DIY tubeless inserts for less than £10 - cheap gravel bike upgrade

Fitting a set of tubeless inserts to a road, cyclocross or gravel bike is a great way to ensure that your tyre isn’t going to roll off the rim at low pressures, it adds some protection when riding over rocks and roots, and it means that you can continue riding should your sealant be unable to plug a hole. But branded inserts are very expensive, so we made our own.
Get the PU Backer Rod here - www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154691090071?var=454782373557
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[@davidgiroux5228]

Backer rod is used to fill voids behind windows, doors, when they are installed. Among other uses

[@roadcc]

We knew someone would know

[@Ecoroof1986]

Also when using a sealant like silicon or polyurethane. Expansion joints in bridges, multi story car parks and buildings then apply the sealant over.

[@dperreno]

@@Ecoroof1986 This. Expansion joints in concrete.

[@dtolios]

Wow, I love inserts, and this is brilliant 👏

[@MFQuinnCyclist]

Add the sealant thru the value stem

[@Philatlondon1]

I tried 30mm backing rod with 33mm cross tyres. There was no way the tyres were going back on the rim. I tried again with 20mm, but I'm not sure they're giving me the full benefits of inserts, although I probably could run them flat at a pinch.

[@arcoulant87]

This is how not to mount tubless tyre.

[@19bootsy68]

Slightly off the subject but I'm sick of seeing them stupid Temu adverts on every KZbin video I watch.

[@roadcc]

Sorry but KZbin controls them not us!

[@IsaacS1]

Why on earth would you put green tires on a bike!? I think he's lost the plot..

[@redalert2834]

Perhaps it would be best to add sealant after the tyre is installed on the wheel, not before?

[@mrhankbotful]

A sealant syringe is cheap and makes tubeless setup and maintenance so much easier I don't know why anyone "couldn't be bothered." The right tools go a long way to make a job like that easier and cleaner. I run tubeless on everything down to 30mm, and will never go back to tubes.

[@kurt1391]

I have no idea why anyone puts in sealant directly in the tyre. It's far easier to go in through the valve stem, assuming the stem allows a sealant injector tube to pass through it. If it doesn't, throw it in the bin and get a proper stem. I bought a couple pairs of Hunt wheels that had these rubbish stems and replaced them with Muc-Off ones.

[@midsfella]

@@kurt1391 unless you're using Stan's race which has more lumps than fluid and at £40 a bottle you spend more time cleaning up when the pipe blows off..

[@Philatlondon1]

I bought a Park Tools injector. I'm annoyed with myself if a lose a couple of drops.

[@BikeLife154]

The manufacturers are gonna love you for exposing their excessively high priced inserts when you can buy the same stuff from a builder’s merchants for £1 a metre! 😂

[@joules2936]

And I bet you think all carbon fibre is the same. Tyre inserts are expensive, but the foam is quite different to this gap filler. Nukeproof ARD for example is much more dense, and it’s shaped.

[@BikeLife154]

@@joules2936 keep telling yourself that! 😂

[@techjuanjo]

@@joules2936 more or less densed is just a difference in the production process. It still is simple Polyurethane foam, just like many swimmingpool toys, central heating insulation, anti-stressballs etc.

[@satrujillo30]

Just bought some from Amazon and it's quite a bit softer than the airliners. I do think they would work to keep the tire seated if it blows, but not necessarily work to ride on with a flat tire

[@techjuanjo]

@@satrujillo30 Good to know. For the same effect, we should know the exact density of the airliners and find the same density PU foam. That should work, but many times the density is not mentioned.

[@richb8709]

I have yet to go tubeless, but if I do I will be referring back to this video. Appreciate the honest presentation including all of the hiccups along the way. I’m all about hacking my way to a low budget alternative no matter how messy it is to get there 😁

[@joefrost2763]

Finally, somebody showing what really happens when working with tubeless tires. Sealant gets everywhere! But it's worth it.

[@flosa1995]

Just use the bathtub but don't tell your wife ;)

[@jeffwaknitz2410]

I keep a small stans bottle around and keep reusing it. It fits perfectly in the valve stem for putting sealant in tire. I have never had a mess like this when installing sealant😮

[@pierrex3226]

The fact that Vittoria have the nerve to sell the same thing for 65 pounds is not crazy, it's insulting.

[@garyhoward2186]

I’m enjoying the bike so far kzbin.infoUgkxMesz3KOGEmwmvyKQfLfrRSUXLFzfVHZA My only real complaints are the brakes and the pedals. I feel like a bike designed for bigger people should have much larger pedals and more heavy duty brakes. I’ve only gotten two really good rides out of it, minimal downhill action, and the brakes feel like they’re already going out. A larger person has more momentum, so I think this wasn’t thought through very well. Also, I wear size 13-14 wide shoes. My feet cramp up on these pedals that are clearly made for smaller feet. Since I’m not a pro rider (and I don’t think many are who purchase this bike) I don’t think that the straps on the pedal are necessary at all. None of this takes away from the enjoyment I get from riding, however. I’ll just head to a bike shop to improve on a few things.

