When there is a shortage in bike tubes, go tubeless! Tubeless versus Tubular is one of the great debates among the cycling industry. There are pros & cons to both set ups and each rider has their own preferences based on how they ride and what seems most convenient to them. I have been riding tubeless on my road bike and gravel bike for long enough to never want to go back to tubular. Setting up tubeless is notably more complicated but it is worth having less trouble on the road over the long run.
Follow along in the attached video as I set up tubeless gravel tires on my Liv Devote gravel bike. I provide the specs and all of my favorite tools that make this setup successful along with my own narration of the whole process. So turn that volume up!
To summarize the steps:
Remove current tire and clean the rim until it's dry and without any residue.
Install new or replace old/damaged rim tape. Pierce a small hole to insert the valve stem through and then insert the stem.
Install new tubeless tire with tread pointing forward in reference to bike.
Remove valve core and inject sealant through valve stem.
Replace valve core and pump air into tire until the bead of the tire is seated securely in the lip of the rim.
Spin and bounce tire to make sure sealant spreads and coats the entire interior.
Test ride the whip! Look for leaks and bubbles. Make sure the PSI holds over night.
A few notes:
Not all wheels are built for tubeless tires. Make sure to check whether they are compatible. The inner structure of the rim is what dictates the kinds of tires that can fit inside.
Rim tape installation is one of the biggest factors in successfully getting the tires to inflate. Getting the right size tape, making sure your rim is clean & dry before you tape it, and that the valve stem is inserted real snug through the tape and rim, will guarantee a more successful setup.
The amount of sealant depends on how large your tires are. Road tires need 1-1.5 ounces. Gravel tires need 1.5-2 ounces. MTB tires need up to 3 ounces. You can set up tubeless without the fancy compressed air. It’s just more difficult. The first time that I set up my own tires, I just sprayed a light coat of dish soap/water mixture onto the sidewalls of the tire and pumped as rapidly as I could with my standing bike pump. The mixture is supposed to help adhesion of the tire to the rim. It takes a good sweat and some luck, but can work!
Please leave your questions and comments below. I’m still relatively new to this system but happy to help guide you. Happy riding!