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Don't forget to top up your sealant in your tubeless tyres!

steve_sordysteve_sordy Posts: 2,078
in MTB general
Yes, I know you are supposed to top up every 3-6 months, but I didn't!
Yesterday I got my first actual flat tyre because of a puncture for years and years, ....and years! I had become complacent. When I eventually got the tyre off the rim (it felt like it was glued on!) there was only dust! Yes actual dust! There was a very thin film of dry latex around the inside of the tyre and no liquid latex at all, not even a smear.

Ah well, this will prompt me to swap to my summer tyres, tubeless of course. :)

Before I fitted the tube, I ran my loose glove around inside the tyre and found three thorns that I was able to pull out with my multi-pliers. They would have promptly punctured the tube as soon as I pumped air in.

Posts

  • oxomanoxoman Posts: 8,663
    Oh dear Steve, happens to all of us. Couldn't you have got away with a tyre worm or plug. Have managed in the past to plug the hole without sealant as dried up like yours. Was lucky as miles from anywhere at the time.
    Too many bikes according to Mrs O.
  • diplodicusdiplodicus Posts: 585
    Same happened to me yesterday.

    Had punctures in both tyres. Weirdly the rear tyre sealed on its own whereas the front was dry. Lucky as I trust the tubeless too much and only carry one tube! Headed straight home...
  • gomezzgomezz Posts: 74
    edited April 2020
    Did my rear tyre last week ( front was new a while ago ) found the hardest part to be the cleaning off of the old rubbery sealant stuck to the tyre bead, twas a sod.
    The best bit was how good my adapted garden sprayer inflated the tyre back up.
  • steve_sordysteve_sordy Posts: 2,078
    I have yet to change my tyres. But when I do I will experiment and NOT remove the old sealant stuck to the bead/rim. Yes, I know it will create all sorts of tiny gaps for air to bleed out. But isn't that was the sealant is supposed to stop? :*
  • steve_sordysteve_sordy Posts: 2,078
    oxoman said:

    Oh dear Steve, happens to all of us. Couldn't you have got away with a tyre worm or plug. Have managed in the past to plug the hole without sealant as dried up like yours. Was lucky as miles from anywhere at the time.

    Apart from the thorns sticking into the inside, there was no external sign of the thorn, as they had long ago worn down. As soon as sealant goes in to the tyre, those tiny, tiny holes will seal.

    The flat I had was in progress when I felt it, still had 4-5 psi instead of 18psi. But after the five mins it took to sort myself out to sort it out, the tyre was flat.
  • steve_sordysteve_sordy Posts: 2,078
    edited April 2020
    diplodicus said:

    Same happened to me yesterday.

    Had punctures in both tyres. Weirdly the rear tyre sealed on its own whereas the front was dry. Lucky as I trust the tubeless too much and only carry one tube! Headed straight home...

    In the 10 years or so since going tubeless, despite only ever having flats from two tyres that failed (manufacturing defect, warranty claim), I still carry my talisman items; ie pump, tube (1), tyre levers, and patches for tube & tyre wall. Carrying those items guarantee I don't get flats! The fact that I actually did have a flat was not a failure of my talisman items it was my failure not to have kept up the sealant level. :(
  • gomezzgomezz Posts: 74
    Steve, I did try to refit thr tyre without removing the sealant from the beads!
    No chance, just would not seal no matter how I tried.
  • steve_sordysteve_sordy Posts: 2,078
    gomezz said:

    Steve, I did try to refit thr tyre without removing the sealant from the beads!
    No chance, just would not seal no matter how I tried.

    You are sure to be correct gomezz! I suspect that it is because there are so many (hundreds?) of tiny gaps caused by the bits of dried up sealant. In my favour is that I will be using an Airshot tubeless tyre inflater. For those that have never heard of them; basically it is an air tank that you inflate and then release in one go. It almost explodes the tyre onto the rim! Despite your helpful warning, I think I'll still give it a go. It won't cost me much time.
  • swod1swod1 Posts: 1,639
    only time I've had problems is when I was using stans sealant. now i'm using another sealant from uberbike not had any issues. After this I'm going to try out some tyre yogurt sealant as a mate uses it and says its good.

    yes the name isn't made up
  • steve_sordysteve_sordy Posts: 2,078
    I use Continental Revo sealant. It looks like ordinary latex to me but is said to have no ammonia in it (why is that a good thing?) and is formulated to suit Continental brand tyres. Which is a shame because I have Maxxis on at the moment! :)
  • gomezzgomezz Posts: 74
    Dont know if it will be any good but when I finish this bottle of Stans I am going to try the gunk that came with my car instead of a spare wheel. I do have a spare wheel!!
    It's the stuff you squirt into the tyre of the car and then use the pump, not the air canister sort. Thought it maybe worth a try. :)
  • The RookieThe Rookie Posts: 27,748
    That's an oopsy!
    I run my bikes Summer/Winter tyres, but I always syringe up the sealant and re-use, it's always lasted 6 months without issue.

    Ammonia can 'rot' certain tyres, so not having an ammonia in it is good if you have one of those tyres!
    10.1Kg FS Litespeed Niota Al
    retired 9.6kg Carrera Kraken
    The Carrera Hardtail combined thread - come on all you Carrera's!
    The Sons Scott Genius RC20 build
  • PerrygcPerrygc Posts: 8
    I changed a pair of tubeless WTB tyres yesterday. Three thorns in one and two in the other but both were holding air easily. Interestingly the rear tyre still had liquid Stans floating about but on the front tyre it had dried up completely. Both Tyres were filled at the same time last autumn.

    I used to be a tyre fitter when I was young so this stuff is normally second nature, but one area where I have failed dismally is with the airshot devices. I have tried two different ones and neither worked anywhere near as good as a proper small compressor and 25l air tank (with a direct hose to the valve) which are much cheaper than they used to be.
  • steve_sordysteve_sordy Posts: 2,078
    Perrygc said:

    ..... I used to be a tyre fitter when I was young so this stuff is normally second nature, but one area where I have failed dismally is with the airshot devices. I have tried two different ones and neither worked anywhere near as good as a proper small compressor and 25l air tank (with a direct hose to the valve) which are much cheaper than they used to be.

    A compressor with a 25litre reservoir is the absolute business! Things like the Airshot and its competitors are just cheaper manual alternatives. No wonder you prefer the compressor, so would I, no unpleasant heaving away on the track pump to charge the Airshot! :)
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