New tubeless tire set up

[FairbanksFatty]

I bought a new Cannondale FatCAAD2 a few weeks ago.  I came with tubeless with Jumbo Jim 4.8s.

Do the tires have some amount of sealant in them, or should I add some Stan's for good measure.

I'm wondering if the factory mounts them like car tires without sealant.

This is my first tubeless experience, I'm reluctant to break the seal just to look.

Thanks,
Duncan

[Racingguy04]

you might be able to remove the valve stem core and see if you can see sealant in there, or make a little come out by squishing the tire. Or I think you'd be able to hear the sealant swishing around in the tire if you took it off the bike, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

[harryonaspot]

I would think that the shop that you bought from set the tires up tubeless. Doubt they came from the factory that way. Ask them first. I have never seen anyone set up tubeless and not put sealant in. They generally won't hold air for long without

[FairbanksFatty]

I work at the bike shop.  We get the Cannondales in already setup tubeless.  I tried to remove the valve core and check.  It just smelled like rubber, no sign of sealant. It didn't have the familiar Stan's smell, but I have no idea what the factory is using. We'll probably pull one off the confirm.  Cannondale has not been able to answer the question either, "they'll get back to us". 

Currently I am only riding on snow, but in another month, we'll have dirt and rocks.  Before my next big trip, I'll clean them out and put in fresh sealant.

[FairbanksFatty]

Got it figures out.  All our specs say they are tubeless, when in reality they are tubeless ready.

I pulled the tubes and took 1.75 pounds off the wheels.

The tubes had removable cores, that lead me to think that "tubeless" meant there were no tubes.  Silly me.