[@imagistatheimagista1870]

Pure comedy!!!! 😅😅😅😅 But also quite informative. 🙌🏼

[@WowRixter]

Thanks for the reminder why I'm never switching to tubeless🤣 BTW my bike hack is to use heat-shrink tube at the end of my shifter and (rim) brake cables instead of crimping an end on. Much tidier and 1 gram less 😉

[@ronwhite8503]

Or a dab of superglue.

[@lanceoa]

Scientific that much…. 😅. Now I don’t feel like such a dummy when installing new tyres

[@milessmith589]

Mmmmm, so you save $30 but risk your $1000 wheel rim. I've run on a flat tubeless tyre for 45 km at a steady 30kmph with a Vittoria gravel insert, keeping the tyre both on the wheel & keeping the rim off the tarmac. The Vittoria road is I'm told even more advanced in that the insert collapses under air pressure but expands to keep the tyre on when pressure is lost in the tyre 👍

[@Jacob99174]

This has been very entertaining :) Thanks!

[@utube091116]

interesting, you demonstrated the Do&Don'ts ! any way thnx for the foam info. i'm a big fan off the Tannus armour inserts

[@jimbob5b200]

Brilliant idea ! however unscrewing the valve is the easiest thing ever !

[@timoe2469]

❤ this video is worth watching for its British humour, let alone the messy sealant scenes 😂

[@knowwhey7559]

I only ran tubeless for a few months on my new bike. I was a royal pain, so I put tubes in. I get anxiety just watching anyone dicking with tubeless tires.

[@andrewmurray5542]

At least we get to see levers being used to remove and install the tyre. When I tried tubeless - and I do like the concept - it's advised that using levers could potentially damage the tyre bead causing it not to be airtight. Well good luck with that! Maybe with big mountain bike tyres it's possible but never on road tyres. I've always had to resort to levers for both removing the tyre and replacing it. Maybe there's a tiny chance to install with just my thumbs - and I've got close - but never to remove the tyre.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

It can. Not all rims and tires are a great match

[@andrewmurray5542]

Agreed. To add, a recent incident with a friend's wheels - tubeless but not running as tubeless - meant a broken tyre lever. Got them on eventually using my Park Tool levers plus two pairs of hands!

[@a1white]

This is definitely a Hack not a bodge…. Oops wrong channel! 😅

[@arcoulant87]

🥖🥖🥖

[@kurt1391]

This is a really good tip. I was put off by the price of the Vittoria inserts.

[@trainingcyclist]

Thanks a lot 😊

[@danielortega6185]

Great idea! Its literally used everywhere millions on meters is used in every high rise building.

[@neuhausl111]

Where can I buy an Andrew?

[@Zhoron]

How much does rim width matter? Pretty sure it won't work on my 17mm internals but would love for it to

[@RealNoahArling]

Backer rod comes in about every diameter imaginable. I sized down to 1”/25mm for my 19mm IW rim and it’s a good but snug fit!

[@mihneaeusebiu]

Does it have to seat on the rim bead?

[@zachs6191]

Does sealant still work with the inserts in the way? You demonstrated that it doesn't easily flow around it

[@roadcc]

Yep. The liner doesn't block the whole tyre and seems to compress a little with air pressure so sealant will flow properly

[@janeblogs324]

Once you get a leak the sealant will flow to the leak

[@ericlopresti3061]

@@roadcc no - this junk soaks up the sealant really quickly. just took mine off three weeks after mounting and there was not a speck of sealant in either tire, but you could wring it out of the foam. mind you, not paying for the commercial ones, but this just makes a big heavy piece of foam.

[@vulcan4d]

Sweet trick. Almost impossible to find anything larger than 1 inch (25mm) in Canada. I'm still hunting down 1 1/4inch as I use 38mm tires.

[@jeffwaknitz2410]

Another trick I kearned was to drill 4-5 large holes in the insert to let the sealant circulate around the insert.

[@r.davies2702]

Nice tip, you watch the price of that stuff to through the roof now 😂. Maybe try putting the sealant in first, then the insert?

[@mikecook1537]

Wouldn't it have been easier to remove the valve core then install the sealant

[@DAZLIN6]

Great to see someone cocking things up.....like I do

[@rogerkaye7224]

How much smaller diameter than your tyre do you think would be worthwhile? I'd like put some 40mm tyres on my gravel bike but am struggling to find any backer rod between 30 & 40mm.

[@Pies.]

cut it in half or quaters or use pipe insullation or pool noodle

[@janeblogs324]

I thought they were called Inzerts?? Did Doddy lie to me?

[@midsfella]

I can only see PU Backer rod with a max size of 25mm? I'm using 38mm and 45s tyres.... Will 25mm work on both tyre sizes? any ideas?

[@Pies.]

Pool noodle or pipe insulation

[@metiks111]

how they are doing after that time?

