When Should You Replace Tubeless Sealant? | Maintenance Monday
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- čas přidán 9. 06. 2024
- If you run tubeless tyres, you have to replace your sealant from time to time as it dries up and stops working. But how often do you need to do this? Ollie explains how to check and replace your tubeless sealant in this week’s Maintenance Monday video!
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:37 How Long Does Sealant Last?
1:21 How To Check Your Sealant
3:38 Replacing Tubeless Sealant
5:46 Outro
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What other maintenance videos would you like to see us make?
The STI shifters. How to clean and maintain them, so they work alright.
How about a video on pre or post ride things to check for?
I usually give my bike a once over before I start riding and sometimes after work while I'm relaxing I bring my bike into the den and look the tires over while watching tv, there seem to be a species of thorns that is attracted to bicycle tires where I live, I caught most of them before they can puncture anything, so far😆
Yeah I wanna see you take the tubes and add sealant to them beautiful Zipp 353's. Deer gawd man remove the tubes!
I'd like to know if its possible to carry out a full service yourself on a modern road bike and is it cost effective. I've always done my own while I've had 10 speed rim brake set ups but would be nervous doing same on modern electric shifter and hydraulic brake system groupsets.
Changing disc brake pads would be handy
Another indicator that sealant needs to be topped up is when your tyre starts to lose more pressure than normal between rides. (Although you probably should have replenished it before this point!)
Another tell-tale sign I had before being more on top of changing the sealant was when I spun the tire I could hear a rubber ball bouncing and rolling around inside. All of the sealant had dried and collected. Bonus free bouncy ball, at least.
Easiest way to control an works👍🏼
Stan's Race?
That's one of the most practical and helpful videos I have seen in my quest to convert to tubeless. Thanks.
Keep a supply of new valve cores handy to replace old ones clogged with dried-up sealant. Makes filling tyres with air alot easier with unobstructed valve cores.
After adding sealant l swab out the tire stem before screwing in the valve. Seems to make valves last a little longer
I've never had problem with dried sealant because I find I can just pick it out, it's usually around the bottom of the core.i do are when the old one is too bent
Great video! Clear and concise instructions! Given the high costs of a bike and the bicycle maintenance, associated with those bikes decided that it was time that I start doing a lot more of the basic maintenance myself. Videos like this are VERY helpful! Thanks!!
Thank you so much for this video, Ollie. I've just changed the sealant on my Liv Langma Advanced for the first time ever and I think it's worked a treat. I wouldn't have had the confidence to do it without having watched this video first. 👍
I topped up my tires the other day just as this video explained and it worked like a charm. Thanks Ollie for the clear instructions. The procedure took about 5 minutes ー no fuss, no muss.
Glad it helped! Enjoy the riding 🙌
I came with a question in mind, you answered it, clearly, unambiguously. I thank you and bow in your direction.
This was an awesome maintenance video, great job Ollie keep up the great work
When releasing the air, do it in the 9 o'clock position or you might get sprayed with sealant!!
You can also remove the tire and give it a good shake; if you don't hear sealant sloshing around then it's dried up. You do need a quiet room to hear it, and if you've blown your hearing this won't work.
Just add and top up. Music to my ears, thanks! I’ve been dreading the rigmarole of removing/resetting my tubeless MTB tyres.
I see Ollie, i click and i like right away automatically within the first silly joke lol
#dadjokes
Ollie, you are brilliant as always!
Great video Ollie. Just what I needed as I need to check my gravel bike tyres. And I've got the t-shirt 😀
For Stan's "No Tubes" sealant, I've found that the sealant (pink, gummy stuff) dries on the inside of the tire, leaving a puddle of clear liquid in the tire that has little or no sealant in it. Hence I typically want the clear liquid out of the tire before adding "fresh" sealant.
😂 best commentator of the GCN GROUP kept it interesting funny and full of important information as usual. Thankyou
Love the sense of humour.
Great, good tips. What about rim tape replacement? How often do you need to do this?
Great - thank you!
Simples ! And genius ❤️
Thank's dude, i discovered that my sks tom 18 includes the valve opener !
