My last two builds are tapeless, ie undrilled from the rim bed.
The LBS hates me and charge me a little extra (likely not enough to cover the extra labor), but worth it in the end.
Exactly this one. GP5k with a floor pump, zero leaks. 1 year working flawlessly
No brand has it figured out. I’m glad you’ve had good luck but it’s a problem all brands experience.
i am not a professional in the bike industry, but you are the first instance i’ve come across of a specific brand stating that they are having problems with pretaping across their products… It seems like it is more of an product/process quality issue with enve and not a universal thing that applies to all brands/mfgs.
Where is the Enve recommendation to retape when you ship a bike to an event? What if Enve ships new wheels in the winter? Why did my Enve tape on Enve 5.6 wheels NOT fail after riding month after month in 90+ degree heat of summer, and then within hours it was 60 degrees? That seems like more heat cycling than shipping UPS by truck in January (Utah to NorCal, straight shot down I-80).
i assume that josh is referring to enve stating that their tapejobs wouldn’t hold up during shipping/storage when not being acted upon by outside pressure (in the form of air pressure in a tubeless setup or from a tube pressing against it).
He also said heat cycling:
Enve website has marketing claims about great tape.
Exactly. It’s not anything specific to enve either. Tape fails after going through repeated heating and cooling cycles in storage and shipping. It’s not a big problem but it’s annoying to get new wheels that are taped but have a small leak. So as to never have an issue, enve ships without the tape installed. Other brands either play the odds or are working on the problem. When I get wheels to review I’d say it’s 50/50 that at least one of the wheels doesn’t have a perfect tape seal. Personally I prefer the enve approach since I know the status of the tape when I’ve installed it. It also saves me needing to use my own tape so I’m a fan of that.
the potential temp range that goods in shipment may be exposed to is anywhere from like ~150f to well below freezing… issues caused by expansion/contraction, changes in adhesive characteristics, changes in the brittleness of the tape etc seem possible.
but also it could be an issue with the particular mold release one company is using, labor costs in the US vs international mfg, reluctance to invest in an automated taping machine etc…
It is interesting to think about how much force the air in a tire is pushing on the tape, even at 25 PSI it is a lot. If i were to do a one-handed handstand, the pressure on each square inch of my palm is like 5.5PSI only
After a summer ride my bike is inside my car in the hot sun, outside it’s 100F. The interior of the car gets so hot we use beach towels on the seats to prevent burning legs.
Still doesn’t address my point about flying a bike on an airplane. Or shipping by box. Where is the Enve warning about tape failing and having to retape at the destination?
This narrative is not adding up in my brain.
I don’t know the point/s you are trying to make?
to be clear, I’m skeptical of enve’s purported stance regarding not pre-taping too…
but I can see how it is a different set of conditions when the wheel is pressurized and in use vs. new and unused (such as when buying a new wheelset).
regarding flying, it is good practice to maintain some pressure in the tubeless wheels IMO/E, regardless of the pressure variation in cargo holds
Called Enve support. Starting January 15, 2024, all wheels come pre-taped. Because they bought a machine to tape the wheels.
nice
that’s a man on a mission! 
… and, funny that it wasn’t glue/quality of the tape the issue, but the application process. I wonder why/how does it change?
Recent adopter of road tubeless here. I was initially put off the idea due to having to add sealant every few months so have come up with my own solution, partly due to the fact GP5000 S TR are pretty much impossible to remove from my wheels.
I have added just enough sealant into each tyre so that they hold air pressure. I then syringed out any excess sealant.
I now carry a 30ml bottle of sealant with me at all times when out on the bike, along with a Dyna plug, Fumpa nano pump, Fumpa pressure gauge and spare valve cores. In the case of me getting a puncture I will just add the sealant to the tyre to get it to seal (use a dyna plug if need be), before adding air. If this fails, a taxi or wife will have to rescue me.
Seems bonkers, but works for me 
That sounds reasonable and worth a try, but know that you would be missing out on one of the main benefits of tubeless which is that most punctures seal without needing to stop, or before you even realize they happen. Another consideration is that If the tire loses air completely the bead may become unseated. I’ve had success reseating a bead roadside with c02, but I’m not sure how effective the Fumpa would be for that. Keeping some sealant in the tire helps prevent that from happening altogether.
The way I avoid frequent top-ups is to use regular Orange Seal for the initial setup, and then after a few months top up with Orange Seal Endurance which tends to last me the rest of the season, although I’ll still check the levels from time to time. I know there are mixed reviews on the Endurance, but it’s worked well for me by using this approach and stays liquid seemingly forever.
Why/how does it change - not sure what you are asking?
I had other motivations to call Enve, wanting to know about the tape pushed me over the edge to make the call.
no no, it wasn’t really a question for you. I just found it curious that using the same tape - I assume - a machine mitigates the issue.
i believe the issue is human labor.
What process do people go through when switching brands of sealant? Full dismount of the tire, clean everything out, and start fresh? I’m switching from Stans to Silca.