All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

yeah, i went to the grand opening and watched Christian and all the associated folks jump the black line. you need to start a little higher up to actually clear it them all. but they also really send you to the moon. even if you don't want to crash, that is a loooonnnggg ways down. I htink I can do the middle line on the big bike and that's probably about it for me. If you're there, give the jumps a few pat downs with shovels and wheels and a splash of water! the lady in the house next to it is donating her hose and spigot!

 

The line around the tire is even on both sides. So it sounds like the tire is seated, just need to sort out the taping issue.

I may get some tape and try it myself.

 

Ah gotcha. Surgeries like that which prevent you from riding are frustrating forsure.
Hope you can get as much riding in as you can before hand!

 

that’s awesome that the neighbors are supportive.

 

Thinking a bit more about this... You say they're old rims? Are they marked as tubeless or are you trying to convert them? Either way I'd take a look at the joint in the rim where it's welded or pinned. You may be losing air there.

 

yeah. They weren't at first. when the area was being built, the neighbors really didn't want it. but they finally got it in and now all the neighbors are all for it.

 

I am trying to convert them. With the soapy water I am losing air around the nipples. I am going to try to tape them again and see if that holds.

 

Air going through the spoke holes can come from anywhere. Are the rims pinned? They'd be much more likely to leak from the joint and through the spoke holes than a welded rim. Though a welded rim can leak too.

 

Alright about to go do first ride since broken finger from December 26. The finger hasn’t really been holding me back. Just making time.

which then gets me thinking about an ebike for quick trips and the bike for more time. It’s expensive to over think.

anyways. Just letting you guys know I’m about to be sucking wind.

 

You said you had a shop tape up the rims, did they offer any advice? All your questions should have been answered by the shop if they`re any good. If the rims weren`t a good candidste for tubeless, i really would have hoped they`d tell you rather than take your money and send you packing.

 

That’s either going to make it weird or give you inspiration… 50/50 shot

 

They said road rims are usually more trouble than it’s worth to switch and didn’t really expound on that. When I explained it wasn’t a road bike they were a bit more understanding but didn’t really have any advice.

In their defense, I have never seen a road or gravel bike in the shop, they are mainly MTB or beach cruisers so maybe it’s a lack of experience with skinny wheels.

I will look more closely at the rim and see how it is put together.

 

I have an uber-nerd bike (VanMoof X3). What's the best hitch rack for an eBike at 45+ pounds?

 

That’s fair. I rebuilt an older gravel bike in contemplated going tubeless on that as well. In the end, I kept the tubes to avoid what you’re going through even though I’m using a Schwalbe tubeless tire. I know, not helpful, but the struggles forcing the wheel to be tubeless didn’t seem worth it.

 

They are pinned. Or I am assuming that is what the two indentations on each side of the joint are and I don’t see any signs of a weld.

 

CELEBRATING HERO DIRT IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA!!

Thank goodness for the April rains! I'll take whatever we can get as we head into the dry summer! Riding conditions are all time perfect.

FREE HERO DIRT STICKER to the first 6 TW members, please DM me and let me now your preferred option.

To all those that have supported my little Etsy store thank you so much!

 

Yep. Those are likely pinned (or sleeved) rims. I'd make sure that is 100% sealed across the rim all the way to the bead hook if it's not already.

 

These are awesome. I'm longing for hero dirt... Or any dirt at this point.

 

Yuba Expeditions is closing their D’Ville shop and shuttles, leaving those services in Quincy. Not sure about other shuttle services, but Yuba’s 2022 shuttles from Quincy won’t go up to the top of Packer Saddle, just Mt Hough and Mills Peak.
https://yubaexpeditions.com/yuba/news-next-chapter.php

 

@s4nsc Everything I know about tubeless is from having problems and finally solving them with this method suggested to me by a former bike shop guy. If your rims are tubeless-ready but leaking from spoke holes, my experience has been that was always the tape job. I have a MTB but it’s old with narrow i19 rims, pretty similar to a modern gravel bike. There’s very little surface area between the well in the center of the rim, and the outer edges where the bead seats and it’s very easy to get a bubble in the well near the spoke holes, or to get the tape pushed or peeled back by the tire bead.

What has worked for me every time is to focus on getting that section taped as well as possible, then install a tube when mounting the tire. Pump it up to fairly high (but safe) pressure and leave it overnight. The tube forces the bubbles out and seals the tape against the rim very well. Remove the tube carefully, install a tubeless valve stem, replace the tire except for a few inches, add sealant through that gap, and finish mounting the tire. Air up and go for a ride. I’ve used this method with Gorilla tape but it’s hard to rip it to the right, uniform width and have had better luck with real tape of the right width (I use WTB). Narrow rims just have no margin for getting the taping wrong.