IвЂ™m going for a fairly light bivvy set-up with a camping mat so that I can sleep just about anywhere. IвЂ™ll try to pack a bit lighter than I did on the Hungary Divide where I really felt the weight of the bike on the tough climbs! ItвЂ™s always hard to take everything you need without going overboard! There are going to be some gnarly sections where suspension would be a bonus but I think that overall the gravel is the best choice. IвЂ™ve opted for the gravel bike again for this race. IвЂ™ve been riding a hardtail MTB for the first time and riding plenty of short, steep routes with a few hefty hike-a-bike sections! IвЂ™m hoping that has helped to build up my fitness levels! I only signed up to Italy Divide a few weeks back! I had mostly been training for the Highland Trail 550 for when IвЂ™m back in Scotland this summer. Have you been training specifically for the race? ItвЂ™s been great to get a change of scene and explore around the mountains in the South Tyrol area where IвЂ™m based. IвЂ™ve been on a work exchange in the north of Italy for the past few months. Hi Marcus вЂ“ what have you been up to lately? Be sure to give him a follow and check out the race! We caught up with him for a quick chat before he sets off from Pompei on Saturday. You can pump the pressure up in the canister to a maximum of 160PSI (11 Bar).ДЄdvntr contributor is gearing up for his 1250km Italy Divide race starting this weekend. This is at 90 degrees to the direction of the tube, so easy to remember. To pressurise the container, use your standard track pump to attach to the top presta valve and screw on, making sure the valve is set to the off position. Maybe half a year and many seated tubeless tyres later вЂ“ both gravel and MTB for me and my partner John вЂ“ and IвЂ™m ready to cast my verdict on the Schwalbe Tire Booster. When I tried a canister like the Schwalbe Tire Booster on a WTB photoshoot, I was really impressed by the simplicity and effectiveness of it, and wanted to see if I could get the same results at home. The one thing that I was missing at home was high pressure air delivery, so I had the option of a compressor or a tubeless track pump. Once youвЂ™ve had some practice and get used to the little tips and tricks that help you set up tubeless at home, it becomes a much smoother process*, which is a relief. I wonвЂ™t lie, the first half a dozen times I tried tubeless set ups at home I learnt nearly every lesson the hard way, from inadequate rim tape to not-quite-the-right-shape-for-my-rim-bed tubeless valves, which incurred many trips to local friendly bike shops. As I test predominantly gravel and mountain bikes, tubeless set ups are imperative. The Tire Booster is supplied in a neat little box which can be handy for storage Schwalbe Tire Booster on testДЄs a cycling journalist and product tester, thereвЂ™s a lot of behind the scenes faff changing bike set ups all the time, and tyres are no exception. For a nifty ВЈ58 вЂ“ about half the price of most tubeless track pumps вЂ“ you can use this canister to deliver a shot of high pressure air for tubeless set up in conjunction with your current track pump.

So you donвЂ™t need a bulky, noisy and often pricey compressor in your home workshop, brands have developed new track pumps with pressurised chambers that deliver higher pressure air rapidly for tubeless set up, such as the Topeak Joe Blow Booster (ВЈ146.99) or Lezyne Pressure Overdrive (ВЈ120).Д«ut what if youвЂ™ve already got a track pump? If you donвЂ™t want to banish your existing pump to the dusty depths of the garage corner, then thereвЂ™s alternative solution: enter stage left the Schwalbe Tire Booster. One thing that youвЂ™re less likely to have to hand at home though, is a compressor, where many bike shops can offer a high pressure blast of air to help pop the bead of the tyre onto the rim to seat. With so many elements to think about, including the correctly installed rim tape, suitable tubeless valves and the crucial tyre to rim compatibility, getting to grips with tubeless installation at home is often a steep learning curve.

Tubeless tyres have revolutionised off-road cycling in the last decade or so, but set up issues can be one of the biggest barriers to riders opting for tubeless.

IвЂ™ve been putting the Schwalbe Tire Booster tubeless set up canister вЂ“ an alternative to a tubeless track pump вЂ“ to the test over the last six months or so to see if home tubeless set up really can be as easy as it should be.

Airshot tires not seating