How long does sealant last?

[Tootyred]

Ive been toying with the idea of going tubeless on my recent project , as its the first time I've had both out the box tubeless designed rims and tyres on the same bike.

However, im a little shocked at some reports that the sealant only lasts 3 to 6 months, weather dependent!

So, is that true? What experiences have you had? And, isnt that just a bloody big hassle..as im assuming to preserve any weight saving, you need to clean the old dried gunk out before refreshing?

Like I said, im a tubeless virgin.....just curious to see behind the curtain before i consider ditching my tubes!

 

[Tootyred]

BTW im looking at 700c 23mm rims with 40mm gravel tyres.

 

[widowmaker]

I'm a tubeless virgin too

Interested in how it goes.

 

[clubby]

I’ve found it lasts a lot longer, at least once the initial seal is made. Depends on tyres though. Light xc tyres can weep through the sidewalks their entire life. Thicker enduro and DH casing less so. I’ve had tyres that weep a lot for the first few rides and need a top up but once the sidewall seals they are fine.
Temperature can also be a factor. In hotter countries the sealant can evaporate a lot quicker.
As an example, this week I removed a set of Schwalbe gravel tyres I fitted last year and still had half the liquid sealant volume I added when I fitted them.
Also, unless I’m changing tyres anyway, I never remove to clean, I just top up through the valve.

I would ask if you intend to run your tyres at low pressure? For me, tubeless is all about bring able to run softer tyre with much lower risk of puncture than tubes at the same pressure. Eg I run my 45c gravel tyres at 40psi. If you don’t, then I’d question whether you’d benefit from a tubeless system. I wouldn’t run off road with tubes anymore but accept that while very effective, tubeless isn’t without its peculiarities.

 

[Tootyred]

With tubes im running about 35 to 40 front and 45 to 50 rear. Depends on off im totally off road or using it more road/ farm gravel tracks.

So, might sound stupid, but does the sealant just go hard or does it actually evaporate.
Only surely if you keep adding say 60 to 100g of sealant, dont you end up with really heavy tyres?!

 

[clubby]

So, might sound stupid, but does the sealant just go hard or does it actually evaporate.
Only surely if you keep adding say 60 to 100g of sealant, dont you end up with really heavy tyres?!

Bit of both. The fluid can evaporate through the sidewall but you do also get the fibres accumulating into lumps. Some sealants are worse than others for going lumpy. I use Stans original which isn’t too bad for lumping, but Stans Race is.
I use 60ml per tyre initially but only about 30ml if I’m doing a top up.

 

[novocaine]

Stans lasted about a year, then it went within a few days. It was a bitch to clean out the residue. I went back to tubes shortly after.

Tubeless has its place. But not on a bike that doesn't get used a lot.

 

[wynne]

I like OKO hi fibre sealant. Does the job and has a fairly long life. I found that Stans (can't remember which one) and Orange Seal both dried up quickly.
I think I regularly get a lot of small punctures round here due to the flints so I tend to check my sealant levels about every 6-8 weeks.

 

[Tootyred]

How do you get the old crap out? Is it scrape/ peel it kinda thing...or is it soluble in something?

Sorry for all the questions, but everyone tells me its a game changer, but im very uncertain as to the benefits/ pain factor..

 

[d8mok]

I’ve been running gravel sized tyres tubeless for about 5 years now. Lots of miles and lots of different tyres.

Just gone back to tubes ……


The mess and hassle when they fail doesn’t outway the positives.

MTB - tubeless alll the way

Road - tubes for last 2.5 years now.

If you cover any decent distance you’ll wear a tyre out on gravel before the sealant goes off (or the tyre will delaminate or start to be too thin)