Watch me struggle! 5 Tips for Road Tubeless | Schwalbe PRO ONE

[@ollysprings]

The only video that truly reflected the pain I have been through with getting tubeless tyres inflated. Feeling a lot more confident about it now!

[@nathanphillips875]

Tip from a bike mechanic here... If you have odd shaped rims (like your offset spoke holes) or if you’re running high pressures then I would recommend running at least two wraps of rim tape to stop it deforming into the spoke hole. Also I would finish opposite the valve when installing the tyre because you want the valve side to be tightest 👍🏼

[@ridesofjapan]

Nathan Phillips cheers 👌

[@jonathangreever14]

Finally. A TL video that shows how hard it really is to mount. TL is worth it. But it can be so much harder than other videos show. Like hours of misery.

[@JoelCarr]

This has 100% been the best video I could find on setting a tubeless tyre. Thank you so much for showing all your process. I have set tubeless tyres before but when recently setting some Schwalbe PRO ONE (25C) I just could not make any progress. Even bought a ridiculously expensive tubeless pump which still failed. What worked for me was leaving the tyre on the rim overnight (definitely because I gave up the night before and couldn't face it anymore) and lots of soapy water the next day. The rear tyre was also easier for me, was able to fit it new by chucking in a tube to pre-seat the bead. There was a little fighting but managed to get it by using the charged chamber and then immediately kept pumping when releasing the chamber air.

[@Metal_Face_Doom]

I found your vid after trying to figure out why I can't get my tubeless Roval CLXs to seat. I've sprayed sealant and blood from my hands everywhere. I've really hated switching to tubeless 😭. Your video gives me hope! 🙏🏾

[@jreitsma]

I have installed (and repaired) these same Schwalbe tires several times. The first time I did it I had no luck either. I gave up until I came across a tip online to use rope. Make a lasso using your rope and place the rope on the tire. Tighten the lasso and it will push the tire against the rim and force the side wall and bead outward against the rim. While holding the lasso tight with one hand inflate it using the other hand. Works every time on your first attempt.

[@FuzzFace]

I have a side wall puncture on a pro one. How did you repair? I’m starting to think the pro one tubeless are not just a headache. They are also a waste of money

[@ridesofjapan]

Just to clarify where I screwed up, I should have thoroughly inspected the tape, which would have led me to replace it before trying to mount the tire. After I finally realized how bad it was and changed it, everything went a lot smoother. I realize I didn't make that point very clear in the video, Sorry! I must have inhaled too much fumes from the sealant... I forgot to report the actual width in the video 😓.. the tires measure 29.5mm on these DT Swiss RR21 wheels.

[@milkouille]

Thanks !

[@Csapi007]

What’s the internal rim width and what size tape did you use?

[@ridesofjapan]

Zsolt Csapó 18mm internal Tape is 23mm

[@Malte1878]

Did exactly the same Journey with my dtswiss ....I feel you !

[@eddietubeu]

A problem which may be specfic to the DT Swiss RR21. I also own a pair of rim brake version DT Swiss RR21. And I find that the drill holes, esp those off-centered one, with burrs/sharp edges which may potentially cut the rim tape. I had my rear wheel keep losing air pressure, after few month of use. Before replacing the tubeless tape, I decided to file the edge of those drill holes a bit to remove those burrs. Since then, there is no problem for 2 good years, and fingers crossed.

[@BGPaul]

Within 5 seconds I knew I would like this video, a strong opening.

[@bartvanwezel6246]

First one who explained possible problems. Had exactly the same and could not find out why. Many thanks!

[@tychoMX]

I'd always mount tubeless tires with a tube first (experience with road, all road, and fat-bike tires). The reason is that when you purchase them they are folded and have creases which makes it easy for air to escape if you're not using a massive volume compressor. If you mount them with a tube these kinks get straightened out over time (I leave them overnight), then you can break the seal on one side (if lucky), but at least you'll get a better seat.

[@vincem5]

100% agree. was going to suggest the same.

[@paulbusby2013]

I don't bother but I do unfold the tyres hours before fitting.

[@paulbusby2013]

I don't bother but I do unfold the tyres hours before fitting.

[@veepawly4763]

This video saved me from going down the same dark road as many others have. Thank you.

[@RobertBaiko]

One trick that really helped me is when you first apply the tubeless tape you need to add a tube in to allow the tape to be fully pressed down in the rim. Let that sit overnight to help to stretch the tire. When you go to actually seat the tire later it will be pre-stretched and will sit substantially easier!

[@paulbusby2013]

OK - that's the reason people do that. I've not recently had problems inflating due to owning an AirShot but have had trouble getting the last section of bead over the rim.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

​@@paulbusby2013I've never done this and I've probably mounted thousands of tubeless tire. If it's already on the rim, stretching won't help you. You do this with tubulars before gluing. But it's totally pointless for tubeless where you really want the tire as tight as possible anyway

[@AgencyScum]

Hello mate, I love your videos. I ( dis ) organise a bike club, have tubless tyres and have LOTS of experience of them AND the company of many mechanics with way better skills than me. Here's what I've been taught over the years: 1. Get an air compressor. Tubless-specific pumps are a lovely invention for people lucky enough to seat the bead perfectly. 2. Get an air compressor. Nothing...NOTHING beats the relentless hurricane of air bullying the tyre to seat properly. 3. Liquid laytex sealant is for the finishing touch on a perfectly seated bead and not to try and bodge in a 70% seated bead. 4. Watch as many bike shop mechanics as possible fitting tubless tyres. Bribe them with chocolate biscuits to speed dial you when they're about to fit tyres so you can watch. 5. Did I mention an air compressor?

[@nbrewton3]

Funny, honest, and helpful. Wish I had seen this before doing it for the first time. I don't even bother with a floor pump anymore and just use a compressor.

