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
00:25plug
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
00:49more
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
01:00and 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
01:42help
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
02:15in creating
02:16that airtight seal so if you haven't heard them into place then it's likely this is why they're leaking.
02:23Using a high volume track pump, compressor or even something like an air shot can be a really good way
02:30to deliver the amount of air volume needed quickly enough to get the tire to seat. If you're replacing
02:36tires then there's a good chance there's going to be a build-up of old sealant gunge stuck to the
02:42inside of the rim. So before fitting your new ones take the time to clean all of this off. It
02:49can be
02:50a bit arduous but time spent here is time saved in the future. Plus who wants to be carrying around
02:57all that extra weight? It can be wise to refresh your rim tape at this point too. If you notice
03:03any
03:03damage or sealant making its way underneath the tape then now is the best time to replace it. The key
03:10thing is you don't want any old sealant left on the inside or on the top of the rim. You
03:16need that
03:16interface to be clean. A common place to lose air especially on a new tubeless setup can be the valve
03:25hole. Be sure to use a tubeless valve which makes good contact with the inside of the rim bed. Since
03:31rim beds can come in all different shapes and sizes you want to try and find one which has a
03:37shape which
03:37gives you the best chance possible of making a good seal. Personally I'm a fan of the muck off tubeless
03:44valves. I've not had a pair of wheels where they haven't worked. But if you find that the valve is
03:49still leaking air then try tightening up the valve retention nut to create a better seal with the rim
03:55bed. What you want to avoid is using a rubber o-ring at the valve with the intention of plugging
04:01a leak.
04:02The deep section part of many road wheels isn't designed to hold pressure and by using an o-ring
04:09here you may be forcing air into this cavity. You want to keep the pressure in the tyre cavity and
04:16the tyre cavity alone. At this point hopefully you have clean rims, correctly fitted rim tape and valves
04:22and a tyre which has been inflated and has popped onto the rim the whole way round. Hopefully you've added
04:30the
04:30right amount of sealant for the size of tyre you are using. So now is the time to give your
04:36wheel a
04:37shake with the objective of coating the inside of your rim and tyre with sealant so if there are any
04:43tiny leaks the sealant can do its thing and seal up those holes. Simply spinning the wheels isn't good
04:50enough as it will just send the sealant into the outermost edge of the tyre. What we want to focus
04:56on is
04:57where the tyre meets the rim. So hold the wheel level with one side slightly dropped and slowly
05:02work your way around shaking the wheel to ensure the sealant is getting nicely sloshed up inside the
05:08tyre. At this point if you are still experiencing leaks then consider using a different sealant.
05:14Some sealants are thicker and can plug bigger holes and faster. Personally I've always had luck with
05:21silker sealant, stands race sealant and orange seal. If you find your tyres are leaking air after they've
05:28been fine for a while then do ask yourself if the sealant itself needs topping up or replacing. If you've
05:34had a puncture and lost a lot of sealant then this will need to be topped back up or if
05:40left for too long
05:41sealant will naturally dry up inside the tyre. You can read on the side of the sealant bottle how often
05:47each manufacturer recommends you replace it. Lastly if you don't believe the sealant is the issue then
05:53it could just be worth trying a different set of tyres. Let me know down below though if you have
05:59any other smart ways to stop leaky tyres and if you have any questions then drop them down below and
06:05I'll do
06:05my best to answer them.
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