Step 1
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Before applying tape, ensure your rim bed is absolutely clean and free of residue from any old tape or old sealant.
It’s best to avoid mechanical removal for all but the most stubborn of residue. Instead, turn to methylated spirits and a clean rag to soften up any old glue.
Avoid using any solvents, particularly on carbon rims, as this can damage them. If you’re in anyway unsure whether a particular chemical is safe to use, contact your rim manufacturer.
Give the rim one last final wipe down with a clean rag.
Step 2
Starting from the side of the rim opposite the valve hole, begin by holding the tape down into the well of the rim with a few fingers and apply around 6 to 8 inches onto the rim, ensuring it is central and kept very taught.
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Once you have applied this small section, the tape should hold itself in place. At this point, I like to hold the wheel around the hub and rotate the wheel away from me as I apply further tape, keeping the tension high and ensuring it stays nice and central.
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Wrap all the way around the rim, again keeping the tension high and avoiding straying to the edges. Once you have reached the start of the tape, overlap by around 4 inches, cut the tape and firmly press the tape down with your thumbs, working out any bubbles.
Step 3
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Once the tape is applied, thoroughly check around the wheel for any bubbles, tears or areas you have strayed too far from the edge.
If you have damaged the tape, it is possible to patch it, but bitter experience has shown that this often doesn’t work and it’s best to just retape the rim. Faff now will avoid roadside heartache later!
Once you’re happy the tape is in good order, run the tip of a plastic tyre lever around the bead of the rim to seat it fully
Step 4
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Start by finding the valve hole on the rim and pushing, from the inside outward, a small prick or spoke through this to mark exactly where the valve hole is.
Then, from the outside, make a small hole in this. If you really want to show off, you can use a soldering iron or heat the prick up to make a clean hole.
Push the valve through the hole and let it ‘cut’ the hole to size. Some recommend cutting the tape with a Stanley knife, but I’ve found this to sometimes tear the tape.
Push down on the valve with your thumb such that it deforms the bung, screw on the lockring. It’s good practice to put the tiniest dab of grease on the lockring to make roadside removal easier.
Step 5
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Fitting a road tubeless tyre is exactly the same as a regular clincher, but can be a bit more difficult due to the tighter bead.
The good news is that you can be a bit more liberal with your use of tyre levers, as there’s no tube to worry about. Don’t go totally gung-ho though because it’s still very easy to nick or otherwise damage tubeless tape, forcing you to start all over.
With a bit of good technique and a heavy, grippy pair of gloves, it’s normally good to go sans levers.
Once you’ve got both sides of the tyre on, massage the tyre and ensure it is sitting in the well all the way around the rim and the tyre sits on either side of the valve.
Step 6
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If you’re confident in your ability to get the tyre on with minimal fuss, you can add your sealant before fully fitting the tyre.
However, if it’s a new combination, you may find it much easier to add the sealant via the valve. This can be done via a syringe or a small applicator bottle.
Gently rotate the wheel to coat the inside of the tyre.
Step 7
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With the valve core still removed, double-check that the tyre is seated correctly around the whole wheel.
Fit your track pump and, hopefully, a few swift blasts of air will pop the tyre into place.
If only one side or a section of the tyre seats, keep pumping until you hear a number of satisfying pings and the tyre is seated around the full circumference of the wheel.
As soon as it is seated, remove the head of the pump and replace the valve core.
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Add a bit more air then give the tyre a vigorous shake and spin to fully coat the inside of the tyre. Once done, pump your tyres up to the recommended pressure.
It is often possible to seat a high-quality road tubeless setup without removing the valve core, but this is so dependent on the quality of your track pump, so I recommend avoiding any faff and taking the extra 30 seconds that removing your valve core takes.
You are almost good to go. It’s not unusual to see a small amount of sealant seep out from the tyre or aroung the bead, but this should stop fairly quickly.