[@allenbroughton3484]

Complete understand the frustration- used same tire, size and 3M tape on my stock Axis 4.0. Worked first try on front wheel but several hours of pain on rear wheel and finally had to take wheel to local gas station and use compressor. In the end, love the Pro One's and have worked great in tubeless set-up for both road and gravel riding.

[@norbibxl]

Watching you struggle with the installation of those damn Schwalbe tires, I had the impression of seeing myself. I had almost exactly the same problems as you. I tried everything and I could not succed. Miraculously, after a few hours of fighting and liters of sweat mixed with sealant poured around the floor, I managed to do it, but it was the worst experience in my life. Yesterday I changed one of the tires (the hole was to for sealant) to Pirelli P-Zero on the same rims and ... no problems, it went smooth and plesant. Well ... no more schwalbe !

[@paulhatcher1490]

Oh man, one of the best videos on tubeless ever! Well done on your perseverence to get there in the end. I'm about to try tubeless for the first time shortly. I'm expecting it to be like this. Too many of the wheel/tyre manufacturers videos make it look a bit too easy for my liking.

[@ridesofjapan]

Haha, cheers mate! These are by far the most I struggled, but to be fair, my own fault for not checking the tape :) Good luck!

[@rnawalker]

Before getting into tubeless I spoke to the mechanic at my local bike shop. Without question he said the best thing to do is get an air compressor. Sure for some set ups track / flash pump or ghetto will work. But if you want to guarantee success... Appreciate the lack of portability and space / noise restrictions for those in apartments. But if you have the space, air compressor all the way. Plus double wrap of non branded tape 😎 Awesome channel btw. Really loving your work.

[@ridesofjapan]

Definitely agree! If I had my own place (not apartment) I would have bought a compressor a long time ago. There's no substitute for sure. I still think I would have run in to problems with the old tape in this case though... but every mistake is a opportunity to learn :) Cheers mate!

[@gabrieledalessio6707]

The fun thing is that if you watch video from bikeradar, gmbn.. or read some tutorial from online magazines they always make it with normal pump with ease.. A thing that helped me through my troubled story with tubeless was going with wider rims, I understand this is not always possible for road wheels but made a lot of difference for mtb.. i'm talking about rims with internal width in 25-30 mm range

[@rickchamberlain4498]

I'm so glad to see this vid. I was thinking that im the only person in the world that is struggling to fit tubeless!

[@johnwafflehouse739]

Thanks for the video - glad that you have a sense of humor about it. I just made the jump into road bike tubeless, but after watching a few videos similar to yours, and seeing the troubles with different wheels & tires, I decided to buy Mavic UST branded wheels that include Mavic UST tires. Mavic's claim is that they design the wheels & tires as a system, and they are easier to install, use, etc. However, I understand that not everyone wants Mavic wheels and tires. The initial installation was easy.

[@tfmguitar]

I was also skeptical about tubeless because of similar videos, until I tried a Mavic UST setup. In my opinion it's the only setup that works flawlessly, and it took me 5 mins to setup. No rim tape needed (Ksyrium UST wheels) and it seals with simple floor pump. The tires go in by hand etc. Been using the setup for 2000km without issues. Schwalbe Pro One's I couldn't mount them though so been using Mavic and Hutchinson tires (both made by Hutchinson).

[@ridesofjapan]

zefs sounds nice that, hopefully something I’ll get a chance to try in the future.

[@51jjm]

Guys; I'm curious about this set-up too for my first set of tubeless wheels...Rides of Japan hoping you can do a review on Mavic's approach to tubeless. Thanks again for a informative video!

[@ridesofjapan]

Not currently seeing myself buying another wheel set anytime soon, but if get a chance to try it out I definitely would try to make a video about it.

[@51jjm]

Zefs! I'm in Kefalonia, Greece. :) Do you have a good bike shop to recommend in Athens and/or Patras? Also, I am building a road bike and I am pretty sure I will be using Mavic Ksyrium UST wheels too. Καλο δρομο to you!

[@tfmguitar]

Hi, there are many bike shops, panoramabikes, cyclist, tsirikos etc. Happy riding

[@alexkato9918]

I am using schwalbe 23c tires on DT wheels as well. Without tubes inside. When I struggled with tubeless setup, I bought an adaptor from french bulb to the american, went a gas station and used its air compressor. The GS was Eneos. When it comes to sealant, I use a syring of DAISO, which is originally for refilling skin lotion or toner. I didnt replace rim tapes for the first tubeless setup because I didnt ride much with the wheels. After 200km rides my front tire got flat, the rim tape had a hole on a spoke hole like you said in the video so that Its a nice dicision to have double rim tapes.

[@ridesofjapan]

Tarik Golvan yeah an air compressor would have been great, wouldn’t have gotten this good of a workout though 😂 Those spoke holes are annoying indeed.

[@PathLessPedaledTV]

I feel your pain.

[@marinoanderson]

You sure made me laugh. Especially since five days ago I had your same experience. Except I mounted a 25mm tire to a 20mm inner rim width (I ride 25/28 front/rear setup.). Oh the joy! I finally got it to work by "pre-stretching" the tire with an inner tube at 110 psi overnight. Even then, the one side that seated into the rim edge let go twice. Back to the tube! I have a compressor with a 3 gallon tank, but next time, I'll add a 5 gallon to the air line to get a bigger, sustained high-pressure high volume flow. Interesting, the rear 28mm snapped into place quickly after using a tube to seat the rim. My 40mm tires never have this issue as they mount onto a 22mm inner rim width. As always, thanks for the video. Keep up the great work!

[@PeteysCorner]

I am having this guy's day today. Giving up for today and getting some new rim tape.

[@ridesofjapan]

New tape is a good idea, and if you still have problem after that, put in an extra layer of tape. With more experience since this video it’s always been an issue with the tape (or lack of enough tape).

