re-seat a bead on the trail without co2

[303-biker]

Maybe somebody has already done this but I thought I’d share anyway.
I recently found myself wanting to reseat the bead on my tubeless setup without a co2 or an air compressor but with a mini-pump.
As luck had it, my water bladder hose was just he right size to fit over a valve stem.
I simply cut a six-inch section and ran it between the inflated wheel and the deflated wheel.
While pinching the hose against the two valve stems I depressed the inflated wheel’s valve and then wa-la the inflated wheel acted like an air-tank and seated the bead on the other wheel.
Of course you’re now left with the unpleasant task of inflating the better part of two wheels with a mini pump, but it beats walking your bike.

[wahday]

Well done!

[Veetack]

innovation at it's finest. Pretty good idea.

[Cosmo K]

That is awesome!

[cackalak]

Awesome. What would happen if I tried: doesn't reseat and in the process, I unseat the other tire. So I just carry a tube. Maybe a tube can act as a "compressor?"

[303-biker]

Thanks everyone, I thought it was kind of a neat little trick. Plus I had been meaning to take a couple inches off my camelback anyway.

Awesome. What would happen if I tried: doesn't reseat and in the process, I unseat the other tire. So I just carry a tube. Maybe a tube can act as a "compressor?"

Just my experience but in all the times I've got a flat or deflated a tubeless tire you have to "break the bead" before removing the tire. My experience would lead me to believe that even if you let all the air out (tire A) trying to reseat the other (tire b) you would not have to reseat the bead (tire A), just pump it back up. The only instances I’ve had to reseat a bead on the trail are when the bead comes off the wheel during a nasty landing or when I “break the bead” to repair the tire with a boot.
I don't think a tube would work as you'll never get very much pressure -just volume- out of a tube, although I'm sure it would work if you were to put the tube in the tire....

[PretendGentleman]

I put low density foam between my rim strip (split tube) and the rim.  The foam compresses enough to let me get the bead on the rim, but it expands and creates a seal between tire and rimstrip, so I can easily reseat the bead with just my mini-pump and a bit of moisture to make the seal work.

[JRA]

Great trick 303!
Simple, yet ingenious.

[ImAFred]

I put low density foam between my rim strip (split tube) and the rim.  The foam compresses enough to let me get the bead on the rim, but it expands and creates a seal between tire and rimstrip, so I can easily reseat the bead with just my mini-pump and a bit of moisture to make the seal work.

Do you have pics of this setup ?

[Bedrock]

Great idea! I can only imagine how good it would feel to pull that off on the trail.

[PretendGentleman]

Do you have pics of this setup ?

http://forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/tubeless-fatbike-made-easy-826351.html
here's an example with a fat tire.  Low density foam is key, as anything high density will make it really hard to get the bead of the tire on the rim and against the sidewall.  I actually used a higher density foam on my rabbit hole when the hardware store was out of low density, and I inflated the tire tubeless, thought everything was fine and then noticed the bead was just stuck in the middle of the rim (away from the sidewall)...I had no idea such a think could possibly happen!

[Norb]

That is most ingenious, 303. I can see perfecting this with practice and having a small tube as part of your kit.  I've hauled Co2, but always looking to streamline and lighten kit. And once a bead is set - it is set. Takes a lot of force to unseat a bead.
Great topic.