I've been riding DT hubs since forever. Now that they ship with 36t ratchets, I typically downgrade myself to 18t before I even lace 'em. Silence is golden and engagement speed is irrelevant.
While most rim/tape combos these days do air up easily with a floor pump, how they fare a year+ down the road is of greater concern to me. What I mean is, sometimes the tape end stops sticking, and sealant slowly works it's way under, such that a ways down the road from that new-wheel-smell, you stand some non-zero chance of the tape letting go and needing to stick in a tube to get home.
To avoid that scenario, I encourage all of my customers to stick a tube in for the first ride to get that tape stuck down well and any bubbles pushed out.
Look at it this way: You're sticking a tube in either way. Doing it first means doing it in the shop, with a floor pump or compressor, and a sink right there to wash up with afterward.
Feb. 15, 2023, 11:45 a.m. - mikesee
I've been riding DT hubs since forever. Now that they ship with 36t ratchets, I typically downgrade myself to 18t before I even lace 'em. Silence is golden and engagement speed is irrelevant. While most rim/tape combos these days do air up easily with a floor pump, how they fare a year+ down the road is of greater concern to me. What I mean is, sometimes the tape end stops sticking, and sealant slowly works it's way under, such that a ways down the road from that new-wheel-smell, you stand some non-zero chance of the tape letting go and needing to stick in a tube to get home. To avoid that scenario, I encourage all of my customers to stick a tube in for the first ride to get that tape stuck down well and any bubbles pushed out. Look at it this way: You're sticking a tube in either way. Doing it first means doing it in the shop, with a floor pump or compressor, and a sink right there to wash up with afterward.