[@PeteysCorner]

@@ridesofjapan made it to work with that tape 1 week ago... what a pain it was... not sure if I like tubeless so much now :D

[@thehandleiwantedwasntavailable]

Great video man! Your presentation style makes me laugh. Great to see the full experience of mounting tubeless covered too!

[@tyester]

It seems like you have it figured out, but one helpful trick I learned - using an auto-garage style Air Compressor to seat the bead of the tire after filling it with sealant. I've never used the airshot style pump, but you may need a consistent 100+psi pressure getting shot into the valve(sans valve core) for longer than what the airshot may allow for. And for future reference, always double check the rim tape. Even when swapping tires, I always wipe down the rim and check to see if there's any potential to leak air/sealant. Sucks to cost a ride or training session, but it sucks harder when losing a race because of it. I swap alot of XC mtb tires, and really want to go to road tubeless, but I've got a supply of tube'd road tires to burn up which may take a few thousand miles(or km) and I hear a 50/50 split good/bad about road tubeless. I think it boils down to install, bike care/maintenance and general riding habits. I assume people think road-tubeless, it automatically makes their bikes ready for gravel or heavy debris, and I think you still must treat them as if tubes where in place with just less ride-stoppage of dealing with minor cuts, punctures, etc.

[@ridesofjapan]

tyester tyester tyester an air compressor would have been the dream! 😁 I been able to seat and seal most my tires with a tubeless pump... but if I had a garage my fist investment would be a air compressor for sure! I hope that people don’t to think “tubeless = gravel” and start riding that on light weight 25c tires 😱 I guess they would learn a lesson pretty quick though 😂

[@BobbieERay]

I feel you. This video sums up my experience with the Schwalbe Pro Ones and DT Swiss wheels perfectly. I‘ve installed plenty of tubeless tires, but this combination drove me mad! I‘m just glad that my GF wasn‘t around to see the mess and struggle, otherwise I‘d be single by now.

[@ridesofjapan]

Bobbie E. Ray haha! I did this around midnight... which was a good thing, otherwise something might have been thrown through the window 😅

[@BobbieERay]

@@ridesofjapan btw since I had troubles with the same type of tires on a different set of rims, I finally gave in and bought a decent pump. Topeak JoeBlow Booster. All my worries are a thing of the past now. That pump makes everything so much easier, I'll never go back.

[@ridesofjapan]

Bobbie E. Ray good to hear! Will look into that pump when my cheap Tubeless pump gives up.

[@Zx11pilot]

I have to agree with previous posters on the Mavic UST wheel - total breeze to setup. I set up my Comete UST's in 10 min and seated the tires in seconds with a regular floor pump. I love tubeless now.

[@DiegoCattaneo]

we have the same floor pump. That seated the tyre the first time, but when I defleated to put sealant, the tyre popped off. I had no time to continue and used for a week a classic gp4000 setup with tube. When I tried again, floor pump dind't work (maybe because the tube pushed the rim tape inside the holes like yours). Had to use tubeless pump. It worked pretty well. I shaked the tyre with the hands to make it seat. Then left for half an hour. Sealant in, and that still don't leak

[@ricric9521]

Continental 5000TLs on Roval CLX 32 wheels were pretty easy. Mounted 28s by hand. A little tough on the hands, but went on in minutes. I actually put sealant in before mounting (mtb background). I was losing air in the front. I realized I forgot to spread the sealant around inside the tire. Worked great. Have a couple 50mi plus rides on them. Very nice. Issue is there are so many different standards of tubeless tires and tubeless rims. The 5000tl works best with hooked rims for example and have there own tubeless standard.

[@a_scotsman_on_a_horse]

I tried out the same tyres on my DT Swiss 1400 Dicut Oxic that I'd been running GP4000 on for a year. Tape was in good shape and the tyres went on and sealed really easy! Tried for Flanders this year and was pleasantly surprised - worked well compared to GravelKings I'd used the past several years. Kept running them ever since. Not long ago got the new Hunt wide 50mm aero carbon clinchers and fitted the same tyres there too. Again - sealed easily and ride well. No issues at all yet :)

[@ridesofjapan]

Steve Rodgers good karma! I hope I’ll get some of that next time ;)

[@a_scotsman_on_a_horse]

my worst experience - first experience too - with tubeless was when I ordered non-tubeless variant of the Schwalbe cx pro for my new cx wheels last year. With a lot of hard work and swearing I was actually able to get a seal on one before I realised my mistake!

[@ridesofjapan]

Steve Rodgers that’s dedication 💪😂

[@julianallen515]

Great video, and took me back to trying to mount some SKs a year ago. Fortunately, I did it outside on my balcony. I say fortunately, as I was inside getting some soapy water to clean up the rim when it blew off the rim spraying sealant all over the window! I now unfold the new tire and sit it overnight with a tube in it to straighten out folds in the bead.I've used multiple sets of Pro Ones in 28mm and they've all seated easily using a standard track pump. I did use your link to buy some bead wax as the last 5cm of bead can be hard to slide over the rim using hand strength. I have resorted to Co2 canisters when mounting 650b SKs as I can't have a compressor in my apartment but Co2 works just fine.

[@garethwilliams243]

Shared your pain last weekend with these tyres (25c) and DT Swiss pr1400 wheels - a recommended combination according to Schwalbe 🙄. Got to about 90% but could not keep enough pressure in the tyre to get it seated - and broke my compressor pump trying! It was only by squeezing the tyre as hard as I could where it was leaking air, while my wife put another 140psi into a compressor pump that did the trick in the end. Funny that the other tyre seated no problem ... blood sweat and tears but worth it for the better ride 😀

[@richardharker2775]

Entertaining. The Schwalbe Pro One is designed so that you do not need sealant with the right rim. Sealant is only for punctures from thorns and such. I experimented using a Pro One on a Shimano fully sealed XT rim and it just blew up with a track pump. It was so easy I thought I did something wrong. Comfort is as you have experienced. Grip is superb. Tyre life is as a performance tyre will be (short) but... I ran them with about 60-65 psi without loss of rolling resistance (and super smooth) however this lower pressure prematurely damaged the carcass and the threads were breaking. This led to the next problem with the rim without a rim strip. The tyre had sealed itself to the rim either due to the Stans sealant or some chemical reaction and I could not break the seal on one side. I tried everything and in the end resorted to a blade. It made me think twice if I was going to be a long way from home or help. I still think they are great tyres though.

