Tubeless is turning into a right faff

[Swiss Roll]

My tires are 2.4 inches wide and they take a blast of high volume to seat them.

I have 2.8 tires, and the bontrager did them first time. I did have some problems at first, but I cleaned out the tires and rims thoroughly, and dry inflated them with lots of soapy water, then it worked like a charm.

 

[mtb-steve]

Just fitted a new 2.6 tyre, took less than 5 minutes, no levers and a normal track pump.
I'll admit that some times I need to use the compressor, but it's rare.

 

[ilostmypassword]

I feel cushcore and tubeless is the way to go now. Tubeless for me was shite too on my ebike. All good on my analog rides.

Ebike was Constantly snake biting. The tyres now are not the UST type back in the OG days so prone to damage easily IMHO. Maybe time for specific ebike tyres that actually offer protection.

 

[LeftItLancs]

There are a lot of videos on YouTube how to insert slime in an existing inner tube without taking the tyre off, irrespective of a removable valve core or not. I have used some of these methods a number of times, and they have never failed me.

I am a heavy rider, currently over 130 kg and I have used both slime and Tannus on two successive ebikes and while I don't ride anywhere particularly technical, I do travel up and down pretty steep hills for a distance of around 10-15 miles. I don't want to be walking home and both combined, to date, have been reliable and bulletproof over 3,000 ish miles. An occasional blast of air, and they are good to go, fit and forget in my experience.

 

[steve_sordy]

I have never understood how sealants (irrespective of brand) are expected to go down the Presta valve hole, even with the core removed. The sealants are all sold as being able to seal a 6mm hole, much bigger than the hole down the valve.

I have tried and the only time I ever got a latex sealant down the hole was when I forgot to shake the bottle, so all the bits that would block the hole, didn't. Later that day when I got a puncture it all sprayed out!

Do some sealants not have bits in? How do they work otherwise?

 

[LeftItLancs]

 

[irie]

I have never understood how sealants (irrespective of brand) are expected to go down the Presta valve hole, even with the core removed. The sealants are all sold as being able to seal a 6mm hole, much bigger than the hole down the valve.

I have tried and the only time I ever got a latex sealant down the hole was when I forgot to shake the bottle, so all the bits that would block the hole, didn't. Later that day when I got a puncture it all sprayed out!

Do some sealants not have bits in? How do they work otherwise?

Use a 100ml BD Plastipak syringe with 10cm flexible tubing attached. Remove the Presta core. With wheel vertical make sure the Presta valve is at the top. Suck sealant into the syringe. Attach tube to valve. Rotate wheel with tube attached 180 degrees so that valve is at the bottom. Inject sealant. Remove syringe tube. Reinstall Presta core. Not complicated.

 

[Expidia]

I did not even know there was such a thing as a non removable Presta core? Until I bought so crappo Goodyear tubes on Amazon. I sent them back after my first flat and I tried to get the core out to seat the bead easier and I was surprised that was a non removable valve tube. I had to patch the hole in the tube in the tire that had the hole.

I don't know if this guy learned that method somewhere else, but this vid is pretty ingenuitive. Now I only run removable valve type tubes. I have a bottle of Muc-off and their syringe so I'm going to squirt 4 ounces into each tube or whatever the bottle says for 29 inches.. My bike is 60 lbs already, so I don't think a few more ounces will make any difference. Stands to reason that the sealant in a tube should potentially seal the small punctures.

 

[LeftItLancs]

I did not even know there was such a thing as a non removable Presta core?

I didn't know either, during lockdown I couldn't get Slime inner tubes in the right size and my neighbour told me to just buy Slime and add it through the valve. Then I discovered they were non-removable cores on my Cube, and the same neighbour pointed me towards YouTube. It's a pretty simple solution if money is tight and is as good as the ready-made version. The tricky bit is keeping hold of the inner valve, but once you have done it once, it is pretty simple.

 

[steve_sordy]

@irie Thanks for that. I know what the technique is. But my puzzlement remains. How can a sealant that will seal big holes flow through a much smaller hole (the valve) without sealing it and stopping the fill process? Because that is where it stops for me, the sealant will just not go through the valve.

I can see from the video that @LeftItLancs posted that the version of Slime being used DOES flow through, so it cannot have any bits in it. So it must use some other sealing method. Anyone know what it is?

Many years ago, my first tube sealant was Slime, but apart from being fluorescent green that is where the resemblance ends to the product in the video. The Slime I had then was like a thick greasy product with candy floss running through it. I was trying to get it through a Schrader valve with the core removed and it wouldn't go through that either!

 

[irie]

@irie Thanks for that. I know what the technique is. But my puzzlement remains. How can a sealant that will seal big holes flow through a much smaller hole (the valve) without sealing it and stopping the fill process? Because that is where it stops for me, the sealant will just not go through the valve.

