM wheels dirt cheap and sold for cheap. They once bought a container of Vision wheels that were so oversize that it was impossible to get tyres off with normal levers and using something tougher usually broke the tyre bead.

Yes. I think this time it's our fault for not cleaning the rims well enough. The tyres seat fine.

[Alpinum]

Today we got one seated and sealed (road tyres)

The other kept blowing through the tape. We tried proper muc off tubeless tape which was useless and electrical tape which worked…then blew on second inflation. Looks like there is something on the rim preventing adhesion so we’re religiously cleaning then trying again.

However, using the inflator is a revelation. Never going back to just track pump

I always use rim tape which is a few mm too wide to make sure the tyre bead pushes down on tape.
This way the tape lasts years and years.

[Lazarus]

also done that and also cut it afterwards with a blade at the sidewall point - never tried leaving it there as mentioned above but will now i know it works

[Alpinum]

For eg an internally 30 mm wide rim, I get 32 - 34 mm wide tape. No need to cut anything.

[yourguitarhero]

Always wrap the tape to widdershins else you will be cursed for the next 12 full moons.

My ritual was to buy wheels with solid rim beds. So much easier. And >10 year old high end 29er trail wheels make great XC or gravel wheels Have some nice Fulcrum wheels on my rigid camping bike and some Mavic ones on my tourer.

Other than that, my full sus enduro style bike has 35mm rims so I just put a wrap of thin tape over the spoke holes in the centre of the channel/rim bed. I found most tubeless issues are linked to the beads catching on the tape and pulling or ripping it.

[Dave Barter]

BREAKING NEWS

We may have found the problem

It looks like the PlanetX wheels we are using and the tubeless valves are incompatible. There is a tiny gap (I think) as the valve is the O-ring type and I don't think it is getting fully to the base of the rim. I'm going to try with some different valves with rubbers rather than O-rings

It's been a very sweary few days

[pistonbroke]

That sort of makes sense and may cause the lifting of the tape as the escaping air gets between the rim outer and inner causing the back pressure you described to me. I'd still be inclined to use proper wide tape given the upcoming trip.

[yourguitarhero]

Some valves have a cylindrical shape to them, others conical.
I've had luck with using various o-rings too.
In one extreme case, I ended up silicone sealing the valve in cos I was re-doing the bath tub that weekend anyway!

[Lazarus]

I cannot believe there is a QC issues with Planet X products

Once had to file the side of some ones to fit into the channel- but they were non tubeless rims - I have considered sealant before - good to know it works

[Alpinum]

[...]I just put a wrap of thin tape over the spoke holes in the centre of the channel/rim bed. I found most tubeless issues are linked to the beads catching on the tape and pulling or ripping it.

My experience is exactly the opposite of yours. I guess this shows how big a difference varying tapes and rims can make.

[Dave Barter]

I cannot believe there is a QC issues with Planet X products

Once had to file the side of some ones to fit into the channel- but they were non tubeless rims - I have considered sealant before - good to know it works

The drilled spoke holes come quite far up the central channel onto the rim bed which means tape has to be real thick to avoid both cookie cutting and missing a hole. This makes the tyre harder to get on which in turn means the slightest bit of lever catch compromises the tape.

I've never had such a bad tubeless experience as with these wheels. I have got one up and sorted the other is pending an order of tubeless tape. There is a reason why they were £99 for 2.

[yourguitarhero]

[...]I just put a wrap of thin tape over the spoke holes in the centre of the channel/rim bed. I found most tubeless issues are linked to the beads catching on the tape and pulling or ripping it.

My experience is exactly the opposite of yours. I guess this shows how big a difference varying tapes and rims can make.

True, for something so ubiquitous or "standard" now it's all pretty ropey.

Hence why I've gone with solid rim bed wheels on all the bikes I can

[pistonbroke]

To be fair to PX which is a phase I thought I'd never say having worked there for 21/2 years, the wheels are made by Fulcrum and when I did my identical wheels that were OEM on a bargain Freeranger I bought at Christmas, the 25mm tape I used was absolutely fine and the 47mm Specialized tyres I bought inflated perfectly and stayed up. I've merely added a bit of liquid every 3 months as the hot weather here dries it out.

[Dave Barter]

I think we may be there.

New tubeless tape and valves. Filed down a load of slightly sharp spoke holes and found one that had been malformed in manufacturing. Two wraps of tape and the tyre seated (but needed washing up liquid), sealant via the valve and re-inflation and all looks good. This has been my most epic tubeless yet but at the end of it my friend is now tubeless and I have arms like Popeye.