![]() ![]() The thought of struggling to mount a tyre on the bead with a track pump, or using expensive CO2 cartridges, to inevitably give up and take the wheels to a bike shop or track down a compressor, can get the best of us down. The one major downside associated with the use of tubeless, which can outweigh the benefits, is tubeless inflation. It’s not just trail or enduro bikes that are getting set up as tubeless though, more DH and gravity riders are using it to their advantage too. Many riders still hesitate to get involved with tubeless as it’s an area that’s seen as quite hit and miss – especially with larger volume or looser fitting tyres, even if they are labelled ‘tubeless ready’ or UST tubeless. Many production bikes have tubeless compatible rims as standard spec and with the addition of tubeless rim tape, sealant and the appropriate tyres can, in theory, make this switch an affordable and noticeable upgrade. Tubeless tyre set-ups have become increasingly popular over the last few years due to the following advantages: The ability to reliably run lower pressures, increased puncture resistance, and an overall reduction in weight. So if you are using tyres that are not tubeless-ready then latex is the way to go.Going tubeless can have plenty of frustrations but getting the tyres to seat is the main one – the Airshot solves this problem in an instant. Oh, and in my opinion, they don't seal the carcass quite as quickly as latex-based sealants do. Why use non-latex? They don't go off, they don't cling like something from Alien to the inside of your tyre, but they still run out. I have not tried mixing non-latex sealants so I have no idea whether they mix or not. Non-latex sealants I would never mix with latex ones. ![]() When I remove the tyre to swap for something else, I take the opportunity to clean the rim and also the tyre, especially the beads.įor topping up I would use the same sealant for preference, but if it was latex I have used any latex I happened to have without a problem. That provides a useful opening to either add more sealant the quick way or to remove any latex objects rumbling about inside. I remove the wheel and pop the bead on one side enough to see what's in there. I tend to take a look inside the tyre after about six months or a few months after my first top up. I take this as a cue to either add more sealant or see what's going on. But as the punctures increase the tyres slowly need more and more air each time I ride. I check my tyre pressures before every ride and for the first month or so they hardly need topping up. I have never used it and some even jeer at it. I have seen recommendations for a dipstick inserted through the valve (core removed, valve at the bottom). Once you run out your first puncture will become a flat. But of course every time you get a puncture or burp the tyre, you will lose some sealant, so you may run out before it goes off. Between 3-6 months seems to be the range. However you describe it, it becomes useless at moving towards a hole to seal it. ![]() By "go off" I mean sets like stringy glue, or even into a random shaped object that moves around inside the tyre. Click to expand.If it is a latex based sealant, you may have to top up very frequently depending upon the climate as it does dry out or "go off". ![]()
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