00:00If your tubeless tires are leaking air then watch on because in this video I'm going to share my
00:05full diagnosis routine for hunting down and fixing those pesky leaks.
00:12We first want to start with the obvious. Check there are no punctures that your sealant hasn't
00:18been able to fill and may require a plug to seal. If you do find one and manage to successfully plug
00:25it then be sure to top your sealant back up before you carry on riding. The next important thing to
00:31check is that your tires are actually tubeless compatible. Sometimes you can see a logo on the
00:37sidewall of the tire which will let you know or alternatively you can look at your tires information
00:43online to see if they are or not. If you're unsure then just head to your local bike shop for more
00:49advice. Next check for rim damage. If your wheels have come into contact with something be that
00:55out on the road or just at home you may have a dent or ding which is keeping the rim and tire from
01:01making a clean contact and creating a gap which is allowing air to escape. A visual inspection while
01:08feeling the edge of the rim surface will suffice but be sure to use gloves because if there is any
01:14damage you won't want any carbon or metal piercing your skin. If your tires are in good health, they're
01:21tubeless compatible and your rims are undamaged then ensure your tires have a tight fit on the wheel
01:27when deflated. In some cases you will still be able to successfully mount looser tires but we want to
01:35eradicate any chance for failure. If you feel they're loose then add another wrap or two of rim tape to help
01:42make everything fit that little bit more snug. Ensure the rim tape is fitted correctly, doesn't have wrinkles
01:48and is straight and is sealing those spoke holes. Sometimes tubeless rim tape can be dislodged during
01:56fitting or changing of tires, typically when tire levers are overused in the process. So if your tires
02:03are leaking air then check the tape hasn't been damaged. When you inflate your tires you have to
02:09ensure the bead of the tire has popped in all the way around the rim. This plays a huge part in creating
02:16that airtight seal. So if you haven't heard them into place then it's unlikely this is why they're
02:23leaking. Using a high volume track pump, compressor or even something like an air shot can be a really
02:30good way to deliver the amount of air volume needed quickly enough to get the tire to seat.
02:35If you're replacing tires then there's a good chance there's going to be a build-up of old sealant
02:41gunge stuck to the inside of the rim. So before fitting your new ones take the time to clean all
02:48of this off. It can be a bit arduous but time spent here is time saved in the future. Plus who wants to
02:56be carrying around all that extra weight? It can be wise to refresh your rim tape at this point too.
03:02If you notice any damage or sealant making its way underneath the tape then now is the best time
03:08to replace it. The key thing is you don't want any old sealant left on the inside or on the top of the
03:15rim. You need that interface to be clean. A common place to lose air especially on a new tubeless setup
03:24can be the valve hole. Be sure to use a tubeless valve which makes good contact with the inside
03:29of the rim bed. Since rim beds can come in all different shapes and sizes you want to try and find
03:36one which has a shape which gives you the best chance possible of making a good seal. Personally
03:41I'm a fan of the muck off tubeless valves. I've not had a pair of wheels where they haven't worked.
03:47But if you find that the valve is still leaking air then try tightening up the valve retention nut to
03:53create a better seal with the rim bed. What you want to avoid is using a rubber o-ring at the valve
03:59with the intention of plugging a leak. The deep section part of many road wheels isn't designed
04:06to hold pressure and by using an o-ring here you may be forcing air into this cavity. You want to
04:13keep the pressure in the tyre cavity and the tyre cavity alone. At this point hopefully you have
04:20clean rims, correctly fitted rim tape and valves and a tyre which has been inflated and has popped onto the
04:26rim the whole way round. Hopefully you've added the right amount of sealant for the size of tyre you
04:32are using. So now is the time to give your wheel a shake with the objective of coating the inside of
04:39your rim and tyre with sealant so if there are any tiny leaks the sealant can do its thing and seal up
04:46those holes. Simply spinning the wheels isn't good enough as it will just send the sealant into the
04:52outermost edge of the tyre. What we want to focus on is where the tyre meets the rim so hold the wheel
04:59level with one side slightly dropped and slowly work your way around shaking the wheel to ensure
05:05the sealant is getting nicely sloshed up inside the tyre. At this point if you are still experiencing
05:12leaks then consider using a different sealant. Some sealants are thicker and can plug bigger holes
05:18and faster. Personally I've always had luck with silker sealant, stands raised sealant and orange
05:24seal. If you find your tyres are leaking air after they've been fine for a while then do ask yourself
05:30if the sealant itself needs topping up or replacing. If you've had a puncture and lost a lot of sealant
05:36then this will need to be topped back up or if left for too long sealant will naturally dry up inside
05:44the tyre. You can read on the side of the sealant bottle how often each manufacturer recommends you
05:49replace it. Lastly if you don't believe the sealant is the issue then it could just be worth trying a
05:55different set of tyres. Let me know down below though if you have any other smart ways to stop
06:01leaky tyres and if you have any questions then drop them down below and I'll do my best to answer them.
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