Mten3 - 50 miles of riding on a brand new machine and 3 punctures so far.

[Gasmantle]

I regret buying this new wheel - I spend more time carrying it than riding it.

Can anyone who has Mten3 and replaced a tube please tell me what tube you ordered and where from? (ideally in the UK) I can't get a tube from a dealer so I've been buying from ebay but something must be wrong.

I'll try one more go at fixing it with a better tube, if it punctures it's going on ebay.

Many thanks.

[z3n]

If I were you, I'd rather sell and replace it with the latest batch. Gotway went back for tubeless again. The original inner tube is just trash.

[Gasmantle]

Thanks, I agree this set up is a joke.

I've just spoken to the UK dealer who is looking to see if they have a 'proper' tube but they suggest trying tubeless too.

I'd try tubeless if I knew what valve etc to buy and didn't need to drill the valve hole larger.

[Wren]

My tubed Mten3 was a headache for me as well. It went flat after 50km. I had trouble finding a tube for the wheel so went straight to a tubeless conversion.

I bought a Segway miniPRO /Segway miniLITE Tire Valve Stem which snapped in after a soak in some hot soapy water.

My Gotway tire the developed two bulges on the sidewalls after some minor offroading, so got a tire that was recommended here. The "version II" of this aliexpress listing https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32800298685.html and I like it much better. Feels way more solid.

I found the trick with using zipties to replace the tire worked great for me, far easier than screwdrivers or irons, and less chance of nicking the wheel rim.

In order to get the replacement tire to seat properly I used a small ratchet strap and strapped it around the tire, which pushed the edges out snug towards the wheel rims and made the whole process of getting a seal with the slime much easier.

 

 

 

 

[Gasmantle]

36 minutes ago, Wren said:

My tubed Mten3 was a headache for me as well. It went flat after 50km. I had trouble finding a tube for the wheel so went straight to a tubeless conversion.

I bought a Segway miniPRO /Segway miniLITE Tire Valve Stem which snapped in after a soak in some hot soapy water.

My Gotway tire the developed two bulges on the sidewalls after some minor offroading, so got a tire that was recommended here. The "version II" of this aliexpress listing https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32800298685.html and I like it much better. Feels way more solid.

I found the trick with using zipties to replace the tire worked great for me, far easier than screwdrivers or irons, and less chance of nicking the wheel rim.

In order to get the replacement tire to seat properly I used a small ratchet strap and strapped it around the tire, which pushed the edges out snug towards the wheel rims and made the whole process of getting a seal with the slime much easier.

 

 

 

 

Thanks, the tubeless conversion is looking more attractive. I'm waiting for an email from the UK dealer about getting a 'proper' inner tube but to be honest I'm losing all confidence.

If I buy a valve like yours what else do I need to do to make it tubeless?

[Wren]

The only other thing is the tubeless tire sealant, I just picked up whatever was available at the local bike shop. The inner portion of the valve unscrews with the extension tool Gotway provides and you can pour it in after getting the tire on. Have some paper towel on hand, I've always wound up making a mess with the stuff by the time I got the tire seated.

Edited March 30, 2021 by Wren

[Hangman]

6 hours ago, z3n said:

If I were you, I'd rather sell and replace it with the latest batch. Gotway went back for tubeless again. The original inner tube is just trash.

It is curious that Gotway (Begode) is continuously changing in this regard, first tubeless, then tubed, now tubeless again.  Do they have any recommendations for the sealant?

I ask because I've read that the current sealant (whatever that means) was causing corrosion to the motor.  I don't know if this means corrosion to the rim or if there is some chemical reaction that is literally causing corrosion at the motor.  Or if the comment was referring to the rim as part of the motor.

I've also read that the tubeless tire requires a special valve extension to add air to the tire.  Did this special extension come with the MTen3 tubed tire?

Also, what pressure are you running your tire at?  I've also read that with tubed tires, you want to run the pressure higher to avoid punctures.  My other question to this is if the pressure is low, are you getting a tube pinch?

I'm sorry to hear about this issue.  I have an acquaintance who has recently purchased an MTen3 ... prolly at my prompting.  If so I hope he doesn't run into the same scenario in such a short time frame.

 

[Hangman]

Another thought ...

Take your current tubes that are punctured & slice it down the middle on the inside of the tube.  Cut off the valve stem so in the end you have a nice flat piece of rubber that should be as wide as the tire (if not wider than).  Measure how much is needed to line the inside of the tire, get some hot glue or something sticky to hold the sliced tube to the inside of the tire as you line the inside of the tire.  Then put your tire on the rim & put your new tube in the tire.  Then put the second bead on the rim & partially fill the tube.  You want to have enough air in the tube to be able to move the tube but not so much as to have pressure on the tire.  You need to 'massage' the tube into place otherwise you get a tube pinch which then requires a new tube after rupture.

After massaging the tire & tube & you feel good about it, fill the tube to a decent pressure (I forget what 'low' pressure is considered) or you can also add 'slime' to the tube for future punctures as well.

This way you'll have an extra liner between the tire & the tube & slime would give you a second backup for deep thorn type punctures.

I use to do this with a BMX bike when I was kid, worked well for me as we didn't have any "slime" to use.