[mahgnillig]

I just bought a DH/park bike that came with Spank Spike Race 28 wheels and Magic Marys. The wheels are tubeless compatible and tubeless is my preferred setup (I like running lower pressures as I'm quite light and find that the extra cush helps smooth things out).

So I took the tyres off and realised that they are the Bike Park version of the Magic Mary with wire beads. I figured these are pretty burly so they'd probably be fine run as tubeless, even though they're not strictly tubeless tyres, and went ahead with taping the rims and adding tubeless valves. When I went to inflate the tyre to seat it on the rim, I couldn't get the bead to seat. This was with me removing the valve core and using a compressor to inflate. Then I remembered that when I initially took them off I didn't have to unseat the bead, they just slid right into the centre channel, where I had a hell of a time prying them off with tyre levers and plenty of swearing!

My question is... is it normal for a wire bead tyre to not seat like that? It's holding air so far, but I haven't had a wire bead tyre in 20+ years and can't remember if they ping when they seat like kevlar beads do. My second question is... is this safe or scary? I'm reluctant to shell out for a different set of tyres as these are new, but I also don't want to crash into a tree because the bead rolled off my tyre (note that they were very hard to get back on... I had to use levers).

 

[almazing]

I just bought a DH/park bike that came with Spank Spike Race 28 wheels and Magic Marys. The wheels are tubeless compatible and tubeless is my preferred setup (I like running lower pressures as I'm quite light and find that the extra cush helps smooth things out).

So I took the tyres off and realised that they are the Bike Park version of the Magic Mary with wire beads. I figured these are pretty burly so they'd probably be fine run as tubeless, even though they're not strictly tubeless tyres, and went ahead with taping the rims and adding tubeless valves. When I went to inflate the tyre to seat it on the rim, I couldn't get the bead to seat. This was with me removing the valve core and using a compressor to inflate. Then I remembered that when I initially took them off I didn't have to unseat the bead, they just slid right into the centre channel, where I had a hell of a time prying them off with tyre levers and plenty of swearing!

My question is... is it normal for a wire bead tyre to not seat like that? It's holding air so far, but I haven't had a wire bead tyre in 20+ years and can't remember if they ping when they seat like kevlar beads do. My second question is... is this safe or scary? I'm reluctant to shell out for a different set of tyres as these are new, but I also don't want to crash into a tree because the bead rolled off my tyre (note that they were very hard to get back on... I had to use levers).

Wire bead tires generally are not tubeless ready or compatible unless stated 'tubeless ready'(or something similar) by the manufacturer. Even if you have tubeless ready rims, I'd run tubes with those tires. Bike park versions are made with hard, long lasting rubber made to be beat on day in, day out without much maintenance. And they're super cheap. Tubes are recommended and so are higher pressures.

If you want to run tubeless, get proper tubeless ready tires, instead of MacGyvering non-tubeless-ready wire-bead tires to be tubeless. It's unsafe. Imagine bombing down your black diamond line and your tire burps, blows out, etc. at 30mph which could have been prevented with proper equipment and setup.

 

[127.0.0.1]

they don't ping like aramid or kevlar since the bead doesn't deform as easily

if you spin the wheel and the tire has no x or y wobbles, and the bead line is the same around the circumference...it is mounted correctly

 

[mahgnillig]

I found some of the older pre-Addix tubeless Magic Marys on sale so I'll be swapping them out. The wire bead ones seem to be holding air just fine but they don't fill me with confidence

 

[twodownzero]

Wire bead tires generally are not tubeless ready or compatible unless stated 'tubeless ready'(or something similar) by the manufacturer. Even if you have tubeless ready rims, I'd run tubes with those tires. Bike park versions are made with hard, long lasting rubber made to be beat on day in, day out without much maintenance. And they're super cheap. Tubes are recommended and so are higher pressures.

If you want to run tubeless, get proper tubeless ready tires, instead of MacGyvering non-tubeless-ready wire-bead tires to be tubeless. It's unsafe. Imagine bombing down your black diamond line and your tire burps, blows out, etc. at 30mph which could have been prevented with proper equipment and setup.

I think it's cheating suicide to ride park with tubes in your tires. I've also yet to meet a tire I couldn't get to work tubeless, some just worked a lot easier than others. Once there is sealant and air pressure in the tire, it may not stay on the rim if it goes flat, but the other benefits of tubeless--puncture protection being the most important--will be just like any other tire setup.

McGyver tubeless hasn't failed me yet.

 

[Rhialto]

McGyver tubeless hasn't failed me yet.

I agree with you on the benefits of tubeless. And I totally believe that you have had good success with tubeless'ing non tubeless tires.

However (you knew that was coming!), there are quite a few accounts of non-tubeless tires blowing off rims (mind you, I personally have only witnessed one in many years of tubeless) but I would say the risk outweighs the benefit. I always run tubeless-ready tires... now.