Installed a new tubeless tire (conti GP5000) which have been great before, but I couldn’t get this one to hold pressure. Kept adding sealant but didn’t see any leaking out. Finally submerged the whole setup and saw these bubbles coming from the side of the tire itself. Is this a bad tire I should exchange or will the sealant eventually work?
Solved – idiot me didn’t double check the order and I got the standard tire and not the TR version 😖
by erichmich
14 Comments
Looks like a brand/model “feature”. Try the “bucket” method, lying the wheel horizontally on top of a bucket, for some time, and do both sides, until the sidewalls get plugged with enough tubeless liquid
AI Overview
Continental GP 5000 tubeless tires (TL or S TR models) often have intentionally supple sidewalls that can be porous and weep air or sealant. To seal the pores, ensure adequate liquid sealant is inside, manually coat the sidewalls, and ride the bike. [[1](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/continental-gp-5000s-tr-leaking-air/83418?page=2), [2](https://road.cc/content/review/continental-grand-prix-5000-s-tr-287997), [3](https://www.reddit.com/r/bikewrench/comments/ohbrju/continue_gp5000_tl_leaky_sidewalls/), [4](https://www.reddit.com/r/cycling/comments/15kb1gp/continental_gp5000_tubeless_leaks_air_through/), [5](https://www.reddit.com/r/bikewrench/comments/18j2ur7/conti_5000_tubless_wont_hold_air/)]
Why This Happens
Continental designs their road tubeless tires to be lightweight and fast, which means using a thinner, more porous rubber carcass on the sidewalls. While some riders experience no air loss, it is common for the casing to “absorb” the initial dose of sealant while plugging these microscopic gaps. [[1](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/gp5000-sidewall-leak/36264), [2](https://www.reddit.com/r/cycling/comments/1tuq7d1/conti_gp5000_tr_s_tubeless_constant_punctures/), [3](https://www.sigmasports.com/item/Continental/GP5000-Clincher-Tyre/KJ5Z), [4](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/continental-gp-5000s-tr-leaking-air/83418?page=2)]
How to Fix Porous Sidewalls
1. **Use a High-Quality Sealant:** Choose a trusted tubeless sealant known for sealing porous sidewalls (like Orange Seal or Silca Ultimate). [[1](https://www.reddit.com/r/bikewrench/comments/ce1784/continental_grand_prix_5000_tl_sidewall_leaking/), [2](https://www.reddit.com/r/cycling/comments/1tuq7d1/conti_gp5000_tr_s_tubeless_constant_punctures/)]
2. **The “Bucket Shake” Method:** After adding sealant, do not just spin the wheel vertically. Pour the recommended amount inside, inflate the tire, and lay the wheel flat on a bucket. Leave it for a few hours, then flip to the other side to force the sealant against the porous sidewalls. [[1](https://www.reddit.com/r/bikewrench/comments/wspa2b/tyre_leaks_through_sidewall_continental_gp5000_s/), [2](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/continental-gp-5000s-tr-leaking-air/83418?page=4), [3](https://www.reddit.com/r/cycling/comments/15kb1gp/continental_gp5000_tubeless_leaks_air_through/)]
3. **Ride the Bike:** Static shaking only does so much; the heat, pressure, and flexing of a few solid rides are usually what finally force the sealant particles into the porous rubber. [[1](https://www.facebook.com/groups/159294977560554/posts/2701535936669766/), [2](https://www.reddit.com/r/bikewrench/comments/wspa2b/tyre_leaks_through_sidewall_continental_gp5000_s/)]
4. **Top Off:** The tire may “drink” 40-50ml of your first batch of sealant as it cures the pores. You will likely need to add more sealant after a few weeks to maintain proper levels. [[1](https://www.reddit.com/r/cycling/comments/1tuq7d1/conti_gp5000_tr_s_tubeless_constant_punctures/)]
Rule Out Other Leaks
If the tire still goes flat rapidly after coating the sidewalls, the leak might be coming from elsewhere:
* **Rim Tape:** Poorly seated, wrinkled, or damaged rim tape allows air to escape directly through the spoke holes.
* **Valve Core & Base:** Ensure the valve core is tight and the rubber grommet at the valve base is firmly seated against the rim.
* **Bead Seating:** Check if the tire bead is fully popped into the rim hook by looking for the molded “seating line” just above the rim edge. [[1](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/gp5000-sidewall-leak/36264), [2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzoTkFfS3WE), [3](https://www.familyhandyman.com/project/fix-a-leaking-tire-valve-stem/), [4](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/continental-gp-5000s-tr-leaking-air/83418), [5](https://superteamwheels.com/fr-fr/pages/common-reasons-your-tubeless-setup-won-t-hold-air?srsltid=AfmBOorBHot73E1FlSawC9KWn-GG4MUKijE7Cu2OYdZcgQKOZkxEn5Il)]
Give them a good spin, do the “Stan’s shake”, go for a short few mile ride.
This is after adding sealant, inflating, and rotating/oscillating the tire for a minute or so? I don’t understand why sealant wouldn’t plug those holes.
It will plug eventually, had two exact tires and did the same process. On just had more porous sidewalls.
Make sure you shake the bottle holding the sealant vigorously before putting it in the tire. There are micro bits of a solid that needs to be in the suspension when poured. It settles to the bottom of the bottle when sitting around.
Pour out your current sealant in the wheel. Shake the bottle for like a minute. Pour in correct amount. Seat the tire. Pump it up. Shake wheel front to back rotating the wheel a little bit every so often. Then bounce the wheel like a basketball with rotations between bounce. Cross your fingers it takes!
How much sealant have you added?
A lot of good tips but ultimately what solved it for me is just riding more than 100km all together before I saw significant improvement and ability to hold high pressure.
Can someone explain “why go tubeless?” I rarely have issue w my tubes. Pop? Replace them… call a taxi if needed (done once)
I’ve had tires like this that never totally stopped leaking despite endless fussing. I would take it back, especially if you have used the same tire before with better results. If you do keep it, Orange seal will work better to coat and seal the weepy sidewalls. Once you get it sealed with OS you can go back to using Stan’s or something else that’s better for sealing punctures.
Are the tires gp5000 TR?
Conti makes non tubeless gp5000s which will pretty much never seal correctly.
Honest question. With all the trouble of tubeless why is it better? From what I’ve read on Rolling Resistance latex and TPU inner tubes on a nontubeless tire are just as fast and the same weight as tubeless.
I had the same thing with a GP5000 TR last month, the sidewall was just super porus. I pumped it to 80psi instead of my usual 60 and left it sitting on a bucket overnight, next morning it held air fine. Sealant needs time to plug those micro holes, no need to return it yet.
I’ve never seen that and I always submerge my tires in water after setting up tires tubeless.
Happened with mine too. It took about 500-600 miles and refilling the sealant twice but they’re finally not leaking through the sidewalls!