Tried setting up tubeless tires with just a floor pump and it actually worked

I've been a mechanic for about 6 years now and always used a compressor or a big air tank to seat tubeless beads. Last week I was doing a quick tire swap on my own bike at home and my compressor was at the shop. I figured I'd give it a shot with just my old Topeak floor pump just to see what would happen. To my surprise the bead popped on with maybe 10 solid pumps. I used Stan's sealant and some DT Swiss rims with Schwalbe tires. I think the trick was having the tire sitting in the sun for a bit to soften up the rubber. Has anyone else gotten lucky with a floor pump or was this just a fluke?

2 comments

2 Comments

singh.jessica2d ago

Bet that sealant plugged a leak you didn't even notice.

taylor_mitchell802d ago

My buddy had the same thing happen @singh.jessica, couldn't find where the leak was until it got worse.