That was helpful and practical. The removal and cleaning of old gunk has put me off putting in the new (was just hoping they hold out instead). If I can just chuck in fresh pink goo, then all is good. 👍😎
I was procrastinating at the prospect of unseating the under used tyres on my emtb to scrape the dried out sealant out of it. Makes so much sense not to bother, thanks Oli and GCM as the rest is easy peasy!
Good one Ollie! 😉 It’s always worth getting your dipstick out.
In the last videos he's getting more suggestive... and I'm all in for it 😀
@@g.west2372 mixed feelings. It is easy to go the wrong way commenting on it and end up insulting his gf.
Love Ollie videos! I went to check sealant in my tires recently. As I deflated, sealant started seeping out from under the bead. From the amount coming out it appeared there was enough sealant still, so stopped letting the air out and reinflated. Check complete 😁
lol - had checked my sealant with the valve at 6 o'clock, and, sealant started seeping out. Suggest starting with the valve higher than the 6 position and then slowly rotate the wheel to 6.
Thanks for a great video! (About how high up on the zip tie should the fluid level be? half inch? quarter inch?.. Thanks so much!)
You are the man.....
Cheers Ollie you saved my bacon! After watching this I checked my gravel bike with 38C Panaracer Gravel Kings which I fitted in March and were fully filled with Muc Off sealant (the purple stuff) at the time. They failed the dip stick test with a de-cottoned cotton bud. They were almost bone dry! They are now fully re-filled. Perhaps the two super hot heatwaves in the UK caused things to dry up faster than normal?
Thanks again and will re-check in a few months.
Hey! living in a very dry area I have to top it every 2 months in summer and around 4-5 months in winter. How fast it dries is more a fact of how dry/wet is your environment more than the temperature. But for sure the heatwave would make the environment a little more dry than normal.
Thanks for this video.
I CANNOT WAIT TO HEAR HOW MANON FARED IN HER RACE YESTERDAY!
Ollie is a vibe.
Nice one Ollie. I've been tubeless since 2016 I've tried a few different sealants, Stans Orange and Specialized RapidAir sealant, I like the RapidAir best. Like Ollie, I check it and add @ 3 months, its easy I tire lever one side open add sealant , reset bead then add air.
Somewhere a science classroom is missing its professor.
I use tubeless valves on my mountain bikes. That has a valve core tool as a valve cap. The other is also a spoke key.
Nice one !!!! Really needed this info got new bike 3 months ago with tubeless tyres. So time to replace
I changed a set of tires recently and cleaned the old sealant from the ones I removed. Seemed to be more trouble than it's worth and I won't be doing that again. I will make sure the bead is clean, though.
Thanks for posting this, it was very clear and helpful. I did have a question that does not look as if it has been asked. You said if the dip stick is dry then it is time to top up the sealant. But what would you say is the minimum of depth of sealant before it is time to top up, e.g. it is probably about 5 mm after topping up so maybe about 2 mm or 3 mm?
Good video! I had a puncture few days back and it didn't seal because sealant dried out after just 3 months. Guess hotter California climate speeds up the process. Therfore this time I put 50% more and check again in 3 months.
Ollie is ever entertaining.
At the end when adding sealant do not rotate the valve all the way to the 6 o'clock position, stop at 3-5. This allows the sealant to run down hill and not be pooled at the valve. When adding large amounts sometimes the tire will inflate slightly and when you remove the bottle the pooled sealant can push back out when the tire goes back to zero pressure. Had this issue with the green goop in mtn bike tires.
That's a good idea. Thx for sharing.
Hooked rims
Clinchers
Tubes
No mess no fuss
I installed a pair of 25 mm GP 5000 TLs back on June 15th and filled em up with 100 ml of fluid each. On Aug 20'th I hit a pothole with my front in a dark tunnel and had a puncture on the running side of the tyre. The tyre gone flat in less than a minute and I inflated it 3 times before realizing that I have not a single drop of solution. I had to borrow a wheel and go back 17 km to the car and get solution. After adding 100 ml, and inflate, the tyre was good to go. Soi my advice to you is to add 50-80 ml per month if you want to be protected. Because in the summer, in Eastern Europe (Romania and Greece), we get 35-40 degress daily. This with 4 moth is maybe for winter time
Sticking with tubes for now.