[@ridesofjapan]

Rick Harker been hearing a lot about the “unbreakable seat” thing, almost loom forward to it now 😁 My first road tubeless was IRC tires on sealed Dura Ace c24 wheels, no sealant and held up for almost a year... missed those days hehe

[@richardharker2775]

I think if I had a polymer type of rim strip I would not have had the problem. I initially super cleaned the rim and tyre with alcohol so I don't know if this was a problem either. Since then I've ran Maxis and Gravelking tyres on WTB i19 rims with 3M rim tape (Giant branded) and had no problems. Sealant can be messy if things go wrong and will not wash out of clothes.

[@davyscales7732]

Just tried this yesterday but with inner tubes, i could not get the tyre to seat, but watching your soapy water technique i managed, thank you...

[@ridesofjapan]

Davy Scales awesome! Happy it helped!

[@iankidston1665]

I have been running tubeless on all of the bike here for the past three or four years. Definitely a learning curve getting the tires seated. FWIW, a few of observations. Agree with Schwable One - very good tire IMHO. Firstly, never put sealant in until it is firmly seated and holding air. Generally I will put the tire on to an old rim and leave it overnight just to stretch it out a little rather than straight out of the box. Most of the time they will seat OK using something like the BONTRAGER TLR Flash Charger pump, but for the really troublesome ones a CO2 cartridge and some soapy water almost always gets the job done. Once it is seated let the CO2 out - pop in the sealant and pump by hand. Tubeless are worth the effort - to date I have never had a flat that I haven't been able to ride home on (sometimes riding the next day not even realizing that I had a puncture) and they are far more comfortable with the lower pressure.

[@ridesofjapan]

Ian Kidston agreed with all of that! 👌👌ride on!

[@iankidston1665]

One other small trick I found was that when flying with the bikes I don't deflate the tires completely but leave about 20 psi to keep them seated. To date they have remained seated and I haven't ended up with a bike bag covered in goo!

[@dulichion]

I found the following helped me: 1. a thin strip of Gorrila seal tape down the center channel over the spoke holes. 2. A second layer of tubeless rim tape ( I used stans) 3. Inflating to let the bead set without latex inside. 4. putting latex inside, letting it sit overnight after spinning the wheel vigorously. 5. Using a co2 quick inflator to initially set the bead. 6. checking to make sure that thin black line on the tire wall was even and above the rim all around ( youll notice it on the tire yourself). 7. Deflating the tire then inflating once more to hear the important "pings."

[@dtddtd1]

Installing tubeless tire is all about the details. For my tubeless tires I always stretch the tires on my rims overnight. Use spray soapy water to check for leaks so I know where the problem is. I always retape the rims, one layer of electrical tape and two layers of rim tape from DT Swiss. Avoid using tire levers and use tire pliers instead so I don't damage the rim tape. Always pressurize the tire with my Topeka tubeless pump. So far so good on both my MTB and road bike. My tires hold good pressure for 3 weeks minimum. I carry a tube, Dynaplug kit, CO2 cartridges and a small tire plier to fix flats on the road.

[@bioriderfc]

Great production values on your vid, along with your great delivery. Good catch, too.

[@ridesofjapan]

bioriderfc many thanks for the kind words mate, means a lot! 🙏

[@alanthompson9240]

This took me all of 10 min per tire with the same tires on DT Swiss spline 1800 rims. Sealed right on, and it’s been fantastic ever since.

[@ridesofjapan]

Alan Thompson yes, as I said in the video, the big mistake I did was not checking/changing the tape. Once I did that it was pretty much pain free, especially the rear went on really smoothly.

[@alanthompson9240]

@@ridesofjapan my wheels were admittedly newish, so I see what happened to your effort for sure. Good tip on the 3m tape!

[@oliverandalfred]

good tip about the rim tape , i have been screaming in frustration about my schwalbes not seating!!

[@mattdymes812]

I have a pair of new schwalbe ones Tubeless easy, I have been trying to mount them as standard clinchers with tubes, I have just went through five tubes trying to get them to seat. Going to try the rim tape trick before I just use tubeless.

[@VitaliiLiutenko]

Also was on your side, and I so understand you but in conclusion great job, mate. Come on dont stop we need to get more video something like this. Good luck!!

[@carlom.3737]

Thank goodness I just watched this. I had the exact same experience (after the rim tape issue because my Bontragers have plastic rim strips) with my Pro 3V + Panaracer GravelKing SK and the Bontrager flash can charger and my pump. I thought I had done it incorrectly but seeing how the last four minutes of your video matches what happened to me (down to getting about 75% seating and then using the “swish sealant around to get it to seal the leak” method) I don’t feel so bad. Misery loves company :)

[@OliverHir]

Hi there, I have tried 3times make my Schwalbe nobby nic and my Mavic Crossride tubeless. It doesn't work. After looking your video I was motivated to do it one time again. This time I presse the rim tape , Tesa much more on the rim. And it works. Thanks for the motivation. Good to see others have problems, too.

[@raymondsmith1797]

So nice to see you are human and have problems. Nice videos really have enjoyed them.

[@ridesofjapan]

Raymond Smith cheers mate! 🙏

[@quintencoucke5805]

Funny finding this video, I got my inner tube smashing through the DT-swiss tape in a pothole this weekend. For DIY cyclists: replace the tape rather often if it is a thin tubeless tape! It really isn't the same as a sturdy plastic rim tape of the old days.

