the coast is clear

Sunday night/Monday morning I was on doggie stomach/butt duty.  Maggie had some "issues" we'll call them (and you'd thank me for calling it that if you actually knew what was going on over here), so I wasn't able to write anything since I was watching and readying for an emergency vet visit.  Thankfully things rectified themselves...  yeah, I said rect-ified.

Anyway, I'm not sure what the cause was for the stomach/butt action that was going on - but I have a feeling it might have to do with my new wheels... let me explain.

I came home from work on Friday and spotted something on the front porch.

I approve the hiding job of the delivery guy - using the "stone" bench for cover, nice!

I couldn't be 100% sure what it was... maybe Annie had ordered some hats?

Not Annie, Not her hat

Nope, it's them!

I brought the wonderful boxes inside and got right into them.  I found some glorious things... and then brought them right back outside.

Very sexy wheels.  Keepin it classic with the black and white.

during the build I had the original rim decals removed and replaced with wheel builder decals.
very clean

Hope Pro2 EVO hubs

Ordered some rubber with them.  Ardent in the front, Ignitor in the rear.

They look even better dressed and ready to roll!

I carefully put sealant in - didn't want any globby stains on the beautiful rims - and the tires set up with a floor pump.  It was magnificent*.  I have my brakes and headset on the way, and with the arrival of those items I should be able to get the build pretty much done - or at least looking like a bike.  It all came down to getting the wheels in to "get me rolling" on the build.  OOOOOOHHHH hohoho I said it. Wheels... getting me rolling...

yup.

So, how could my wheels be implicated in doggie stomach/butt issues??  Well, not the wheels themselves, but the sealant.  Some spilled in the grass outside the garage as I was measuring it out and I have to wonder if Maggie ingested some - I think that would certainly do the trick in messing up a system.  I'm not sure what it was really, but she never acted like anything was wrong - other then going outside pretty frequently.

Using pillows like people.

*I actually only attempted to set the tires up with the floor pump because on first glance it looked as though the valves did not have removable cores - my air compressor doesn't have a proper bike attachment so I normally just blast air through the open core to set the tires... I must have missed the removable core because they were just so shiny and new I didn't want to mess with them, but upon second inspection they sure do have removable cores.

if it's not one thing,

it's another....

Every single time I go to run tubeless on the HiFi something has to go wrong.

Part of it just has to be the tire/rim compatibility.  Some tires set up quickly and "cleanly."  Others are a bit of a struggle and a mess.  But it's never just an easy job.  Never.

Yesterday was no different.  I got a package with a new tire (Ignitor) and some tape to seal up the rims.  I already had plenty of sealant.  So I got to work on the front wheel.  I throw the tape on the rim, work the tire on and fill it with air.  The tire sets up pretty fast (checking without sealant first) but has some air leakage.  Throw in the sealant, add some air....  and that's as far as we get.  Can't get the sealant to do it's thing - especially around the valve.  Which reminds me, the LBS threw out my other valve because it was "faulty" and then charged me for a Stan's rim strip.  So I can't even set up the rear wheel!

Don't get me wrong, the rim strips work - but I'd rather the lighter, and quicker to convert to a tube in the field, method of tape and stem.  Faulty stem again?  I dunno... but it's just not sealing up around the base, so sealant just keep spilling bubbling out.

I've now entered frustration station....  end up taping up the rear to just throw a tube back into it.  BLAH!

So I turned to this.

Dunno if new stems will do... or cutting up old tubes and using those stems.. or maybe just resign to the fact that I'll be running tubes for now so I can get out and ride - IF the weather ever cooperates.

Graduation tonight.  That is, of course, unless it's postponed until tomorrow.