Back for a refresher 5+ months after topping up my 32mm road tires. No sound of sealant sloshing and PSI drops from 50 to 40 between rides. I'll drop to 4 month checking/topping up.
Not all tyres wear at the same rate Ollie. My front tyre, even with rotation could last 2 to 3 year or even more so I’d definitely have the tyre off the rim at least once a year or two to scrape out the material that’s dried.
Take the opportunity to clear out the valve cores while you have them out of the valve so you can get a good airflow when pumping up your tyres. Even so eventually they will deteriate and will need replacing ☹ Also if you are not going to ride your bike for a while put the valves to the 6 o'clock position. If you leave them at 12 o'clock after a ride then there will be fluid in them and it will harden, at 6 o'clock it should run out.
Good information. I’m about to do this first time @ 4 months. I had a puncture a few days ago, and the small amount of sealant that escaped was liquid consistency. I live in a warm climate and store bike indoors. I’ve had three punctures in 1000 miles. One front, two rear. The front self sealed but did spray sealant all over. The rears didn’t self seal, and after some sealant kept escaping, I used a dyna plug each time. Took a few seconds, and no issues since. So for me, the convenience has been excellent. I have 32s and I inflate to the low 50 pounds. I ride road only. I will never go back to tubes.
great
Hi Ollie, I would love an explanation of how the internal friction of the tire and the different tube material affect the overall rolling resistance. Why are different materials more efficient?
I believe it is from friction of the tube and tire. Here's something that is no longer done, but used to always be done - tubes used to come with a fine powder, most likely talc, and that used to reduce friction a good deal. I still have a bottle of baby powder, and still coat all my tubes with it before storing them sealed up in bags for use when I get flats. I honestly believe that the wattage gain claims companies and GCN use (comparing tube to tube, comparing tubeless to tubes) are with not-talc'ed tubes.
@@kingofcrunk4237 talc my tubes to. Its worth it.
@@thebrowns5337 Good to know that I'm not the only one who remembers. Newbies think we're crazy, lol. Don't get me wrong - I love that most of my bikes are tubeless, but I still make the effort to talc the spare-tube for that emergency change-out. The talc may also help with slipping the bead of the tire casing closed over the rim again in such a repair of a tubeless that needs a tube.
Got it! I think!
TS-1, the sealant syringe everyone has broken the needle on, and the needle is sold out everywhere.
Good hair!
Once the old sealant has dried up, is it okay to add a different type of sealant to the tire? I have changed types but have heard that mixing can be problematic for performance of the sealant.
Is it always ok and no problem to deflate `normal` like 1:50 with sealant in? I concern it may turn sealant solid like an actual puncture situation, sudden change of air pressure etc.
I'm done with sealant. Latex tubes for road tires, TPU for anything bigger. 45gr TPU tube in a 650b 47mm wide tire is amazing and rides better too.
Why
I use "Flat Out" in both tube and tubeless gravel and mountain bikes. Works perfectly and DOES NOT DRY OUT! (For 10 years anyway lol).
Thanks for the video, I have two questions:
1. how much did you deflate the tyre in the step one? It still seems to be quite inflated in rest of the video
2. can you mix various sealants? I have no idea which compound was put there by technician so I would just go for whatever brands` marketing persuades me.
well removing valve core will release all pressure, so its safe to assume all the air. Maybe tires are rigid or clips shot at different times.
after you put the sealant for a new wheel first time, weigh it. when wheel's weight start falling >10% top it up.
Dr Ollie, if I’m using my bike over the winter - indoors only - and my bike is tubeless, do I need to replace/check the sealant, or use this as a good reason/season to clean the insides and have them ‘sealant-free’? Point to note: not yet had a puncture on my Kickr/Zwift setup. Great show.. Thanks.
Yes you do … and yes it is…. But you should use a trainer tire for your indoor work as heat will destroy a regular tire…. Just get a cheap wheel and install trainer tire
What about just giving the wheel a shake? If you can hear the sealant sloshing around then it doesn't need topping up and there's no need to deflate the tyre. Works for me with my gravel bike.
