Gravel wheels

[Mr Purple]

Is it necessary or recommended to swap out my Conti GP 5000 or the Gatorskins for some 25-28mm gravel tyres if taking my roadies on some rail trails?

Pretty sure that I can't go any wider than 28mm.

PS. I note that @Propagate passed away mid-race in March 2022

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At 28mm I honestly wouldn't bother. Just run the lowest pressure you can and preferably tubeless and hope.

As above there are a few 28mm options that do have some knobbliness (the Marbella looks as aggressive as they come) but the need to run the higher pressures largely negates a lot of that. At 28mm I'd stick with the Gatorskins for the extra puncture protection and just run the minimum tyre pressure you can get away with.

Sorry to hear about the forum member mentioned above. Unfortunately it seems he had a heart attack during a race in 2022 and didn't make it which is very rough at what looks like such a young age.

[Scott No Mates]

At 28mm I honestly wouldn't bother. Just run the lowest pressure you can and preferably tubeless and hope.

As above there are a few 28mm options that do have some knobbliness (the Marbella looks as aggressive as they come) but the need to run the higher pressures largely negates a lot of that. At 28mm I'd stick with the Gatorskins for the extra puncture protection and just run the minimum tyre pressure you can get away with.

Sorry to hear about the forum member mentioned above. Unfortunately it seems he had a heart attack during a race in 2022 and didn't make it which is very rough at what looks like such a young age.

Marbella Isn't a brand that I'm familiar with, Dr Googs has only directed me to Euro/US websites but the tyre looks like it would do the job. I'll consider my options or risk a few punctures (probably have a chat with the LBS and the LBS with the rail trails for their opinions).

Yep, the guy did pass away quite young, I knew him from elsewhere. It was very sudden for someone who was so active, he'd pulled off regular 200km rides.

[Scott No Mates]

I would, for some better grip.
IRC Marbella comes in a 28mm and is supposed to measure closer to a 27mm or less when mounted.

Thanks

[biker jk]

Is anyone running the Farsports tubeless rims wihich don't require rim tape? How difficult was it setting up tubeless tyres? I can't get a set of GravelKing Sk 38c tyres to seat even with a compressor (valve removed, of course). These tyres were easy to fit (as they were on my old alloy rims which needed sealant to hold air but seated without sealant). I've read someone needed to use two layers of rim tape on their Farsports rims (with no internal spoke holes) to get them to seat.

[blizzard]

Is anyone running the Farsports tubeless rims wihich don't require rim tape? How difficult was it setting up tubeless tyres? I can't get a set of GravelKing Sk 38c tyres to seat even with a compressor (valve removed, of course). These tyres were easy to fit (as they were on my old alloy rims which needed sealant to hold air but seated without sealant). I've read someone needed to use two layers of rim tape on their Farsports rims (with no internal spoke holes) to get them to seat.

I have fitted a few different GravelKings, and they are the most variable fitting tyre I have ever tried. Some have mounted up straight away, others were a real bear. I needed to use a inner tube to seat the tyre, unseat one side and remove the tube and then finally managed to seat the other side.

You can also try the trick of running packing tape around the circumference of the tyre several times and then hitting it with the compressor. There was a video earlier in this thread pretty sure.

[2wheels_mond]

Is anyone running the Farsports tubeless rims wihich don't require rim tape? How difficult was it setting up tubeless tyres? I can't get a set of GravelKing Sk 38c tyres to seat even with a compressor (valve removed, of course). These tyres were easy to fit (as they were on my old alloy rims which needed sealant to hold air but seated without sealant). I've read someone needed to use two layers of rim tape on their Farsports rims (with no internal spoke holes) to get them to seat.

That seems unusually difficult. On mine (Farsports Hypers, 24mm internal width, no internal spoke holes) mounting and seating some 30mm Pirelli P Zero Race TLR tyres was very easy - I did it with a track pump and no sealant. I have not used those wheels with any other tyres though.

[warthog1]

Is anyone running the Farsports tubeless rims wihich don't require rim tape? How difficult was it setting up tubeless tyres? I can't get a set of GravelKing Sk 38c tyres to seat even with a compressor (valve removed, of course). These tyres were easy to fit (as they were on my old alloy rims which needed sealant to hold air but seated without sealant). I've read someone needed to use two layers of rim tape on their Farsports rims (with no internal spoke holes) to get them to seat.

Gravelkings, at least the now older model ie 38, have a loose bead, as you know.
I have a storage tank compressor that will run a spray gun and using an air jet fitting jammed into the valveless valve stem wouldn't dump air fast enough to seat them on my dt swiss gr1600 wheels. Had to insert a tube to seat both sides, then carefully unseat part of one side to remove the tube and replace the valve. I then hit it with the airblaster again. It finally bloody worked.
I believe the new gravelkings that come in a 40 and 45 have a better bead that seats more easily.

I have Light bicycle tubeless wheels without spoke holes. Whilst I haven't used them with that tyre they did seat gravelking slicks in a 35 no worries.
Now using them as road wheels on the Reacto. They seat everything fine and I love having no rim tape, thus removing a leak source. Different brand of wheel sorry, but they should still work.
Any future wheels I buy will have no spoke holes if I can manage it.

[biker jk]

I've seen a video where a guy seats the old Continental GP5ks tubeless tyres on Farsports rims (with no rim tape) without any problem but these tyres were a tight fit. Another video with the GravelKing Sks 38c and a Farsports rim he mentions you might need to use a few layers of rim tape. I only have 23mm wide rim tape (internal width of rim is 24mm) and have tried a strap around the tyre without success so might go for the tube to seat one side and then use the compressor.

[warthog1]

D'oh. Yep I must have unseated one side completely to get the tube out.
It is a while since I did it. There was a video I got the idea from.

[biker jk]

D'oh. Yep I must have unseated one side completely to get the tube out.
It is a while since I did it. There was a video I got the idea from.

I couldn't remove the tube without unseating both sides of the tyre so back to square one. Will need to buy some rim tape of suitable width.

[warthog1]

[shareyoutube]https://youtu.be/h5HWrXJBZBo[/shareyoutube]

I think this is the vid I watched.
Copied from here;
viewtopic.php?t=105442&start=25