Tubeless flat on trail

**schindlerpiste** · 06-01-2017, 02:56 PM

Changing a tubeless away from home. I had a spare tire, a bit of stan's, my tire tool but no soapy water. Bead established and new tire inflated. When the day is done, do I need to uninflate tire, undo bead and spray with soapy water? This bike JONG wants to know.

**adrenalated** · 06-01-2017, 03:04 PM

Why would you do that? The soapy water is just lubrication to get the tire on the bead easier.

**Damian Sanders** · 06-01-2017, 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by schindlerpiste

Changing a tubeless away from home. I had a spare tire, a bit of stan's, my tire tool but no soapy water. Bead established and new tire inflated. When the day is done, do I need to uninflate tire, undo bead and spray with soapy water? This bike JONG wants to know.

If that's what you're into, go for it. We're not judgmental here.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 06-01-2017, 04:44 PM

Any reason you didn't just stay with the original tire?

**schindlerpiste** · 06-01-2017, 04:52 PM

Yeah, because it went flat.

Regarding the soap, someone told me that it helped keep the bead. Changing tubeless on the trail is kinda new to me.

**PNWbrit** · 06-01-2017, 04:56 PM

Originally Posted by schindlerpiste

Yeah, because it went flat.

Regarding the soap, someone told me that it helped keep the bead. Changing tubeless on the trail is kinda new to me.

Is it just me... but it sounds like you might just be missing something here?

**schindlerpiste** · 06-01-2017, 04:59 PM

I know that it is kinda stupid, but I thought I'd ask any way. Nothing better to do

**adrenalated** · 06-01-2017, 05:01 PM

Originally Posted by schindlerpiste

Regarding the soap, someone told me that it helped keep the bead.

OK, so next time you see this person, you should slap them. Actually, first you should get a sheet of aluminum, pour soapy water all over it, have them put on some rubber-soled shoes and take a running start at it and then tell you if the soapy water helped them stick to it or not. Then slap them.

Originally Posted by schindlerpiste

Changing tubeless on the trail is kinda new to me.

Just put a fucking tube in and be on your way. Fix it proper when you get home.

**jm2e** · 06-01-2017, 05:03 PM

You keep a spare tire in your pack instead of a tube? And a bottle of Stans? And you reset a tubeless bead in the backcountry with a min-pump? FKNA, You're the man!

In the future though, it may be easier/lighter to carry a spare tube, pull the tubeless core and go old school until you get home where you can redo tubeless.

The only thing I think soapy water does is create some extra resistance to the air escaping around the bead, thus building up more pressure behind the tire, thus allowing the bead to set up. Rim & tire profiles do most of the rest, sealant gets you that final push, but does not attach the bead to the rim. It's more to fix the imperfections in tire/rim tolerances, weepy rubber, vulnerabilities in taping and valve hole.

**SJG** · 06-01-2017, 05:07 PM

Definitely carry a tube for this. I carry a 26" tube for this reason (which works for 26, 27.5, and 29"), but it usually gets used to bail someone else out rather than me.

Pro tip: make sure your tubeless stems are not so )$*&#)(*&* tight that you cannot remove them on the trail without tools sitting in your garage, or the tube is like tits on a bull.

**schindlerpiste** · 06-01-2017, 05:12 PM

Right on. I just didn't have a tube. I never carry a spare tubeless. I just bought a tire and some Stan's a couple days ago, and they were still in my pack (shopping bag). THE GOD'S MUST BE CRAZY!

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**PNWbrit** · 06-01-2017, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by schindlerpiste

Right on. I just didn't have a tube. I never carry a spare tubeless. I just bought a tire and some Stan's a couple days ago, and they were still in my pack (shopping bag). THE GOD'S MUST BE CRAZY!

Still doesn't make sense why you changed the the tire due to a flat rather than just add stans and re-seat the old one?

**schindlerpiste** · 06-01-2017, 05:20 PM

I didn't even think of that, probably because I didn't know that Stan's seals that quickly. I'm just going to chalk this up to a thread I wish I never started.

**PNWbrit** · 06-01-2017, 05:23 PM

Originally Posted by schindlerpiste

I didn't even think of that, probably because I didn't know that Stan's seals that quickly. I'm just going to chalk this up to a thread I wish I never started.

You got really lucky sealing a new tire with a hand pump. (and no soap)

In future take a tube to deal with punctures that the Stans doesn't seal before you know they've even happened.

**wkd-rdr** · 06-01-2017, 07:42 PM

Originally Posted by adrenalated

Just put a fucking tube in and be on your way. Fix it proper when you get home.

You don't carry an air compressor in your pack?

WTactualF

**NW_SKIER** · 06-01-2017, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by wkd-rdr

You don't carry an air compressor in your pack?

WTactualF

Digital Death couldn't make it I'm guessing.

**Arty50** · 06-01-2017, 08:32 PM

I've been running tubeless for years now and I've never had to use soapy water ever to mount my tires. Meh.

Also, I don't use straight Stans anymore. I actually use a 50/50ish mix of CaffeLatex and art molding latex. The molding latex is much thicker than the regular tubeless latex solutions, which should theoretically seal punctures that the thinner regular tubeless solutions don't work on. Also, the CaffeLatex foams while your tire is spinning so it should coat better. I've had amazing luck with that setup for years now.

**jm2e** · 06-01-2017, 09:40 PM

Originally Posted by schindlerpiste

Right on. I just didn't have a tube. I never carry a spare tubeless. I just bought a tire and some Stan's a couple days ago, and they were still in my pack (shopping bag). THE GOD'S MUST BE CRAZY!

This might be the greatest flat tire story ever. Definitely glad you started the thread.
Seriously, did you use a mini-pump or did you have CO2? I can see pulling it off with CO2.

**beaterdit** · 06-01-2017, 10:15 PM

Carry a tube only for when a plug doesn't work. Plugs fix 90%+ of flats on the trail. No unseating/reseating your bead. No mess. Takes 30 seconds. Plug, pump, go. I'll use two sometimes if There's a bigger hole that won't seal. Generally lasts the life of the tire.

**plugboots** · 06-01-2017, 10:58 PM

Recommend a plug for me...plugboots, thanks.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 06-01-2017, 11:26 PM

Just carry a whole other tire and quart of sealent, apparently.

**jamal** · 06-02-2017, 12:24 AM

Interested in this plug thing, although I haven't had situation where it would have helped me so far. The one puncture I got in the tread did actually seal itself. But the last two were pinch flats that put good sized cuts in the tire. I had to put a tube in, and then clean out the tire and put patches on the inside, which has been holding up pretty well.