Question about mounting tubeless tires

[Frank Costantini]

I want to try some tubeless tires (Hutchinson Sector 28, 700x28) on the Velocity Aileron rims on my S40. The last time I tried to mount tubeless tires (Hutchinson Galactic 5 Fusion 700x25, on my daughter’s FLO wheels) we could not get them to seat, after countless tries using a Bontrager flash pump, and ended up having a bike shop do it.

This time, I was thinking of first mounting the tires with inner tubes and taking a few rides, to give the tires and rims a chance to “get to know each other”, before trying to seat them without tubes. Is this a good idea, or a waste of time?

 

[Bruce B]

Concerning the seating woes with your tubeless tires. Hang the wheel a short distance off the ground with a bungee cord so the tire is not distorted by contact with the ground. Since that discovery my tubeless tires seat easily.

These boards have reports of using inner tubes to help seat tubeless tires. I'm sure someone will chime in.

 

[3WHELZ]

I have Hutchinson Sector 28 mounted on FLO 60s. I would highly recommend them. They were exceptionally easy to mount, which first worried me. I used a compressor initially to seat them properly. Since then, I have fully deflated them to add sealant, and reinflated them with a JoeBlow floor pump.

Two lessons learned, suspended the wheel when inflating, and be sure to use correct size of tape. I initially used Stan's 25mm, which was too wide. It ultimately created a sealing problem with one of the wheels. I also used Silca valve stems.

 

[Mathew Fy]

I mounted my Hutchinson Sector with an Airshot tubeless inflator. With the valve core removed from the valve stem, you get the rapid flow of air that reliably seats the tire. Then I add sealant, re-install the valve core, inflate, move the wheel around to spread the sealant, and ride.

 

[chicorider]

Once the tire is mounted, I try a regular floor pump first. It usually doesn't work, but every now and then it does. Pump like crazy for five seconds--it'll either push the bead into place or it won't. Next, I fire up up my 150psi pancake compressor. This works about 80% of the time, with that nice, satisfying CRACK-CRACK-CRACK of the bead setting into place. I may have to wiggle and adjust the tire bead a few times for the compressor method to work (I'd love to have a 300psi compressor, but I don't have the space, nor could I justify the cost, since all I'd use it for is seating tubeless tires). When that doesn't work, I screw a 12gm CO2 cartridge to my CO2 inflator and give the tire one good blast. This last method has yet to fail me. Fortunately, I don't have to spend a CO2 cartridge too often. The compressor works most of the time.

I don't see installing a tube making much difference with the bead, since you have to break the bead to pull the tube out. I will, however, install and ride on a tube when the rim tape is new. The tube, under pressure, pushes the tape firmly in place, making it more likely to keep a long-lasting seal once the tube is removed.