How to Install Tubeless Mountain Bike Tires
Because of the harsh, hazardous terrain encountered while mountain biking, flat tires are common to the sport. To combat these, tubeless mountain bike tires--or UST tires--eliminates the use of inner tubes, reducing both tire weight and the potential for pinch flats, whereby the inner tube becomes "pinched" between the tire and the rim, resulting in a puncture. The system relies on a rim with a unique inner shape and a tire with a rubber liner molded into its casing. Filling the tire with the proper amount of air creates a seal between the tire and rim.
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Instructions
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1
Spray the inside of the rim with a soap-and-water solution. Todd Downs' "Bicycle Maintenance and Repair for Road and Mountain Bikes" recommends about 1/2 tsp. of dish soap to 32 oz. of water. This will both clean the rim and facilitate tire installation.
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2
Install the valve stem into the valve stem hole on the rim.
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3
Align the tire label with the valve stem and mount the first tire bead into place on the rim. The bead is the lower portion of your tire sidewall. This first bead should be relatively easy to install.
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4
Install the second bead into the rim. It's best to begin opposite the valve stem and work your way along the tire toward the stem. Gripping the tire with your other fingers, use your thumbs to push the bead into place.
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5
Check that both beads are mounted in the rim's center. Fill the tire with approximately 20 psi of air. This will create the seal between the tire and the rim. Continue to fill the tire the rest of the way, listening for the bead popping into place. If the bead seat indicator (a textured marker that extends along the base of the tire wall) is fully exposed, the tire is properly mounted and inflated.
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Tips & Warnings
Try to avoid using tire levers when mounting the tire. While there's no tube to puncture with the levers, they can still damage the tire wall. If you have to use them, find the widest, flattest available.
