Tubeless tire takeaways

It's time to get our mountain bikes ready for the trails, and if you're like many of us who have tubeless tires, you may wonder if you need to do anything with the tires as part of your preseason preparations. The answer is: yes.

A week ago Monday ten Divas attended a tubeless tire clinic at Paramount Cycles where their lead mechanic, Kurt, demonstrated how to install a tubeless tire onto a rim and to add sealant. He talked about methods for adding sealant and tools you need in your garage and in your repair kit. Here are a few tips and a link to get you started.

Refresh or Replace: adding more sealant

You should refresh (add more) sealant to your tires at the beginning of the riding season. This is because sealant begins to dry out over time and will no longer fill the tiny punctures it is designed to plug. If you know you have refreshed previously, you may want to remove the old and replace with all fresh sealant as there can be water mixed in with the sealant. Plus, more sealant adds more weight.

Before you begin, you should have access to a compressor or another way to blast air into the tire to quickly inflate it. I'm a fan of the Liv Cycling technical guides. For a list of what you need to set up or refresh your tubeless, check out this guide. 

It is possible to get a flat that sealant won't seal, such as a slice from shale or riding though a puddle of glass. It is also possible when riding with very low pressure that you hit an obstacle that causes the seal holding the tire to the rim to burst open causing an immediate flat! What do you do!?

Repair kit: spare tube or valve core remover, 2-ounce bottle of sealant, tire plug tool, and plugs, CO2.

You should always carry a spare inner tube for the situations mentioned above. If the flat is caused by glass or other object, make sure all of it is removed from the tire before installing the tube, then remove the valve stem from the rim and install the tube just as you would for a standard rim and tire. Re-seat the tire and inflate with a pump. (Put the valve stem in a safe place so you can re-install it when you replace the tire.)

If you want to repair the tire without using a tube, you'll need the other repair kit supplies so that you can remove the valve core and add more sealant. For a large puncture, you would use the tire plug (similar to what is used on car tires). The CO2 gives the quick burst of air needed to inflate the tire and re-seat the tire bead.

This is just a start, but now that you know... if you'd like to work on your own bike but you're not sure if you can do it on your own, reach out to another Diva with tubeless and team up to prepare your tires for another summer of riding. If you are working on your bike and you get stuck, contact your mechanic and ask for a hand. Even they run into tires that can be difficult!