Tubeless for Dummies

[sojournermike]

I am giving my son a tubeless setup for Christmas BUT he likes tan wall tyres (I know ). Can the collective recommend a tan wall tubeless tyre for him?  Road and some canal paths/minor trails.

Depending on the trails and width required, Challenge make a whole range of tubeless tyres with tan walls. Strada is 25mm, Paris Roubaix 27mm and then up and rougher. Also consider WTB - more brown than tan but widths from 30C up in 700C

Mike

[jiberjaber]

So I need to buy some more sealant and my usual goto is Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex in it's 1L format.

I see there is now MaXalami MaXSeal tubeless tyre sealant available  (though it's quite expensive relative to my present brand)

I've done the Docs/Stans stuff early on in my Tubeless journey and generally been happy with the Caffelatex but perhaps time to try something different?

So what's the new stuff on the block / recommendations please....

Cheap would be good and available as well of course! 

[Hot Flatus]

I bought some OKO motorbike stuff from PX. It is really thick, but so far no issues, and it sealed a largish hole.

Just avoid Finish Line (if it is still available). It is useless

[jiberjaber]

I bought some OKO motorbike stuff from PX. It is really thick, but so far no issues, and it sealed a largish hole.

Just avoid Finish Line (if it is still available). It is useless

Was it this one?
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/WSOKOXTMTB/oko-x-treme-mtb-inner-tube-sealant

Description is very similar to the MaXalami MaXSeal stuff, at about half the price

[Hot Flatus]

Yep that's it

[jiberjaber]

There's a high fiber version too... appears the guys on single track recommend the Milk for road/gravel...

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/WSOKOMMHF/oko-magic-milk-hi-fibre-tyre-sealant

I might give that a go and see how it fares... though I am tempted to just get teh MaXalami stuff as I need a new tyre so would be from teh same place... hmmmmmm

[sojournermike]

I’ve been using the high fibre milk version. I just keep a big bottle ready for use.

[yoav]

Apologies if this has answered before but is it ok to mix different brands of sealant? I’m thinking of when I have to top up the sealant in the tyre. Can I just add it or should I drain the sealant and start again if just topping up?

[sojournermike]

Apologies if this has answered before but is it ok to mix different brands of sealant? I’m thinking of when I have to top up the sealant in the tyre. Can I just add it or should I drain the sealant and start again if just topping up?

What could possibly go wrong?!

I suspect it’s usually fine, and I’ve never tried to empty and refill. If you top up after a few months there won’t be all that much mixing anyway, and that’s what I’ve done (Orange seal and magic milk). Obviously, if it clumps into a ball when you do it and then you get a hole that doesn’t seal I accept no responsibility for the advice.

[Davef]

I follow a “just too late” strategy and generally top up my sealant only after a puncture has not self sealed.

[Hot Flatus]

I tend to top up every 3 months, or a bit sooner if I am aware of a run of punctures.  Don't care if there is more in there than there needs to be.

I dont think it matters it matters that much if you don't. Just stick a tube in...just like you would any other puncture*



*it is really nice to be able to say this now without invoking a wall of abusive language and be called a liar.

[Davef]

I just carry a small bottle of sealant so my 3 monthly top ups are road side. It is far less hassle than changing a tube as you don’t need to take wheel off and balance bike etc. Valve out, top up, pump up and generally still haven’t caught my breath before I am on my way again.

[rafletcher]

I tend to top up every 3 months, or a bit sooner if I am aware of a run of punctures.  Don't care if there is more in there than there needs to be.

I dont think it matters it matters that much if you don't. Just stick a tube in...just like you would any other puncture*



*it is really nice to be able to say this now without invoking a wall of abusive language and be called a liar.

Ah no, you forgot about all the sharp objects from previously sealed punctures just lurking to pierce your tube! 

[Davef]

I tend to top up every 3 months, or a bit sooner if I am aware of a run of punctures.  Don't care if there is more in there than there needs to be.

I dont think it matters it matters that much if you don't. Just stick a tube in...just like you would any other puncture*



*it is really nice to be able to say this now without invoking a wall of abusive language and be called a liar.

Ah no, you forgot about all the sharp objects from previously sealed punctures just lurking to pierce your tube! 

I wouldn’t discount that scenario. I have, in getting on for 20,000km, had two occasions to put in a tube. On one occasion I did suffer a slow puncture immediately and there was a pointy bit embedded, so for me currently it is 50%. That said having inspected tyres since then I have found none and I wonder if the lack of inner tube and highish pressure means sharp objects that puncture are blown out and my 50% is just unlucky.

