8 Mistakes When Installing Tubeless Tires and How to Avoid Them

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If you’re a cycling enthusiast like me, you know that tubeless tires can be a game-changer. They provide a smoother ride, fewer flats, and other benefits. 

However, improper installation can lead to frustrating issues down the road. In this article, I’ll share some essential tips to ensure a hassle-free tubeless tire installation.

Based on my experience, I will give you tips so you do not repeat my mistakes.

8 Common Mistakes When Installing Tubeless Tires

When it comes to tubeless tire installation, getting it right from the start is crucial. Here are some common mistakes to avoid:

1. Use of a Poor-Quality Rim Tape

One of the most overlooked aspects of tubeless tire installation is rim tape. Using too narrow or low-quality rim tape can lead to air leakage and subsequent tire removal, as well as cleaning the tire sealant and fixing the tape.

Invest in high-quality tubeless rim tape up to 5mm wider than your rims’ internal rim width. Believe me, I wanted to save money on tape because I test a large number of wheels.

Unfortunately, cheap tapes often let me down during installation. They formed bubbles and let air in.

NOTE: Some rims don’t have nipple holes, so you can use them without tubeless rim tape.

2. Making an Oversized Valve Hole in the Rim Tape

Making the hole for the tubeless valve too large can lead to air leaks. Although this has only happened to me once, it took me a while to find this mistake.

So, I had to tape over the valve hole again and make the hole smaller. I admit I may have also encountered this problem because the valve did not have a good seal. 

To make the hole for the valve, use kitchen scissors, a razor blade, or other sharp object. Just be careful with the penetration.

3. Over-Tightening the Valve Secure Nut

While it’s important to secure the tubeless valve, over-tightening the nut (with calipers, for example) can damage the valve and make it impossible to untighten it while you’re on the road.

Although you probably won’t change the valve itself, if it is the one that fails and you are unable to release it, your ride will be over.

This mistake is more problematic when replacing tubes after a puncture where the valve is part of the tube. The nut must be finger-tightened just enough to keep it from loosening.

4. Installing the Tire Against the Direction of Travel

Installing the tire against the direction of rotation can lead to reduced traction and handling issues.

Always check the tire’s directional arrows and mount it correctly to maximize performance. 

Did you know that some tires are directionless?

5. Premature Use of Tire Levers

If used improperly, using tire levers too soon during installation can damage the wheel decals (stickers) or the rim tape. A little patience here can save you from potential damage.

A description of the correct mounting of the tire on the rim would be a separate article. However, in short, I recommend the following technique:

1. Put on one side of the tire (start opposite the valve). 
2. Ensure the tire bead is in the rim’s center so the tire will be looser.
3. Put the other side of the tire on (again, start opposite the valve). As the fitting becomes more difficult, start pushing both tire beads into the rim’s center from where you started.

However, some tire and rim combinations are almost impossible to put on without tire levers. So don’t be shy about using them. Just be careful.

6. Pouring Sealant at 12 or 6 o’clock Positions

When pouring tire sealant into your tubeless tire, avoid the 12 or 6 o’clock positions. Instead, aim for the 3 or 9 o’clock positions (especially if you try to install road tubeless tires).

This will ensure the tire sealant is easier to inject, as it would flow out due to gravity in the positions described above. 

In the 3 and 9 o’clock positions, it will run down to the bottom of the tire, making its application cleaner.

7. Inflating with Valve Core Installed

Remove the valve core before using an air compressor or tubeless tire pump. Inflating with the core installed can make achieving the desired airflow and pressure difficult and even damage the valve. 

Once the tire is seated on the rim, you can reinstall the valve core and inflate the desired pressure. A fast enough airflow is what allows you to settle the tire easily. 

8. Use of Seals on Rims Without Second Chamber Safety Hole

Many tubeless valves come with secure bolt nuts and seals. However, I recently learned that the seals are unnecessary and can do more harm than good.

First, because they won’t prevent air leaks anyway, and second, when they do work, they prevent air from escaping from the second chamber of the rim. 

This can be a problem, especially with carbon rims. The air pressure in the second chamber can lead to damage or even a rim tear. Unlike the first chamber, the second chamber is not built for high pressures.

For these reasons, many manufacturers drill a small hole in the second chamber to prevent it from becoming overpressurized.

9. Not Removing the Dried Tire Sealant from the Old Tire

Always remove the dried tire sealant from the old tires, especially from the tire beads. Otherwise, you risk tire leaks and improper tire seating.

You can use either a sealant remover or sandpaper cleaner (trust me, it works, but it requires some elbow grease).

Conclusion

Mastering tubeless tire installation will save you tons of time and money in the long run. First, you won’t have to go to the bike shop for every tire change. Second, you’ll know what to look out for and save time on the installation itself. 

However, my biggest hack (besides the above tips) was getting an air compressor. It will forgive minor mistakes while making seating tubeless tires simple. For the best results, I need to pressurize it to at least 4 bars and use a nozzle that allows a lot of airflow.

If you have any tips, please share them in the comments. Eventually, you can learn more about tubeless tires in this article.