Tubeless Tire Sealant

[Christian Bratina]

Tubeless tire sealant maintenance is a hassle when compared to tubes, but it offers me reassurance that I won't have a quick flat on the fast, twisty descents that I love. I follow a couple rules to maintain them:

1. I start by applying liquid soap to the tire beads to help it pop up on the rim shelf.
2. Before adding sealant, remove the valve core and blow the tire on the rim.  Sometimes the beads will stay on and sometimes one will pop off after deflating.
3. Deflate the tire and add the recommended amount of sealant.  The Muc-Off sealant I use recommends 50-60 ml for 28-30c road tires.  Shake the bottle to mix it well.  I remove the valve core and use a 10-60 mm syringe to add sealant through the valve.
4. Reinstall the valve core and inflate, being sure your beads pop on the rim shelf.  Spin the tire to ensure it is centered.
5. Distribute the sealant to ensure it gets to the tire beads.  I hold the wheel horizontal and slowly rock it around the center to spread sealant to the tire bead for a minute.  Then flip it over and repeat.
6. I leave the tires on my bike on the bike stand overnight with the valve held at the bottom so the sealant pools under the valve.  The next day I check the pressure to see if I got a good tire bead seal.  Then deflate the tires, remove the valve core, and use a plastic wire tie as a dip stick through the valve to measure the depth of sealant.  Today I got 10-11 mm depth.  Reinstall the valve core and inflate the tires.  If you lose a lot of pressure overnight, repeat #5.
7. Since sealants dry out and evaporate, you can lose their flat protection in as few as two months if it is very hot.  Check the sealant depth (#6) at least every 2-4 months (based on your experience with the sealant) and top it off to your original depth.
8. Since you keep adding sealant throughout the year, the tire weight increases without flat protection benefit.  So I take the tires off the rim every winter and place in warm water to scrub the old sealant out with a nylon brush.  Then I start over again.  If you chance sealants, clean out the old one first.

[Adam Marks]

Thanks CB!  That was helpful and on my mind - to do.