Puncture Prevention

duckers
duckers Posts: 167
edited March 2009 in MTB workshop & tech
After a summer of flats last year, and not wanting to go tubeless for various reasons I am planning to add some stans or similar sealant to my tubes to see if that helps (my most common flats are from thorns)..... Has anyone done this and what success have you had? How many topups have you done in the time you've been running them (I suppose thats a question for anyone running tubeless, how often and how much to top up).

I know you can buy pre-filled slime tubes and at one time could even buy pre-filled Joe's tubes, but my plan is to get hold of some super light inner tubes to offset the weight of the sealant, I suppose I am kind of trying to avoid the mess and hassle of getting tubeless up and running, and having relatively clean trailside repairs when things do go bad and I need to rip a tyre off..

Flaws I can see are:
1. Adding additional weight of sealant (negligible)
2. Sealant setting hard in a short space of time and requiring regular top ups (and adding weight with each top up)

Comments

  • Turrican
    Turrican Posts: 755
    i just went for thick puncture resistant inners tube for my 2.35 tyres, i was fed up getting puntures from thornes, nails, glass and even pinch flats so just went for big think inners i wasnt to fussed about wieght as mostly freeride. I have head of some lube couple years ago you could use to seals punctures even if have innertubes, i shall keep watch of your posting as be interesting
    I don't have a bike addiction problem.....bikes seems to have a problem with me.....it just can't seem to stay on.

    http://www.moredirt.co.uk/users/FlowRideR661/
    http://flowrider661.pinkbike.com/
  • mbrfan
    mbrfan Posts: 239
    I answered a similar thread earlier this week

    If you can remove the valve core from your inner tube, then yes you can fill it with sealant. Use a syringe or the conversion kits usually come with a small bottle. Stans/Joes reckon about 50-60ml of sealant, (about 50-60g of weight) per wheel.

    I went for the tubeless option, on the grounds that removing the tube would save me about 100g per wheel, and that if I was going to faff around with sealant, I might as well go the whole hog. I too was fed up of thorns and an average 1 puncture per ride, even with tyre liners.

    My first attempt with a conversion kit was non-UST rims and tyres and was a bit messy, but I put that down to my impatience. However, after a full season I have yet to need a top-up and I reckon that it will be the tyres that go first. I was worried that in the depths of winter, the sealant might harden, but no probs in the recent snow.
    I recently did the same with bike no. 2 using UST tyres and that took less time than repairing a puncture.

    I'm not a weight-weenie (If i want to save a few lbs I'll go on a diet), but I must say I have noticed the difference, and the piece of mind it gives you (I still carry a spare tube just in case) far outweighs the initial effort.

    If you take a look at the Stans website, there's a video of just how much abuse the tyre will take before you'd need to repair it. I've yet to see a thorn that would match the nails that guy was using!

    Grit your teeth and go for it. Good luck!
  • I have started using twin ply DH tyres unless I am racing. They are heavy but you can run over smashed glass and odds are you will not get a flat. I have had massive slices in my tyre but they were still inflated. Only real question is 800+ gram per tyre a price you are willing to pay?
  • dunker
    dunker Posts: 1,503
    i've been using specialized armadillo elite tyres for 10 months now (crossroads), in that time with nearly 3000 miles xc/road use i've had just 1 puncture :D they do a few different ones in the elite range, the captain being fast rolling knobbly xc tyres and the eskar? i think being a more extreme tyre both with the armadillo elite casing. i'm gonna try "the captain" next as the crossroads are hilariously bad in mud :lol:
  • I use Supersonic SpeedKings, love the tyres but thorns can be an issue (but they do only weigh 400g!!).
    I've used the Sludge sealant (theres a review on this site) in Schwalbe XXLight tubes (95g), they also have removable cores which makes it easier.
    Ultimatley I found the sealant clogging the valve (when adjusting tyre pressure) too much a faff, even after experience in using it and vaseline, then the tubes stick together if you take them off, grrrr!!!. Final straw for me came when mine leaked a little onto some carpet and stained it.
    I can now, with all the practice, fix a puncture SO quickly I don't really worry about it! (using patches and not removing the wheel to fix them, was the best tip I got).
    I've still got some (partially inflated) tubes with Sludge in and I can still hear it slopping about, guess its still working? I remember reading that it was'nt like the PVA Stans stuff and that it was less inclined to dry out??.
    Could be worth another look?..
    *Rock Lobster Team Tig SL (22lb 14oz)
    *C. Late 1950's Fixed Gear
    *1940 Raleigh Dawn Tourist with rod brakes
  • shin0r
    shin0r Posts: 555
    I bought some maxxis DH tubes ages ago, they weigh a tonne but I've had no punctures in 2 years. Best £15 I ever spent.
  • stumpyjon
    stumpyjon Posts: 4,069
    The sealent doesn't need topping up particularly regularly (at least not on my tubeless setup, filled once a year ago and no problems since then).

