I've been struggling to get the bead to set on a new tire installation. Got a little frustrated and put about sixty pounds in it. Sounded like a gun going off but it finally set the bead. Now the valve stem is leaking air. Very slowly but... My question is did the pressure damage the rim strip? It was working fine before. I tried tightening the nut of the valve stem and that helped some but still leaking. I have a new rim band but don't want to ruin it.

If its a tube type tyre combination you are possibly seeing the air trapped in between the tube and the tyre carcass slowy escaping. When fitting a new or refitting a used tyre always try to get the bead evenly set before inflating and a little tyre soap applied by finger or toothbrush helps the bead sit and to set centrally to the rim. Doubtful the pressure you applied would do damage to the rim tape, but well over the inflation pressure safety limit for the tyre carcass, if it blew it could kill or seriuosly injure you?

4 hours ago, drewzilla said:

I've been struggling to get the bead to set on a new tire installation. Got a little frustrated and put about sixty pounds in it. Sounded like a gun going off but it finally set the bead. Now the valve stem is leaking air. Very slowly but... My question is did the pressure damage the rim strip? It was working fine before. I tried tightening the nut of the valve stem and that helped some but still leaking. I have a new rim band but don't want to ruin it.

If it leaks for just a short time it is just some air escaping from the space between the tube and rim.If it leaks enough for the pressure to drop in the tube you have punctured the tube.

Umm.. sounds like this is a tubless tyre with a rim band (not just rim tape). 

About the only thing you can do is take it all off and give everything a good clean, fit it all together properly (ensuring the band sits nicely in the groove around the rim on both sides) and try again. Ensure the rim band doesn't have holes in it. 

Mine was always fine and then one day it decided not to hold air. It holds enough to do half a trial so I either ride it flat or pump it up half way around. 

Other people have tried silicone and all sorts but I don't think it's worth the mess and potential damage to the rim. 

Have a search on the forums as it's not a new problem. Good luck. 

It's a tubeless tire situation and my first experience with a rimtape with valve stem attached to it. I totally cleaned the inside of rim until it looked brand new but didn't do anything to the rimtape. Used tons of soapy water and inflated and re-inflated over a dozen times but couldn't get that last little bit of the tire to seat properly until i cranked up the pressure.  Read a lot about adding a tube and rimlock but it's on a bike that's 15 years old and probably always worked tubeless before.

nothing abnormal about having to use the pressure to seat the bead as they go, but getting a rim band to seal mjay require a new one with integrated stem, well worth the cost!

13 hours ago, section swept said:

If its a tube type tyre combination you are possibly seeing the air trapped in between the tube and the tyre carcass slowy escaping. When fitting a new or refitting a used tyre always try to get the bead evenly set before inflating and a little tyre soap applied by finger or toothbrush helps the bead sit and to set centrally to the rim. Doubtful the pressure you applied would do damage to the rim tape, but well over the inflation pressure safety limit for the tyre carcass, if it blew it could kill or seriuosly injure you?

the new rim bands are very difficult to seal.

2 hours ago, copemech said:

nothing abnormal about having to use the pressure to seat the bead as they go, but getting a rim band to seal mjay require a new one with integrated stem, well worth the cost!

new ones arent great tbh.

10 hours ago, drewzilla said:

It's a tubeless tire situation and my first experience with a rimtape with valve stem attached to it. I totally cleaned the inside of rim until it looked brand new but didn't do anything to the rimtape. Used tons of soapy water and inflated and re-inflated over a dozen times but couldn't get that last little bit of the tire to seat properly until i cranked up the pressure.  Read a lot about adding a tube and rimlock but it's on a bike that's 15 years old and probably always worked tubeless before.

exactly. The new bands are very hard to get right and rquire the edge to be sealed perfectly which will be your problem.