One thing I can never understand, and it seems tubeless users have an 'emporers new clothes' moment about this is the added weight when you keep refreshing/topping up seallant.
I know this was partially covered but again...emporers new clothes.
A lbs employee said he topped his mtb wheels up weekly. Even if all the water of whatever evaporated there is still weight left behind, and you aren't going to wait until it's all dry, there will be some moisture.
No way tubeless ends up lighter than tubed.
tubeless is good when new. After 2 or 3 punctures in the micro-cut tire it will never be the same. 100psi? impossible. 65 70 or less or bye sealant . I'm happy with light tubes and 4season :)
I was a skeptic, but now I'm a tubeless fan.
Not even one puncture on my road bike this summer.
Which tires are you using?? what country city do you mostly ride???
Staying with inner tubes - for ever!!
I have just removed my tyre after 6 months (Pirelli pzero with stans sealant) i was expecting it to be dried but weirdly it was almost entirely the same volume of sealant.
After watching this well presented video (nice job Ollie!) and reading the many comments from folks about their own sealant protocols, I find myself even more convinced that my use of 40 gram Schwalbe TPU inner tubes on my road bike is the best strategy FOR ME. It's great us cyclists have a choice of products so that tubeless folks can do their tubeless thing and tube folks can do their tube thing. 👍🙌☺️
exactly, what really is the great advantage of tubeless, only slightly faster? As changing an inner tube takes about 5 mins and that's a rarity anyway.
@@100sky3 Yes! Give me my Continental GP5000 tires plus Schwalbe TPU inner tubes and let me ride off into the sunset! 🌅🚴🏼
The problem with tube is that if you puncture, it has a 0 percent chance of sealing and your ride is ruined.
With tubeless, it will seal most of the times without you even noticing.
Tubes represent a 100% chance of stopping your ride, while tubeless allows you to ride on 80% of the time.
@@slowcyclist4324 yes so you carry a spare tube, as most tubeless riders do anyway....so where's the big advantage?
@@100sky3 because small thorns or even a small nail won't cause me to have to change a tube. Annoying to change tubes...the tire just seals up and you ride on. Huge advantage
How thick are the drop-outs?
I replaced sealant once....when I went back to latex tubes after 3 months fiddling with The Tubeless Nonsense 😅🙄
Can u add water to rehydrate the sealant?
I was just formulating an Isaac Newton snark when you said “it’s not magic, it’s gravity”. Ruined my day.
Never heard that tip about the valve core remover being on a multi tool, but just scrutinised my one (old Topeak Alien) and found the space on the chain splitter that does just that once the pin/thread have been unscrewed...top tip Ollie! (Tubeless is the way forward, love the comments from the rim brake loving luddites...)
I tend to find the sealant clogs up the valves to the point I can’t always get air in. So have to clean entire valve before getting any where
Yeah, I just add sealant and don't worry about what's dried up anymore. The time I did go to clean it up it was more trouble than it was worth. I figure it's just another layer of protection anyway. Then by the time it gets too mucked up inside it's time to get new tires. One less hassle to worry about.
I'm not spending another $100 on a pair on new tires
@@Chris-de2qc I'm just saying I add sealant until it's time for me to buy new tires. I usually swap them out once a year anyway, so that's adding sealant like maybe twice a year. Just an excuse to buy new stuff.
Replace or refill? Thanks Olie
Im not a tubeless fan, but base on my experience seeing other tubeless rider having problem with their tubeless...I would say replaced it. New rim tape, Valve and sealant with clean tires is the way to go.
I recently had a small puncture that sealed very quickly, a few seconds, and I didn't get sealant all over the frame. I had only topped up a few weeks before. Do I need to add a bit more to be safe?
you lost like a dropplet of sealant
I've got some Mavic Ksyrium S rims tubeless and bombproof weighting in at a nice 1560g, riding them for three months now. Funny enough I've not gone tubeless yet! I thought I'd give the TPU-40 gram tubes a try thinking, "Ok when I get a flat l will do the jump over to tubeless" but heck no flats yet...