I can see from the video that @LeftItLancs posted that the version of Slime being used DOES flow through, so it cannot have any bits in it. So it must use some other sealing method. Anyone know what it is?

Many years ago, my first tube sealant was Slime, but apart from being fluorescent green that is where the resemblance ends to the product in the video. The Slime I had then was like a thick greasy product with candy floss running through it. I was trying to get it through a Schrader valve with the core removed and it wouldn't go through that either!

Bikeradar: "Latex is a dispersion of polymers (long-chain molecules) in either water or a water-based solution of ammonia. Inside a hole in the tyre, the air pressure drops and there is a rush of air. This causes the water/ammonia solution to evaporate, leaving the latex molecules to coagulate (knit together), plugging the hole."

Best tubeless sealant in 2023 | 11 popular tyre sealants put to the test

Tubeless sealants tested to help you find the best puncture protection

www.bikeradar.com

 

[Spangoolies]

@irie Thanks for that. I know what the technique is. But my puzzlement remains. How can a sealant that will seal big holes flow through a much smaller hole (the valve) without sealing it and stopping the fill process? Because that is where it stops for me, the sealant will just not go through the valve.

I can see from the video that @LeftItLancs posted that the version of Slime being used DOES flow through, so it cannot have any bits in it. So it must use some other sealing method. Anyone know what it is?

Many years ago, my first tube sealant was Slime, but apart from being fluorescent green that is where the resemblance ends to the product in the video. The Slime I had then was like a thick greasy product with candy floss running through it. I was trying to get it through a Schrader valve with the core removed and it wouldn't go through that either!

I had problems in the past pouring sealant into the valve due to air not being able to escape whilst you’re adding it. You either need to force it in and wait for it all to drain down before removing application device, pour it in whilst maintaining a gap for air to escape or squeeze the tyre(tubeless) prior to application and slowly release it whilst applying sealant to help suck the sealant in. I’ve got a syringe with rigid hose that’s slightly thinner than the internal valve hole that I push all the way past the base of the valve and this allows the air to escape past it. Never had any problems since using this.
Edit: forgot to add this is with the valve core removed on all suggestions

 

[steve_sordy]

Bikeradar: "Latex is a dispersion of polymers (long-chain molecules) in either water or a water-based solution of ammonia. Inside a hole in the tyre, the air pressure drops and there is a rush of air. This causes the water/ammonia solution to evaporate, leaving the latex molecules to coagulate (knit together), plugging the hole."

Best tubeless sealant in 2023 | 11 popular tyre sealants put to the test

Tubeless sealants tested to help you find the best puncture protection

www.bikeradar.com

Brilliant! That makes total sense. Except why does my Continental Revo sealant that is latex have bits in it? Your reply implies that some (or even many) latex sealants don't have bits in them. The Conti Revo sealant is use is ammonia-free and does have bits in, so it appears to work in a different way. I've had Conti tyres for almost as many years as I've been tubeless and before that it was Slime for tubes. So, I always assumed that all sealants had bits in. Yet another learning day.

 

[steve_sordy]

I had problems in the past pouring sealant into the valve due to air not being able to escape whilst you’re adding it. You either need to force it in and wait for it all to drain down before removing application device, pour it in whilst maintaining a gap for air to escape or squeeze the tyre(tubeless) prior to application and slowly release it whilst applying sealant to help suck the sealant in. I’ve got a syringe with rigid hose that’s slightly thinner than the internal valve hole that I push all the way past the base of the valve and this allows the air to escape past it. Never had any problems since using this.

Until I realised that not all sealants (see previous post) had bits in, I would have been totally puzzled by your post because your method uses an even thinner tube than the diameter of the volve core! Good point about letting the air out or to pre-squeeze the tyre to suck in the sealant.

 

[irie]

Brilliant! That makes total sense. Except why does my Continental Revo sealant that is latex have bits in it? Your reply implies that some (or even many) latex sealants don't have bits in them. The Conti Revo sealant is use is ammonia-free and does have bits in, so it appears to work in a different way. I've had Conti tyres for almost as many years as I've been tubeless and before that it was Slime for tubes. So, I always assumed that all sealants had bits in. Yet another learning day.

I inject Muc-Off sealant after the valve is removed, never had a problem with it. No bits in it. Spillage washes off with water.

 

[steve_sordy]

I inject Muc-Off sealant after the valve is removed, never had a problem with it. No bits in it. Spillage washes off with water.

You say "valve removed". I assume that you mean just the valve core?

(Not being pedantic, just wondering if I'm about to have yet another learning day).

 

[irie]

You say "valve removed". I assume that you mean just the valve core?

(Not being pedantic, just wondering if I'm about to have yet another learning day).

Yes, the valve core.

 

[Paulquattro]

You say "valve removed". I assume that you mean just the valve core?

(Not being pedantic, just wondering if I'm about to have yet another learning day).

The core is all thats needed.