A tip I picked up was to create the hole with a heated awl/pick/nail. It slightly melts the tape which seems to prevent the split. I also do a wrap of electrical tape over the top of the rim tape. It further helps in keeping the rim tape in tact and it addresses any flaws in my less than perfect rim tape application.
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I’ve new wheels on the way (Prime Doyenne 50) that are tubeless ready and am going to take the plunge. I’ve (separately) ordered airliners, as they’ll be mainly for racing and I like the idea of the ability to limp home rather than be messing with tubes/ sealant in a skinsuit (as well as the claimed safety aspect of the inserts).
I consistently struggle with tubed conti tyres and fitting them. Notwithstanding @HLaB comment about 5000’s going on ok on Prime - what the equivalent options? Pro One/ Pro Zero/ Corsa N.ext seem to be the similar ballpark? Irish roads, so I don’t want to go too “race”.
The newer 5000TR’s fitted OK (they are claimed to be easier than the TL’s) for me on Hunt and Prime wheels and Pro One’s (old and new versions) have fitted on my Revolver Disk wheel. Whilst I’ve no experience of the Pirelli’s myself my mate never seemed to raise an issue (but he also got them for free). The only tyre I have had an issue with is a Corsa speed as it was simply to soft to fit. I took it to a lbs who found the same.
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I’m kinda tempted to stick with the conti’s. Bar the pain of fitting them, they haven’t really let me down either.
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I’ve posted this at some point before but I use a device like this to puncture a tiny whole in the tape. The hobby scissors are also super handy for lots for tasks and keep these with my bike tools.
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What’s the device on top of the wheel? I’ve never seen that. The one that looks like some kind of tongs.
Tire pliers and clips, came with the first Vittoria Air-Liner kit that I bought.
https://www.vittoria.com/us/en/tire-inserts/air-liner-tool/road-tubeless-tool-kit
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Got an email this morning, love the Specialized website
I have too many Vittoria Corsa N.EXT and didn’t try ordering.
Yes it is lol
Possible my job for the weekend - went with airliners (probably based from an early post in the thread from you) for the ride flat capability as well as the security of the tyre on the rim. For racing predominantly.
I had a GP5000 TL 32mm where the sidewall developed a huge bubble last year, so I got rid of that and removed the front that had very little use.
I found a brand new GP5000 TL 32mm I’d forgotten about in my bike parts stash so I wanted to mount that it the rear, and reinstall the front 28mm (pictured below). It had little use and the center line from the mould is still visable on the tread. I noticed this on the sidewall though…I can’t tell if it’s something to be concerned about. It looks like a scratch? Any thoughts?
Thank you!
seems cosmetic to me, just the thin layer of rubber coating the fabric on the very outside.
i’d use it without hesitation if I was in that situation…
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This is always the issue. It doesn’t matter if it came taped from the manufacturer, or if you just added the tape, or if the bike shop did it, etc… it’s always the tape. Have extra tape on hand and if you can’t get a tire to seal don’t bother figuring out why, just pull the tape and do it again. Better tape (Schwalbe and Muc-Off) will help but sometimes it just happens and sometimes it just happens a couple of times in a row.
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Installed the airliners and tubeless last weekend - they seemed to go on fine with the normal track pump, but went with a blast of the compressor just to be sure. Rear seemed to seal fully second short spin (4km), front took Sunday’s race - both still holding air now.
We have riders here in Sweden now, running tubeless on the new Shimano wheels without sealant…
Anyone else heard of this monstrosity? 
Holds air apparently, and when they get a puncture, they wanna put in a tube without the slime…
There were some pro teams talking about this, or using a very minimal amount of sealant, over the last year or two.
To me if you are going to go tubeless, then the sealant is going to reduce the need to put in a tube in the first place.
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I think when EF were testing what turned out to be the airliner, they were painting on the sealant iirc. There was a Life in Peloton/ Mitch Docker podcast where he spoke to mechanics about it.
It makes no sense in an amateur context to me though, as you say, more likely to need a tube without sealant!
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Tubeless without sealant? Yes, for about 10 minutes during install 
if the bead sets, no need to use the compressor.
Quick update on Vittoria Corsa N.EXT TLR… Put these on 30 days ago, 28c front and 32c rear. Gave up some aero gains to make these more of a fast training tire. Installed with Air-Liners for some upcoming mountain rides.
Big staple in the tire last week:
Removed staple, spun tire so the hole was pointed down, waited 30 seconds, added 5psi, cleaned a little Orange Seal off my mat, and fixed before a long ride on Sunday.
These tires are supple and roll fast. Really good road feel. Paid something like $55 a tire.
Really really happy with them so far.
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I’ll chime in since no one else has.
Got them a few months ago and they’re fantastic. They use mostly standard components. Basic spokes and nipples.
They also roll really nicely. I don’t have any scientific data, but I’ve been on some spirited group rides where I feel that it’s easier to push the pace.
They came with everything needed (pre-taped, tubeless valves etc).
Lastly, they set up tubeless with no fuss with Goodyear Eagle F1s in 28. The seated with a floor pump and no sealant!
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