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Thank you, this is helpful!
Also, my photo was taken before tightening the valve stem, just to show the differences in shape.
My bike (BMC Roadmachine) came with a set of ENVE SES 4.5’s and I had exactly the experience you describe. Even when using Enve branded valves and tape I couldn’t get them to seal reliably. I went to three different bike shops and did finally find someone that got them to seal OK but by then there was a mess of sealant around the value stem and it proved a very fragile set-up. After a couple of years with no solid solution I gave up and purchased a different set of wheels. I sold the Enve’s on EC Classifieds to someone that said he had a lot of experience with tubeless and was ready to give it a go. I hope it worked for him. They were great wheels for ride feel and performance but that really doesn’t count for much if they don’t reliably hold air.
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Whether the sealant is coming from the valve base or at the nipples, the leak can be from the tape or valve. Once the sealant makes its way into the rim cavity, it can exit from anywhere.
An easy way to get the valve tighter is to find a rounded corner of a counter or table. Put the base on the valve against it and lean into the other side of the wheel. This will press it into the cavity, and you can then screw the nut onto the other side
Well “easy”…
Here we’re getting exactly into the territory of - does it require too much force to tighten it airtight?
But I see that force is a relative term to all of us.
Wow, this sucks. Have you ever tried different valves?
I read that some guys had success with valves that have a conical base.
I did but Enve sell branded tape and valve specific to individual wheel sets:
When these aren’t working, trial and error else where is a longshot at best.
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Just remember that whatever force you are using to tighten your valve stem will have to be undone at the side of the road if you need to put a tube in. For this reason, it’s good not to use any tools or fixtures to tighten the valve stem (if possible).
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How is the second layer of tape applying for you? Or at least the overlapping parts?
I find applying the first layer easy, but tape on tape is a whole different story.
Second layer of tape is harder to apply, that’s for sure. A single layer will most likely work just fine, as I don’t usually put more than a layer. I don’t remember why for these Enve rims that I decided to use two layers of tape.
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