[Hot Flatus]

I just carry a small bottle of sealant so my 3 monthly top ups are road side. It is far less hassle than changing a tube as you don’t need to take wheel off and balance bike etc. Valve out, top up, pump up and generally still haven’t caught my breath before I am on my way again.

LIAR!!!

[jiberjaber]

My PX order arrived, So patched the hole from inside and cleaned up the rim and tyre walls.  There was a lot of gunk in there from over the year so as you do, I got a bit carried away removing it off... shouldn't have bothered but I am sure there was half a kilo of the stuff! There was still a liberal coating as I didn't go all out and clean the whole tyre out - I usually don't bother.

Tyre went straight up and onto the rim using the air tank but with some hissing going on, so needed to get the new sealant in there so I let the air out and put in 60ml of Milk with fibres and up it went again, straight on to the rim.  Still some hissing so I looked around the tyre, 12 little bubbles of sealant and a little bit escaping from where I had just put the new patch.
Left the tyre at 59psi and went out for a ride on the other bike, tyre now at 53psi but no sound of any air escaping... will see how it is in the morning and might take it for a pootle to see if its all OK...

Bit early to make any judgement on the new sealant but it is a lot thicker than the caffelatex but claims to go in OK through the valve... I opted for via the tyre rather than the valve this time though.

I'm not sure how much more is left in the tyre, the gash I patched has the look of being a potential delamination so will keep my eye on it.

[vorsprung]

I just carry a small bottle of sealant so my 3 monthly top ups are road side. It is far less hassle than changing a tube as you don’t need to take wheel off and balance bike etc. Valve out, top up, pump up and generally still haven’t caught my breath before I am on my way again.

If you think about it for a moment, the sealant is designed to clag up holes.  So inserting it down a narrow value doesn't seem like a good idea.  I have done this but I used a syringe

[Hot Flatus]

Eh?

Removing the valve core is the standard and easiest way of topping up sealant. It takes years for it to clog up, and if it does its easy to poke a pointed object down it. It won't seal the entire valve hole anyway.

[jiberjaber]

I must admit I get a lot of clagged valves which eventually start impeding the inflation and then require replacement. But this not from filling as that's without the valve installed.

[sojournermike]

It's the cores that clog. You can get replacement cores from the big auction site for very little and just swap them out when the original is beyond freeing. The valve body then just lasts.

[Davef]

I bought a 10 pack of cores (and remove the cores before discarding tubes from other bikes). Haven’t descended to the going through bins at audax events stage yet.

The bottle I use is one of the small (60ml I think) ones which I then refill. It has a pointy nozzle that fits the valve with the core removed. I have never noticed any build up but would not expect to as the liquid is going in an orderly manner*. If not I might have to hit the pipe cleaner collection I bulk bought for blue peter projects a few decades back.

* Tubeless sealing depends on Non-British style queuing with all the little particles trying to get through the exit at once.

[Hot Flatus]

Haven’t descended to the going through bins at audax events stage yet.

It's generally the next stage after taking your own tea bags (in a 35mm film pot) into control cafes and asking for a (free) mug of hot water

[Lightning Phil]

I bought a 10 pack of cores (and remove the cores before discarding tubes from other bikes). Haven’t descended to the going through bins at audax events stage yet.

The bottle I use is one of the small (60ml I think) ones which I then refill. It has a pointy nozzle that fits the valve with the core removed. I have never noticed any build up but would not expect to as the liquid is going in an orderly manner*. If not I might have to hit the pipe cleaner collection I bulk bought for blue peter projects a few decades back.

* Tubeless sealing depends on Non-British style queuing with all the little particles trying to get through the exit at once.

I reuse a 60 ml bottle as well. Same reason, pointy nozzle that makes it easy to squeeze sealant through valve. Buying larger quantities to get better value for money.

[L CC]

Panel response please - if you have a hole you've plugged with a worm, is that a permanent fix or a get me home fix?
Giant (who have their name on my tyres and repair kit) say its a temporary fix and that's your tyre dead. But they would say that, they want me to buy a new tyre.
I've done (a smidgen) less than 2,000km on these. Seems a bit meh, though there's been a fair amount of shitty urban glass strewn cycle paths. That and the square bagging bridleways.

Secondary question: recommend 32mm tubeless tyres for fat people who ride shitty urban glass strewn cycle paths and square bagging bridleways. And although shit at hills, live somewhere hilly.

[Lightning Phil]

The worms / plugs are permanent and should last life of tyre. For a 32mm tubeless tyre the Hutchinson Sector are tough as old boots and still roll well.