[@JasonInMelbourne]

If only I saw this video 6 days ago. I've never had problems installing tubeless tyres, but they've all been 38c or wider. So I was cocky and thought the Schwalbe One TLE would be a cakewalk. Your experience before using the inner tube was identical to mine with 25c (can't get 28c due to all the supply problems ATM, and my tubeless rim tape was fine): the bead never seated (even with a compressor), tried several times then tried with soapy water and them added sealant and lost it all and it went everywhere. Being time poor, I gave up and resorted to using inner tubes with removable valve cores and added sealant inside those. Next time I'll plan ahead and inflate with an inner tube and leave overnight to stretch the tyre.

[@h20s8804]

Mounting can be difficult with some combinations of tires or wheels/rims. I have these schwalbe tires and found them super easy to seat. I made sure the tape and valve were good to go, installed the tire but for one open spot, dumped sealant in, put the bead on the rim all the way and shot it with my air compressor. Tires seated perfectly and held air.

[@piecepaper2831]

have been there done that. what a painfully week to inflate 2 tubless tires. i feel you man.

[@ianlaker9161]

I've spent ages trying to bead tubeless tyres to the point of getting blisters on my hands from repeated pumping with a standard track pump. then I bought a compressor track pump. Works a treat. Life's too short.

[@jimhansen5395]

I've had really good luck with Compass tires. Lot's of sizes available. I had no problems setting them up tubeless on my HED Belgium Plus rims.

[@ridesofjapan]

Jim Hansen my compass 48c tires on the gravel wheels was problem free as well. Unfortunately the compass tires under 35mm are not tubeless compatible (from what I could gather anyway)

[@djgarrett21]

This video made me laugh and cry at the same time. I went through the exact same thing with my 23mm Pro Ones two weeks ago - all the same steps. Ended up finally getting them to seat using a CO2 cartridge. Unfortunately I think these tires are very susceptible to cuts/flats. I've already had four flats and only have about 500 miles (800km) on them! Hopefully you have better luck than me. Great video.

[@ridesofjapan]

David Garrett thanks mate! I wasted one co2 before I changed the tape, not on video unfortunately. I didn’t think the feedback regarding the tires would be as varied as it has been. Every thing from “been awesome for 4000km” to “flatted first ride” 😅 Fingers crossed I’ll be in the first bracket hehe. Thanks for watching 🙏

[@FuzzFace]

One of my first pair of pro one got a sidewall puncture in first 50 miles of use. Sealant would never hold more than 20 psi after that. It’s really expensive being first adopter of a developing technology.

[@hbicalho]

I use the same tire on my BMC Road Machine and im pretty happy with them. Really liked your channel. Great content and quality of image and editing. Congrats from a brazilian subscriber!

[@ridesofjapan]

Humberto Bicalho cheers mate! 🙏

[@craigwilson118]

Glad I watched this... the rim tape advice is timely. I have been running tubes for 11,000km on my tubeless ready wheels and soon going to tubeless. The tape is looking a little indented around the spoke holes and I am having a mystery slow puncture in the rear wheel that is sometimes fast and sometimes slow. I think I will replace the tape to rule out any problems!

[@ridesofjapan]

Craig Lloyd that’s a good idea I think. I actually had the spoke hole puncture an inner tube 3 times in one ride... it took a while to figure that one out. 😓

[@rafaeldegiacomoaraujo8778]

Avoid the schwalbe... It's a nightmare.

[@kkkkkkkkkkkkkkk824]

I got GP5000s at first. Forget getting them to pump up, I couldn't even get the first bead on without worryingly high levels of force. The Pro Ones went on but took a good 2 hours of work to get them pumped up. All that sealant 'motivated' me to mop the kitchen up too.

[@graveljoy]

I have ridden the PRO Evos for 2 years on my ENVE SES 4.5AR. Amazing tyres. For seating i use a long strap to push the tyres to them rims. Then pump with compressor, seats like a charm. Then sealant.

[@ticklefritz5406]

I'm thinking the strap idea is brilliant. Just bought a tubeless SES 4.5 wheelset with 28mm Pro One's in the mail, Merry Christmas! This video has me second guessing my decision and considering latex tubes again. I'll give it my best, I hope tubeless is all that it's cracked up to be. Still not sure what sealant will give me my best chance at success?

[@graveljoy]

@@ticklefritz5406 i use stans and yes TL is the best. You will do gr8!

[@ticklefritz5406]

@@graveljoy Thanks Gerry

[@tokuchaan4693]

Been there before. I had a one sweaty messy swearly late night pump session in my bathroom.😂😂😂

[@ridesofjapan]

tokuchaan I’m still sore from this session 😂

[@sirhansel]

this is literally what was just happening before I found this video. a few hours in the shower trying all my usual tricks for Panaracer/Mavic/Continentals. I'm returning them

[@Davepool_TF-69]

I run the same tires and love them, but they are horrible to seat. I usually have to use an air compressor it co2 to seat them. Once they're seated though they hold air and are very easy to pump up from there. Even after topping off sealant later. I've felt your pain though many many times!

[@thomasmoher9089]

I spend hrs in my hot garage wrestling with my tubeless. I start with the tube trick & also go to removing the valve core. This last rotation was one of my better experiences. The compressor helps.

[@barefeg]

for me what works 100% is to add more layers of tape. i had to add 8 layers once! but that's what you need in order to get a dry seal in the most stubborn cases.

[@ridesofjapan]

Prastt Wow, 8 layers?! Good to know, will keep that in mind for the future. Cheers!

[@vishalsewpersad]

Tried the Schwalbe Pro One 25mm tubeless on Shimano Ultegra wheels. Got them seated quite easily with a floor pump. Gave up using them after the 3rd ride as a puncture wouldn't seal. Fast grippy tyres but fragile. Tried Hutchinson Galactik 5's also, same result. Won't try tubeless road tyres again until there is a sealant available that actually works at high pressures. Tried Dynaplug and other repair kits but wasnt satisfied with the results at high pressures.

