I’m pretty familiar with tubeless tires, I’ve installed about a dozen on my own. I’ve always been able to inflate them with a standard bike pump.
I just finished replacing my worn-out GP5000 with a new S-Works Turbo 2Bliss Rapidair and the thing just won’t inflate. It also happened to be the most difficult tire for me to install, not sure if that has anything to do with it. To top it off the tire is on a Roval rim so I’m really wondering why it won’t inflate. Did I do something wrong or is the par for the course on these tires?
This has worked for me, no guarantees/YMMV: get an extra set of hands to attempt to flatten the tire into the rim closing up the gaps where the air is leaking then hit it with a CO2 cartridge if you don’t have an air compressor or a quick shot pump with reservoir. I recommend deflating the tire after the bead is seated and pump up with a bike pump to replace the CO2 which I find leaks quickly.
Thanks for the advice! I had my wife hold down the tire while I pumped, but as soon as she did that a new leak sprang up. I’m guessing the rapid gas expansion from a CO2 canister might resolve that, right?
I’ve heard of people using ratchet straps, zip ties and all sorts of things to try and hold tyres but I saw a genius idea the other day of using an inner tube on the outside of the tyre to hold it in the well while pumping to get it seated! Worth a try maybe?
No joy :(. I even used a 650b inner tube and made it super tight, even with CO2 it never inflated. Looks like I’m going to need to bring this to the shop.
Try using a tube inside the rim the way you would with a regular clincher. Once the tire is seated with the beads in place, break the bead on one side only to remove the inner tube. Once you have done this proceed as you normally do with sealant etc. Inflation should be much easier especially if you have removed the valve core to inflate.
Thanks for everyone’s advice. I ended up taking the wheel to my LBS to get inflated, they used compressor to get the tire on and it looks good.
That said, I may need to add sealant as I lost a lot of it during my initial attempts to inflate the tire. When I’ve done this in the past I usually deflate the tire and take out the valve core to add sealant. I usually hear a pop when I deflate the tire, does that mean the bead has become unseated?
For me the pop doesn’t normally mean it’s come unseated. I think you’ll be fine deflating, adding sealant, reinflating. Worst case scenario is heading back to LBS! Maybe worth investing in your own booster pump or a canister like the Airshot, I did as I didn’t want to be reliant on LBS or borrowing stuff every time I needed to change a tire.
For what it’s worth, after a bit of trial and error I’ve found the most foolproof approach to be:
Fit tire with no sealant (can get pretty messy putting sealant into a tire that isn’t seated)
Remove valve core and seat the tire with compressed air (valve core needs to come out for the next step anyway and removing it maximises the air flow and thus chance of the tire seating first time)
Deflate and add sealant. This is where I get the pop but the tire normally stays seated.
Put valve core back in and reinflate. Since I have compressed air I tend to use it anyway just in case the tire has come a bit unseated, but have also done it with a regular pump with no problems
You should always deflate the tire after using CO2 and replace with air as the CO2 makes most sealant coagulate. I have had good luck with using soapy water on the bead to get tires to inflate…also hang the wheel on the arm of a bike stand with the valve close to 12 o’clock…use the palm of your hand and slap down on the tire right above the valve while you are trying to inflate.
Resurrecting an old thread but just want to give a +1 to using a CO2 cartridge to help seat a tubeless tire if you don’t have a compressor or booster pump. I ‘discovered’ this on my own replacing a tire with a flat / plug but, as usual, should have checked the forum first.
If you don’t have a compressor and struggle to get the bead to seat, I’ve never had any trouble going to my LBS and asking them to blast em on. Pull your valve core beforehand to make it as quick as possible for them. This is the reason you establish yourself at a shop!
