To all you 29er's out there!

One important thing is that the orange version doesn't have all the brazed-on like the green one.

There's a black one too. No braze-ons either.
Orange is called - Race
Green - Adventure
Back - Singlespeed.

Think I may have found my next bike.

can you ease the tyre down around the valve and then hang the wheel from something so that the tyre is not in contact with anything? Maybe put it back in the forks? That's how I do mine, it allows the tyre to inflate and seal more quickly.

I'll try again tonight.....about 2 hours of saying "fuck" after day three of teaching some disadvantaged kids, had me pulling my fucking hair out.

The bead seems to 'flick' across the hole all the time, leaving it exposed.....I'll try the hanging trick, see if that works.

The rear popped on with not too much drama......no sealant, and it's still up...but the front bastard! That's another story.

Love the black fortitude though!

How is that effect in the last photograph achieved- polish then acid etch?

Usually its bead blasted, then brushed, then stenciled, and then blasted again.

I nearly went for one of those.....the fact that it can't be run with a bouncy fork stopped me....
On another note, I bought a "joes no flats" kit, and I can't get the fucking front tyre to seat.....the rear eventually popped on, but the front refuses. It seems that the valve on the rim strip is sitting a bit high, not allowing the tyre to seat....I'm using a big fucking compressor too, the fire engine one, and it still refuses. I've tried fairy liquid water, to no avail......

Did you drill out your valve hole?

No, this kit is for presta valves? The front one is fine.... I'm going to take a bit of the rim tape out, to see if it will seat better.....

Stedlocks, here's my fairly reliable tubeless method. I haven't used the Joes kit you've mentioned but here goes none the less:

1 - Your wheel has a rim strip of some variety, it might not be airtight if it's not a special one, your Joes kit may be. If it doesn't look very airtight, run a strip of electrical tape round the circumference of the rim, sealing the rim tape against the rim. If you've got heavy gaffer tape then all the better, get busy.

2 - Sounds like your Joes kit is all built in, but if you want to do it my ghetto way then do this. Cut the valve from a Presta tube (make sure it has the little locking nut). Tidy the arse end of the valve so that there is a just enough rubber at the bottom that it cannot fall through the valve hole in the rim, but no more than necessary.

3 - Put a drop of sealant around the valve hole in the rim and then push the trimmed valve into the hole and do the nut up tight (finger tight). You should now have a nice clean rim (!), taped and airtight.

4 - Make up some slightly soapy water, to the same ratio you'd use if you were washing up. Brush (or slop) the fairy solution onto the rim, you don't need loads, just make it moist.

5 - Mount one side of the tyre like usual, if you can then try to press this side entirely home against the bead, make sure that the tyre fits snuggly between the arse end of the valve and the rim.

6 - Starting at the valve, fit the second side of the tyre. Again, make sure the tyre drops between the valve and the rim correctly. You'll not be able to ease this side onto the bead so don't bother trying. Leave about 6" of tyre unfitted directly opposite the valve.

7 - Hang the wheel on something, suspend it in the forks or off a door handle if necessary. Now it's hanging and you're feeling brave, add the sealant. I'd use a couple of scoops , more is better than less. and then pop the last 6" of tyre on.

8 - Carefully rehang the wheel so that the valve is now at the bottom. Double check that the tyre is snug twixt valve and rim. Have you got a track pump? Have you got a CO2 canister? CO2 makes this bit easier, but even after blasting in a ton of high pressure CO2 you'll still need to whack a track pump on to finish the job. The next bit may well end in tears so have a cup of tea and a biscuit before you start.

9 - Mercilessly blast CO2 / air from track pump into your tyre. Do Not Stop! Keep on pumping like you're punishing Vanessa Feltz. Eventually you'll hear a sharp crack, this is either your spleen rupturing (keep pumping) or the tyre seating onto the bead (keep pumping) as you want to hear both sides of the tyre seat so that's two sharp cracks.

10 - Even after the bead is seated air will continue to escape. You'll hear it and see bubbles from your fairy fluid, turn the wheel and sloosh it about a bit so that the sealant can flow into the leak.

11 - Have a mojito, you deserve one.

Disclaimer

Some tyres just don't want to know
Some rims are not interested
No CO2 canister? Compressor / petrol station airline but you'll need a little brass adaptor
Some say CO2 makes sealant 'go off' faster. Let it out after you're happy everything is sealed if you're worried, then top up with compressor / track pump.
Mojito is non-negotiable

Good Luck

Thanks for the detailed 'how to' bud!!