[@ridesofjapan]

Vishal Sewpersad interesting! I just need to play the waiting game and see if seals or not :) I used my first road tubeless back in 2012 with caffe latex sealant that worked really good... it was a nightmare to clean though.

[@vishalsewpersad]

After the first ride I did with Schwalbe's, I noticed that I had a puncture but it had sealed while riding. Was very happy, but the next slightly larger puncture was terminal and cleaning up the messy sealant to fit a tube was a nightmare. Good luck though, hopefully you have a better experience with these tyres

[@bluedolphin5792]

Nothing but bad luck with tubless for me ,Continental GP 4000 with Vittoria latex works for me, hope yall have better luck.

[@pss999]

Yep, me too. GP4000 with Vittoria Latex have been amazing, and no punctures in over 10,000 km of riding. And on my rims, they measure almost 32mm, amazing ride quality and very fast! And with so much volume, not really much risk of pinch flats unless you run stupid low pressures. I'm all for tubeless for gravel, but for road, I just can't be bothered now.

[@GlennMunlawin]

I've used the Specialized Roubaix Pro tubeless (30's) and nothing but good things to say. No flats and easy to mount. Check them out

[@ycpan7707]

I fit this tyre(PRO ONE 28C) easy, using Giant valve and tape. By normal pump, no sealant or soap water. Just grab the spoke to keep wheel off ground. Tried this on Roval clx50 and Bontrager TLR aluminum wheel, all works good.

[@ridesofjapan]

Yc Pan excellent! Some wheels work better than others for sure. Luck has a bit to do with it as well, my rear mounted with just a normal pump too.

[@superstrada6847]

Thanks for going through that. You are tempting me to go tubeless.

[@michaelw2859]

Once you’ve added sealant keep the wheel upright and the valve away from the bottom, that way it reduces sealant coming out as it sits in the bottom of the tyre and there’s no air from the valve directly firing into the body of sealant.

[@ridesofjapan]

Mii Ke yes did try that as well but not on video as it was a pain in the ass to switch the camera set up... definitely a good tip, cheers! 👍

[@auswi]

I have never had this much drama in the past 4 years of running road tubeless. I recently fitted Schwalbe to my Giant SLR1 wheels and did notice that a track pump couldn't seat them. I used a CO2 canister for high pressure, and it worked a treat. Didn't need to use soapy water or remove valve cores. Conti 5000 S TR's are super easy to seat but are hard to get on the rim. I suspect this is one of the issues. If the tyre goes on easy, then it will be hard to seat. If it requires tyre levers to get on, it should be a nice tight fit.

[@peterbee8892]

I have been using stans grail and avion rims with schwalbe pro one 20c. One year of riding about 5000k and no punctures that needed a tube. The tyre rim combo is the path to success. Stans sealant used. Only track pump needed to inflate. Wide stans rims make 28c tyres 30mm on the bike so be careful as frame clearance might be an issue.

[@ridesofjapan]

Peter Bee good to hear! Hoping I will have the same exception with mine. So far so good

[@thomfoolery1537]

Devils Advocate I have recently switched my Roval C38 wheel set from a clincher to Sworks Turbo tubeless 28mm tires. I used a Topeak Booster floor pump with Muc-off stems and Stans sealant, it couldn't have been less painless. LOVE the ride quality on my Tarmac SL6 and I'll never look back. Good-bye pinch flats and punctures!

[@Generalterz]

I tried it for the first time in my life today. The worst thing was to get my Schwalbe One (not the pro) onto the rim. All in all it was a 25 minute job using a good portion of special tire mounting paste (that dissolves after a short time) instead of sopy water. That avoids air flushing out. No problem with my regular pump. But I also heard that such troubles could happen to everyone ... only a matter of time ;-)

[@jinjung8466]

Thanks for the video. I have the same experience with HED Ardennes Wheels. But ENVE is easy with the same tyres. Hope you enjoy Tubleless. I have no puncture for more than a year.

[@rickstokes2239]

I always use fresh tape, put the tire on and then use levers to pull sides towards the rim. Pull the stem core out, use soapy water around both sides and then I use a Bontrager blast pump and Voila.

[@adrienlimsowtin6662]

Great video. I was lucky with my schwalbe pro ones. The beads popped in and held air (without sealant) on both my giant rims and Hunt carbon aero rims. With just a floor pump too! The 25mm pro one's inflated to 27mm on hunt wheels with 21mm internal width (matching the external width). A small section of tyre bead was stubborn to pop in so i put a bit of my face moisturizer on it which helped :) I have had some nightmare experiences with my mountain bike tubeless setup though...

[@ridesofjapan]

Adrien Limsowtin awesome! that’s how is should be 😁 I mounted and rode my first ever road tubeless IRC tires without sealant for 9 months... then got a puncture I remembered that I never put any sealant in 😂

[@adrienlimsowtin6662]

Rides of Japan haha, i always seem to learn the hard way too 😁

[@mas465190]

お疲れ様でした。Good on you for not stomping on thewheels! Fully sympathize with the double fingers! I've found the Pro one to ride nicely but they didn't last long. I now use the IRC Formula Pro Tubeless Light which are available on Amazon Japan in 28mm. Have noticed these tires tend to measure a little less wide than 28mm from other makers.

[@ridesofjapan]

shonanmike haha! Thanks mate! IRC was my first road tubeless tires back in 2012... they were so easy to work with on the c24 tubeless rims back then, no tape needed... the good old days 😁 I know they come up a bit narrower, that was one reason I didn’t get them this time.

[@Atamanxxxvii]

I'm sorry you had so much trouble, I've put on about 6 sets of tubeless tyres without ever removing valve cores to put sealent in, with a standard floor pump, and I've never had any issues. You're right luck probably has a lot to do with it.

