Running tubeless tires on your road bike or mountain bike is a great way to avoid pinch flats and smooth out your ride. The absence of a tube eliminates the chance of pinch flats and the ability to run lower pressure creates better traction on the trail and better compliance on the road. Bike tubeless kits are required to set up tires tubeless. These kits are usually comprised of three main parts.

The first item is the valve stem. The stem is installed in the rim through the valve hole and tighten down snug with a small metal lock ring. An O-ring creates an air tight seal around the valve hole.

Tubeless rim tape is the second item. Standard rim tape will not work, the tape must be certified as tubeless for it to hold air. When purchasing an individual tubeless rim, tubeless tape will not be installed to allow easy wheel building. Complete wheelsets that are tubeless compatible sometimes come with rim tape pre-installed, but often they do not. In many scenarios, rim tape installation is required.

The last item in a tubeless kit is the sealant. Tire sealants help eliminate any small punctures or slashes from ending your ride. The size and width of a tire determines how much sealant is needed. Sealant can be poured into the base of a tire while one side of the bead is separated from the rim. The other and more common option is adding sealant through the valve stem by removing the valve core. A special tool is required to remove the valve core from the valve.

Anytime you are installing a tubeless setup on a bike, please verify that both the rim and tire are tubeless compatible. If one or both are not tubeless compatible, the installation process or first ride could have dangerous results. If you have any questions about tubeless kits or about the tubeless installation process, hop on a call or a chat with one of our expert Gear Advisors today at 888-880-3811. They are always happy to help you with any questions you may have.