[@draugmithrin]

I my day we stuffed tyres with environmentally friendly leaves, grass and twigs. Surprised modern tyres can survive running so flat, used to wreck ones I did it with.

[@Philatlondon1]

I rode 15 miles home once after a double puncture and no spare inner tubes using the grass method. I wouldn't recommend though.

[@lloydusdavies]

Any idea how it works in the long term i.e. 3 months later ?

[@ericlopresti3061]

terribly. within three weeks the backer stuff had soaked up all of the sealant and was a big weight without any of the plugging benefits of tubeless (found out when a tiny, tiny leak wouldn't seal)

[@walcottav]

Interesting Liam, thank you. I imagine the Vittoria and other vendors optimize their insert's shapes and durability treatments. Question about those products, how do they handle the tire area around the valve? Are they shaped to fit around/under the valves? Will definitely give the diy approach a go, though my sealant technique is a bit less messy than yours. 👍😉🫡

[@ericlopresti3061]

within three weeks, the foam had soaked up all the sealant and the actual inside of the tire was dry. Had I put more in, I would have just had an even heavier foam piece with none of the benefits of tubeless. The actual products are not this material.

[@HDsharp]

Wouldn't The foam get compressed over time and become thinner.

[@Pies.]

Only with a tube. Tubeless does not have any direct forces, the air pressure does not affect the insert much

[@kendobson9009]

lol. good vid though 🙂

[@NeoPayneHK]

did you try it flated?

[@hpk4917]

Cool Thing 👍

[@mohamadjamil3164]

I just do t understand why the industry is pushing for more tubeless. As I understand the use/advantage for off tarmac use, the functionality of managing a puncture is very very very messy and you end up carrying a massive repair kit and a tube just in case. Am very happy with my latex inners and even happier with the original rubber tubes as they need less maintenance

[@gezakopter1153]

Actually quite the opposite. My tubeless "repair kit" is a screwdriver like tool with rubber wormies, thats pretty small when packed up, like tubolito or so. The classic sealant is messy, but since a year I started to use Mariposa Vegelatex, and that thing never dries, so it can be cleaned up, washed off your clothes. In one season I usually get 5-6 punctures on my gravel tires. Usually I find that out when I am changing tyres for the muddy/dry season. :)

[@Philatlondon1]

I've just gone tubeless on my hardtail MTB and it's like night and day in terms of comfort. And I'd have had multiple punctures from the amount of holes I could see being plugged by sealant after I rode into a thorn bush.

[@samuraioodon]

@@gezakopter1153 where do you live? Is it more humid? If dry climate will it dry out quicker?

[@gezakopter1153]

@@samuraioodon Nah, Slovakia has kinda dry, continental weather. Vegelatex is made from some kind of veggie mumbo-jumbo with olive seeds in place of actual latex. It is not drying out, rather remains in some kind of goopy substance, so it is easy to clean, but actually seals punctures. I have no idea how that's possible, but works. :D

[@samuraioodon]

@@gezakopter1153 interesting I'll see if the Stan's hold up if not I'll give this a try.

[@nationsnumber1chump]

doesn't make sense. It shrinks when you pump up the tire, won't it expand at 15psi tubeless? And how does the sealant move around if the psi is that low if you have a slow flat? Not great for cyclocross, but high speeds yes

[@thereisnoiindaly]

I'm assuming that this video was sponsored by a company that exclusively makes bicycle tubes. Worst ad for tubeless ever OR greatest ad for tubes ever???

[@tn9274]

is it strong enough as solid tire (without air at all)?

[@roadcc]

Without any air in there you can ride the bike. Cornering feels weird, but you'll stay upright and it'd get you home or to a cafe

[@janeblogs324]

I've used proper solid tyres, it's like riding through glue. The smallest steering inputs even slower its rolling. Its like a rubber band robbing power but it never gives it back

[@donwinston]

No thanks. Thank you.

[@hc3820]

Cheers

[@vanecvetkovski]

Oh Liam… sorry buddy, I could not deal with all that. I am staying with latex tubes.

[@javik3995]

Lol mate, I'm staying with butyl ones!

[@roadcc]

My summer road bike still uses latex inner tubes. But going off road means tubeless for me. Liam

[@youeatpoo1]

Like the idea and tempted to try it. Anyone able to find 35mm backer rod? For use with 38mm gravel tires. Closest I found is 38mm (1.5 inches diameter) which isn't ideal. I suppose I could just cut off a bit before fitting

[@bitchoflivingblah]

Liam, after seeing this your significant other/wife/gf is never going to let you do your bike mechanicing in the kitchen ever.

[@Jacob99174]

Husband/bf may be more appropriate. We need to be sensitive, please!

[@roadcc]

He was banned from fixing anything inside years ago

[@savagepro9060]

@@Jacob99174 that explain the 'latex' tubes and the dry lube🤣

[@Jacob99174]

@@savagepro9060 lol that was Savage!

[@savagepro9060]

@@Jacob99174 🤣😂