    Personally I'd steer clear of DH dual ply tyres, been down that route and the weight penalty is nasty, especially on the rear wheel, bike feels really sluggish, I'd rather get punctures, I'd still ride faster including the time to repair the puncture.

    What pressures are you running the tyres at, too low invites (pinch flat type) punctures.

    To be honest tubeless sounds like your best option although that might require new wheels and tyres (go on treat yourself to the upgrade, you know you're worth it :lol: ).
    It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.

    I've bought a new bike....ouch - result
    Can I buy a new bike?...No - no result
  • duckers
    duckers Posts: 167
    Ha, defintely not new bike or wheel time yet, I havent owned my scale long enough to justify something as expensive as a new wheelset!!!

    I run 40 PSI in the tyres as I like fast rollers, currently running racing ralph 2.1's so they should be good for converting to tubeless should I go that route. I could go ghetto tubeless for under 20 quid so thats still an option, but I am trying to use a system that will be cheap and easy to setup and more importantly clean and easy to fix trailside should the worst happen and I reckon thats lightweight tubes with sealant 'cos you rip the tube out and it takes the sealant with it (if you need to replace the tube), and theres nothing wrong with carrying a little spare sealant in the seat pack to top the new inner tube up once done.

    My plan at the moment is to find an old inner tube, get some sealant, and test how good it is using the same method in the stans video.
  • konanige
    konanige Posts: 115
    HI folks, Im here to solve all your puncture problems. I run Kona coiler with tubeless wheels and tyres, and a PlanetX armadillo with tubes filled with a magic fluid! This magic fluid can be obtained from your local agricultural supplier, it costs about £7 for 1 litre bottle that will easily do four tyres { so its cheaper than slime or any of the other makes} and its used to fill tractor tyres, { mind you I wouldnt of thought it was much fun pumping in about 80 bottles into one of those rear tyres!}. I cant actually remember my last puncture, but I can remember my mates last one on top of the mendips at night at about minus 9 degrees just the other week. We run the same stuff in the stable wheel barrows and the last time I replaced a perished tyre I counted about twenty five blackthorns still in the tyre! and it had only lost a couple of pounds of air. The only thing is you need the car type valve on your tubes or youll never get the stuff in. Hope this is of help.
  • duckers
    duckers Posts: 167
    Could you find out the name of the stuff please? definitely an interesting proposition. Sounds like you putting quite a bit in though if your getting 4 tyres to a litre? what volume of the liquid did you measure into the tubes?
  • konanige wrote:
    HI folks, Im here to solve all your puncture problems. I run Kona coiler with tubeless wheels and tyres, and a PlanetX armadillo with tubes filled with a magic fluid! This magic fluid can be obtained from your local agricultural supplier, it costs about £7 for 1 litre bottle that will easily do four tyres { so its cheaper than slime or any of the other makes} and its used to fill tractor tyres, { mind you I wouldnt of thought it was much fun pumping in about 80 bottles into one of those rear tyres!}. I cant actually remember my last puncture, but I can remember my mates last one on top of the mendips at night at about minus 9 degrees just the other week. We run the same stuff in the stable wheel barrows and the last time I replaced a perished tyre I counted about twenty five blackthorns still in the tyre! and it had only lost a couple of pounds of air. The only thing is you need the car type valve on your tubes or youll never get the stuff in. Hope this is of help.

    How heavy is this stuff per wheel and do you have a link for it?
  • Ooh now this agricultural stuff sounds interesting! I wonder if it can be used with 20" inner tubes to do a homemade special ghetto tubeless setup?!
  • konanige
    konanige Posts: 115
    Hi sorry its been so long, been riding! The stuff im using is called OKO Stop, no idea how much it weighs but i dont really care as it saves me so much hassle out on the trail, besides i can lose a good five pounds of weight by having a dump before riding! The other good thing is that it never seems to dry out. You can find out all the info at http://www.winntyres.co.uk/oko.htm. Hope this helps!
  • konanige
    konanige Posts: 115
    sorry! just tried the link myself and it doesnt seem to work, so just use winntyres.co.uk and thatll get you there.
  • nik young
    nik young Posts: 257
    i used this kit last weekend and found its super easy to do (make sure you use fold-able tyres) and works as it say,i was riding at the week end and got a hawthorn hedge spike in my tyre thanks to the local farmer cutting all the hedges pulled it out and spun the tyre and it sealed straight up


    kit i used- http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=18703
  • .blitz
    .blitz Posts: 6,197
    duckers wrote:
    I run 40 PSI in the tyres as I like fast rollers, currently running racing ralph 2.1's
    I'm not surprised you are having punctures - my Ralph 2.1 flatted every 50-75 mi last year and it was always with something that any other tyre would've shrugged off. 45-50 psi helped but at these pressures the tyre was pinging off rocks all over the place.

    Maxxis DH/Welterweight tubes fixed it but it seemed pretty pointless spending that much money on a lightweight tyre and then fitting heavy tubes.