[@ridesofjapan]

TheRealLaker yeah, there a bit of luck involved, but my mistake was not checking the tape in the beginning 😅

[@carljamesph]

Pass thru the same pain today. Will follow your suggestion tomorrow. Hopefully I can get it. Thanks. :)

[@AdamQueen]

Same wheelset! Same tire! (Although now RR21 is using G-one 35mm on my gravel bike, while pro one is on my carbon wheels for my TCR disc) Yep, that stock tape sucks! I changed it to double wrapping stan's notubs yellow tape and it solves all the leakage. And the asymmetric rim profile makes it easier to leak at valve hole. It makes to me take extra care to punch that valve hole through the tape. If the hole on tape is a little too large, it's super easy to leak air. (even double wrapped) But for my case, I have tubeless tank integrated floor pump (bontrager flash charger TLR), which poped the tire just in the second try.

[@ridesofjapan]

Adam Queen yeah, that’s true... I had more leaking around the valve last time I did this with the DT Swiss tape. This time I had a proper “pick” to make to hole, worked like a charm. The offset spoke hole are definitely a pain in the ass though.

[@AdamQueen]

Yeah, I originally though the asymmetric rim profile is a plus for spoke tension, but it turns out to be pain in the ass

[@jelleyoni]

I mounted 8 pro ones on different rims without too much struggle, I think that the defective tape might in fact be the culprit of the mess 😜. Another little thing I do when the suckers don't inflate as I want them to is compressing the tire a bit at the valve. This pushes the bead a bit against the rim so the air immediately blasts into the tire, but I do think it's still a ticket from the "tubeless lottery" to get that pain free tubeless installation experience 😄

[@ridesofjapan]

Jelle cheers for the tip, will keep it in mind for the next adventure! And yes, the tape was definitely the reason for the mess... that plus my impatience 🤦‍♂️😅

[@giutubospatubo1546]

TUBELESS ARE SUCH A PAIN.... I went back to regular tubes, and I'm glad I did. Last puncture was over a year ago, so I don't care for tubelless... I mean, it is so easy to change a tube on a flat tire...

[@christianweigand5255]

Wait until you get your first flat. Here is a hint. Keep paper towels in your tool kit and of course a spare tube. You will eventually need both. The sealant works great low tire pressures. Not so great at 80 lbs. of pressure.

[@ydvitaSwim]

always nice and helpful videos, thanks! I also have Schwalbe One 28 tubeless, already for half a year, and very happy with them: very fast and at the same time comfortable, also feel very confident in the corners - dream! BUT I still not able to find the sealnt that can hold the pressure above 4bar if the tyre has a hole. for that moment each time I get a puncture, I remove the tyre and fix it with a patch from internal side. it will be interesting to get to know how others deal with this... hope you won't get a puncture, at least in a close time :)

[@ridesofjapan]

Yuri Deyneko thanks mate! Yeah, we’ll be interesting to see if can seal or not. Definitely will always carry a spare tube just to be safe.

[@craigwilson118]

I have seen my friend have this problem too as most sealants were designed for low pressure MTB. I think you need a sealant with more large particles in it to plug the hole with more strength. Stan's Race and Orange Seal work better, but a cheaper option is to put some glitter in with the sealant! I have not tried this myself as I do not run narrow tyres but search online...many people report it gives good results.

[@ridesofjapan]

Craig Lloyd yes we did the glitter trick in one of the “Niner RLT weight weenie” videos. It has worked well (as we haven’t noticed any flats). In this case I didn’t want to break the seat to put the glitter in... was afraid I wouldn’t get it to seat again 😅

[@craigwilson118]

Yes, as I watched the video I thought there is no way anyone would want to risk breaking the seat again to put in glitter!! Can be done in future (if needed)!

[@michaelw2859]

Craig Lloyd try using a tyre plug. Saves you removing the tyre and the sealant will coagulate around the plug.

[@ramonsanabria1472]

You're too cool and knowledgeable ! Keep making videos ! 😀

[@Norman92151]

I have given up on my Schwalbe PRO 1s. Just too damned effing difficult to mount on my HEAD Ardennes (tubeless compatible but still need taping). I think the inside diameter of the PRO One (25mm) tire is a bit too small and the bead profile a bid thick IMO to mount and seat reasonably easily, making the whole experience a nightmare. No way in hell I could have removed a tire on the side of the road to insert a tube in the event of a catastrophic puncture. I'll keep using Conti GPs and tubes for the HEADs. Switched to Mavic Ksyrium UST wheel/tire system for the tubeless experience. It's been rainbows and unicorns ever since. No need for special pumps. My old Joe Blow pumped them right up, no sweat. They hold pressure without sealant. Amazing and a great ride. My advice is never to use a (road) wheel which requires rim tape to go tubeless. Eventually the sealant works its way under and it and the tape starts to come loose, causing air loss. It's also nearly impossible to find a tape which is the perfect width and doesn't wind up under the tire bead to some extent, leading to seating problems for the bead. That's been my admittedly limited and frustrating experience with road tubeless until I went to Mavic UST. Sayonara from Italy.

[@ridesofjapan]

Norman1951 Norman interesting to hear everyone’s experiences, the mavic system seem to be universally loved. 👍

[@ramonsanabria1472]

You're good at what you're doing !

[@marcbowen3840]

Another vote for MAVIC UST where the tyre and rim engineering is integrated. GCN did a great review.

[@shaft3r1]

4:06 that exclamation marks while tire popped back to center channel killed me xD I only mount plus size mtb tires and soapy water made from active foam always does the trick :)

[@TheTomekka]

Removing totally the valve advice worked for me ! Thanks a lot :)

[@ridesofjapan]

TheTomekka awesome 👍

[@colindiss8455]

I had the same issues with the same tyres and wheels. Got the rear one on without too much hassle using the tube method first and then sealant but the front was a nightmare. Compressor at the local bike shop did the trick. Interesting about the DT Swiss tape as mine was already installed fresh outta the box but was obviously the Achilles heel of the install. Going to get some of the 3M tape as I have to install a new tyre on the rear as I ruined it today hitting a rock on a descent. Sealed eventually but the sidewall is damaged.

