 You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
I like many have recentley lost my tube virginity and decided to go the tubeless route .
However having overcome the initial problem of blowing the tyre onto the rim bead,I just can't keep it up !,I'm using stans flows,with maxxis high rollers & stans fluid with superstar valves .Air seems to be leaking out of the spokes !, is this normal ?,or am I missing something ?.
The tyre will initially inflate to 60 psi then goes down ...
rim tape?
I thought that !,but dosn't stans claim to
be tubeless ready ?.
Still need to put the yellow tape on if not fitted.
It is fitted !
Is it the correct width rim tape?
New or s/h wheels did you fit tape or was it on when you got wheels?
Valve seated right and is it done up nice n tight.
Pics would help.
I've done & tried all the obvious ,perhaps tubeless isn't for me ,I'll have another go later !...
The valve isn't seated properly or you have a poor seal between rim tape and valve. Be careful though - I managed to trash a valve by doing it up TOO tight and basically pulling it through the rim (no tools involved)
Tubeless wheels don't choose who it likes and who it doesn't, although after reading some of the tales of woe on stw you'd maybe think so.
If it's coming out of the spokes as you say I'd be looking at the tape, correct width and fitted correctly as per video above and then the valve is it seated right is it tight.
Not being funny, it's definitely the self adhesive stuff that's fitted and not just the standard (non-sticky)rim tape? Wheels new or second-hand?
Try picking at the edge of the tape to see if it lifts easily
If the wheels are hope hoops, then the green tape is not the same as the yellow tape. Yellow tape applied as per bruneep link will seal the rim. If you do have yellow tape installed, check its the correct diameter, then at a guess it may be fitted too loosely. Stans tape makes a twanging noise as you stretch it around the rim, though I noticed superstars yellow tape didn't.
So, assuming the correct tape is installed properly. Mount a tyre with a tube and inflate. Leave it like that for 24 hours to help get a good seal between the rim and tape.
If it still leaks, then remove the tape, clean the rim and try again. Remember to wrap the tape as tightly as possible, ensure its correctly seated as you go and don't forget to overlap.
Have you tried riding on them? Sometimes no matter how much you twist and shake the wheel, it's hard to get the liquid everywhere inside the tyre and rim. With about 50psi or so, a little ride slowly up and down the street for a while can seal small leaks.
Ill get some more rim tape !,in the meantime the tubes goin back in ! .
And thx for all the constructive comments guys.
You can also use gorilla tape, it's cheaper and works just as well. Also easier to get on a Sunday
Electrical tape will work just as well.
The stans valve is different to normal generic tubeless valves... Is the superstar one the correct type?
Dunno about valves ill do all the above when I get a mo !,thx.
FWIW a 'tubeless' friend has just switched from Stan's fluid to Conti RevoSealant and reckons it's made everything easier.
Get a Stans valve and fresh yellow tap in there and start over.
As above, have you ridden them yet? A few miles seems to work wonders on leaks for me.
Mount a tyre with a tube and inflate. Leave it like that [s]for 24 hours to help get a good seal between the rim and tape.[/s]
😉
So much faff, so little advantage.
I was having endless trouble and after paying attention of where the air was coming from it turned out to be the valve.
Superstar valves are fine in Mavic UST's for me - don't see why not in a Flow.
Guessing you've made a hole in the yellow tape to shove the valve through... It's not too big, is it? Don't need the tape on Mavics, but I could imagine that you want the smallest hole possible...
I've just converted a Mavic 521 (with stans strip & recommended tape, specialized 2bliss tyre, stans sealant), and the bugger just won't stay up, gone down 3 days in a row....
I'll pump it back up tonight, ride it a bit and see if that sorts it, if not, it's been an expensive experiment!
Where's the air leaking from? Bucket of water will show you.
I'll get it in the bath later I think.....
I've ordered some more tape !...
[i]I've ordered some more tape !... [/i]
As above - make sure it's stans yellow (or equivalent) and that it covers all of the spoke holes in the rim.
I gave up on Stans and went Ghetto tubeless (see videos on Youtube for details). Far cheaper and none of the faffing required.
be very careful cutting the tape for the valve, I've fit a few but still managed to screw up not long ago. Managed to just stick a bit of tape over it and cut it again, got it holding air, was very sensitive to the torque on the valve nut, too tight and it leaked.
i seen an interesting comment other day, about putting glitter in the sealant, assuming so you can spot where your leak is ?
No, the glitter adds a bit of extra "Ballast" to the solution, so along with the latex if heps block up holes.
Finally got around to sorting mine out, bath test revealed lots of tiny pinholes in sidewall (butcher 2bliss), in diagonal rows. Spent 20 mins or more spinning wheel around in various planes to distribute the sealant, then a very short ride, and now has stayed up for over 24 hrs!
Superstar's rim tape seems just as good as stans btw. Their valves imo are better- they could be more of a pain to get a tight tyre over but they've got a massive "cone" for the base so are less picky about the seal. Think they are the same as WTB ones but about half the price.