I fear this is going to take a lot longer then I thought lol. And I may even stay with the idea of using tubes. I mean, when you think about it, it just takes a couple of minutes to change an inner tube.
It's just so hard to stay away from a MaxissTyre with puncture protección that ONLY weighs (185g and a tube that's 3×stronger that weighs 40g) !!!
I should probably top my up after 5 years. Never punctured though!
My bike is three years old and never added sealant. Might something be wrong?
can i add too much sealant? Like are 70ml too much for a roadbike and i get disadvantages? Or am i just burning money ?
Best thing about this video is having a laugh at those worried about the weight of dried sealant. Does calculating the weight loss from tread wear in your tyre keep you awake at night? "it's got 3256 km on it now perhaps I should reweigh it? 🤔" 😂
Great tips! But.. there are better sealants, try Silca.
What is the weight difference between an inner tube and the sealant needed in a tyre (total sealant weight after say a year)?
How much is the difference if the weight of the tubeless valve is included?
"get yourself a dip stick .."
*Cries in CushCore*
But it might also be the the dipstick is still wet but without enough latex in the fluid. At that time the fluid does do its job anymore. It is more a kind of water at that time iso a mixture of latex which is needed to fill up the gaps.
OK, I've never tried tubeless, but now I am thinking about it.
The thing is, I worry about flats while on a long, remote ride and being able to fix them. With tubes, beadless clinchers, C02 and a backup minipump, it's easy to handle any tire damage scenario and get back riding within a matter of minutes. Not so sure with tubeless. Does a flat mean "ride over"? Are tubeless only intended for pro riders who are backed up by a sag wagon filled with fresh wheels?
Just take a spare tube and a pump with you as you do with tubes. You can always put a tube in a tubeless tire too. But till now every cut got sealed and I got home without putting a tube in.
#askgcntech If storing my wheels indoors over the winter, should I be rotating them occasionally? In other words, is there any issue with leaving the sealant pooled at the bottom for months at a time if they're at 23degC or so?
Whenever I put a tubeless tire set up aside for long periods, I remove the sealant with a syringe. I have even squirt it back into the bottle.
They just create a pile of dried sealant at the bottom; I would rather remove one pile versus having it dry all over the tire.
One extra point that I'd add is that you should consider the type/brand of sealant. They can be using different processes for the sealant to 'work', so topping up would work only with the same brand, as otherwise you could be diluting both inside the tire.
But it's such a love-hate relationship. Tubeless setup saved me quite a few times on the road, but I ended up having to patch the tire from the inside and reassemble after a few hundred k.
NOOOooooooooop ! Dr Bridgewood , please do not use pliers ! I know , most folks have em , but even an adjustable wrench is more forgiving . Thanks to all involved in these ! Dipstick out , here .
Ollie, how do you inflate that tire, with such a short valve? It looks like there's 5mm sticking out, or less!
Where I ride we get below freezing weather. My bike is not stored in the house, but in an unheated shed. Does the sealant freeze?? And, I've been having problems pumping up my tire, is the sealant clogging the valve?
According to Stans website, their product is good to use down to some seriously cold temperatures, so depending where you live, I imagine it would be fine.
I change my yearly or as needed. Rarely get any flats.
Also if you have more than 1 bike, make sure you don't mix different sealants. I run Stan's in one and Muccoff in the other. It just happened that way. Aloha.
Hey ollie, is it enough if i just remove my wheel from the frame, then shake the tire and listen if there is sloshing of fluid?
Even if there's something in the tier doesn't nessary mean that it's ok. It can loose it's properties over time anyway.
Hahaha, when you said 4-6 months I then realised I haven’t changed mine to two years, god I’m a bit late
It tells you right on the sealant bottle, how long till sealant gets added...........also a thin prod can be used as a dip stick. Easy.
dip sticks out for ollie
What's the purpose of that Park tool going across the top tube on the Orbea?
My guess is it keeps the bars and front wheel straight. Same could be done with a string tying the front rim to the downtube, unless you're (re)moving the front wheel.
Fillmore valve?
What is that blue thing above the top tube and how does it work?
It keeps the bars from turning.