[@50plusOO]

I had same issue today :). You are my hero and inspiration

[@michalgnap5930]

Another nice video, Tobias ;-) I´m satisfied user of Schwalbe One tyres in 30mm from yesterday. Used the same "trick" with inner tube, surprisingly the tire didn´t sit 100% with tube, but tubeless was fine (DT Swiss wheels + primary tape). As improvement I spreaded a bit of sealant onto the tire bead before installation. Really fast sealed with Joe´s NoFlat Eco. Let´s ride! :-)

[@jasperfontaine8680]

thanks buddy you've given me the energy to try one more time ;)

[@geoffsemon7411]

The trick is to put an extra layer of rim tape if you're having problems like you were. It may depend on the rim tyre combination as to what works best. I like the Schwalbe rim tape the best as it conforms to the rim a bit better than Stan's and some others. I feel your pain though as it took me about 2 hours to get it right the first time and find this out. Love the Schwalbe pro1 tyres but I find they get punctures a bit to frequently. I've switched to Hutchingson Fusion5's and so far so good

[@ridesofjapan]

Geoff Semon yep, replacing the tape (with 2 layers) made all the difference here. I realize now that I wasn’t very clear in stating that in the video 😅 Fingers crossed that I’ll have better luck with the tires in terms of punctures. If they fail, I’ll most likely go a bit bigger again, something like compass 35c...

[@geoffsemon7411]

I'm about to order some Compass Babyshoe Pass tyres for the 650B Lightbicycle rims I'm building up to some CK hubs for our tandem. I'm planning on running them tubeless so I'm hoping they'll hold up ok

[@ridesofjapan]

Geoff Semon my 650b compass switchback hill are so awesome riding tires, went on tubeless a lot easier than these Schwalbe (can see it in my 650b impressions video if you’re interested) If you go for the compass, You’ll love them I’m sure!

[@pinbike]

My rim spokes are also offset, they were jagged and sharp from factory I used my de-burring tool and its no longer sharp, glad I had it.

[@dddtaaa]

My easiest road tubeless setup has been these tires on Easton EA90SLX wheels. No tape, not hard to fit, just a track pump.

[@ridesofjapan]

dddtaaa good to know, will ad that to the list of references! 👍

[@Eric_Tennant]

You sir have sold me on staying tubed.

[@rhyswilliams695]

My hesitation with tubeless, is suffering that same pain but out on the roadside. Granted, you can always carry a tube (or two) - but that kind of defeats the purpose (or at least one of them, which is to save weight). I have tubeless ready wheels but haven’t set them up for tubeless. Now, less likely ;)

[@ridesofjapan]

Rhys Williams I’ve read a lot of similar comments, but to me is was never a question of changing the spares to bring on a ride, always one spare tube even with tubeless, unless the ride is with in reasonable walking distance from home I guess. Trying to patch a tire out on the road it a pretty daunting task unless it’s a simple tubeless plug. The merits of tubeless to me would be 1, better ride quality (although this can and has been debated) 2, Seal small punctures before you even know you had a puncture 3, Minimizing the possibility of pinch flats to almost zero. 4, Being able to run lower pressures because of number 3 and in turn achieve number 1 :) You might save a few grams as total wheelset weight depending on tire choice but as it won’t be that much in the end with the sealant included. There always a risk that you’d get a double puncture... and with only one spare tube you would be out of luck compared to a tubed clincher set up where you can patch one tube as well. So I definitely think there’s other negatives with tubeless apart from the obvious ones show in the video 😬

[@mattdman73]

Good job! At least you got the tire on quite easily. I bruised my fingers and broke 2 tire levers while doing that.

[@ridesofjapan]

Matthew Wong ouch!! Guess I got off easy... 😅

[@wbrunott]

Excellent video. I will be putting tubeless tires on DT Swiss wheels and with your suggestions I expect to be successful first try. Thanks

[@ridesofjapan]

William Brunott cheers man! Good luck, and check that rim tape before you start ;)

[@CreRay]

That's funny, I have the same rims, but the 25mm Pro One's seated perfect on these. I pump like a lunatic for 30 secs, a few pops, and boom, seated. I do leave it like that for a day before filling it with sealant though. I had no issues at all with leaking past the (original DT Swiss) rim tape. My Reynolds wheels came with that blue tape you used, that caused me a lot of leaks, I would not recommend that for tubeless.

[@CreRay]

I agree 100% on the riding part, yes setting up can be a pain, but once on the road, you immediately feel the difference.

[@jasonjarvis2198]

I had a set of DT Swiss 350/R500 wheels built for my new Trek Checkpoint in the spring and installed the Panaracer GravelKing slicks in 38 mm based on your video and I LOVE THEM -- why did you downsize? Most of my riding is on winterized gravel and hard packed dirt and with the right pressure they soak up the chatter and ride smooth -- but they're not so great on fresh, soft gravel (especially corners). And I had no issue going tubeless with the GravelKings. I double-wrapped the rims and used my Bontrager Flash Charger and they seated right away.

[@ridesofjapan]

Jason Jarvis yeah, I loved my 38 gravelkings, I also mounted them without problem at all... those were good days 😁 I used those tires when I only had one wheel set (the one in this video) and used it for all riding (gravel, tarmac, hill climbs etc.) But since I got a set of 650b wheels that I could go no compromise gravel, I could take this wheelset and optimize it for road/tarmac.. (mainly climbing mountains) The gravelkings 38 are still one of my favorite tires ever, but I’m always curious to try new alternatives 😅

[@jasonjarvis2198]

Cool -- I'm looking forward to how you get along with the Schwalbes, especially in comparison with the GravelKings.