I'm just going to have another go now......I'm going to trim some of the tape from around the hole, in the hope that the joes strip seats the valve a bit further in......this is what I think is stopping it beading. The rear one went in a bit further, and it only took 3-4 goes to get it to inflate....the front fucker will not get on as is though. I've got a massive compressor that we have just had made more powerful, to enable it to pump the fire engine wheels up to 6.2 bar......you couldn't get a more powerful one!

The bead keeps flicking back across the inside of the valve hole, causing air to get out......I will not be beaten by a bit of rubber. I have opposable thumbs, for fucks sake!

I have no mojito ingredients to hand, but I do have the best part of a bottle of calvados from a little French smuggler from Normandy. That'll do it!

Good luck man, keep the Calvados close by, I sense imminent celebration this time..

Bollox to tubeless and spunk-a-like sealant......

That is all

get another pair of hands to help you install the tyre, it is worth it

I'm hoping I don't have any of these problems to look forward to...the English will be my first bike with tubeless. I've never had a problem with regular tubes after nearly 27 years of MTBing, and hardly ever punctured...but I figured a new bike was the best reason to see what all the fuss was about....I'm really hoping it's worth it. :]

Hopefully the Stans rims should make it less painful no?

i have not had a problem with them

I'm hoping I don't have any of these problems to look forward to...the English will be my first bike with tubeless. I've never had a problem with regular tubes after nearly 27 years of MTBing, and hardly ever punctured...but I figured a new bike was the best reason to see what all the fuss was about....I'm really hoping it's worth it. :]

Hopefully the Stans rims should make it less painful no?

FWIW I dont use tubeless for puncture prevention. I still find it worth it though. When you pay money for nice rolling tyres (like your RRs), its nice to be able to run them a few PSI lower without effect on rolling resistance (lack of tube increases sidewall flexability). Its a small difference, but arent we always pating, and working for small increases in tyre performance.

I'm hoping I don't have any of these problems to look forward to...the English will be my first bike with tubeless. I've never had a problem with regular tubes after nearly 27 years of MTBing, and hardly ever punctured...but I figured a new bike was the best reason to see what all the fuss was about....I'm really hoping it's worth it. :]

Hopefully the Stans rims should make it less painful no?

That's my train of thought exactly.....

I normally run Dr Sludge tubes in all my bikes, but my first ride, the wheels felt heavy, so it was a cheap way of lightening the load, so to speak.
I did my research, and thought it was the easiest/cheapest way to get there, but after 2 hours the other night, then another few last night, I've got the hump.
I got the tyres to seat, added the spunk, then they wouldn't play ball and ended up spraying it all over the fire station bay floor.....
I think therim strip is too wide (even though it says it fits), so I'm going to trim it about 2mm each and try again.

If that fails, dr sludge are going in and I'll fucking live with it, till I have the pennies to upgrade the wheels.

Tubeless tip for difficult combinations or lack of second or third pair of hands these things work a treat.

strap these around and pump away on a normal track pump and bang seated tyres on rims.

All joking aside, I was working through something like that ^ in my head....

Fuck it though, for now....I've put the tubes in. I've had enough and my finger tips are worn away.

if you could do one wheel you should be able to do both, get someone to give you a hand

Trouble is, they are different.... These

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/bontrager/29-3-29-tubeless-ready-folding-tyre-ec026930

The back inflates, but the front doesn't :0(

Nuknow, by way of tempting you further, here's mine from todays muddy commute...

^ I like the look of that. Nice & simple. Perfect for playing in the mud.

Thanks, simplicity is key with this one. So then, which carbon fork? Sorely tempted by the Niner I must say.

Isn't the Fortitude based around a 445mm a-c fork? The Niner is 470mm suspension corrected.

If that's the case you'll ideally want a carbon fork made for a 26" mtb ( assuming similar rake & trail & stuff )

heres my brand new 'dale:

upgrades coming soon:

• 2.4" conti x-kings
  
• avid elixir 5's
  
• slr xc
  
  

probably next:

• 45mm thomson
  
• setback thomson post
  
• super wide flat bars
  

Tasty! Whys it so clean? Did you have it choppered into position ;-)