Cycling Weekly sat down with founder and president of tubeless sealant maker Orange Seal, John Vargus, to find out his top tips for maximising the efficiency of your sealant. The exact formula for a brand’s sealant is a closely guarded secret (just as with tyre rubber compounds) but effectively they can all be split into three types – those that contain latex rubber, those that utilise a synthetic alternative, and those that make do without. Most sealants also use small particles that gather around punctures, allowing the sealant to clog and seal larger punctures. What are Latex tubeless sealants? In the event of a puncture, locate the source and rotate the wheel until it is at the lowest point to enable the sealant to begin the process of plugging the hole. Then rotate the wheel until the puncture is at the top. This will allow the air to get to the sealant and enable the sealant to begin coagulating and plugging the hole. If it still leaks air, repeat the process until it works.

Another sealant stalwart, Orange Seal is a brand with a long history. However, in this test, the results weren't superlative. There definitely is something about long stranded particles that really boosts sealing performance. Although Silca has made a lot of fuss about its carbon fibres and its research, it appears that the Muc-Off sealant works in much the same way, with very similar-looking fibres visible in the plugged holes. Most sealants use the coagulating properties of natural latex to clog punctures. Latex is a dispersion of polymers (long-chain molecules) in either water or a water-based solution of ammonia. Inside a hole in the tyre, the air pressure drops and there is a rush of air. This causes the water/ammonia solution to evaporate, leaving the latex molecules to coagulate (knit together), plugging the hole.

26" Tire Recommendations

Don’t just guess the amount of sealant to put in. Start by putting in the amount of sealant the manufacturer recommends. For Orange Seal, it would be 2oz (57ml) of sealant for a typical 700x25c tyre. It should be enough to coat the inside surface of the tyre but not too much to add excess weight. Muc-Off 's pink logo is nearly synonymous with bicycle cleaning and lubes. Many of its products have adopted the pink colourway, and this sealant is one of them. The pink colour is not just for being cool, though, but it highlights any wounds in your tyre and uniquely shows smaller sealant bungs that might have formed unnoticed under a UV light. Every time you adjust tyre pressure you introduce air into the tyre, accelerating the drying process. Outside air temperature will also have a dramatic impact on life expectancy. Effective operating times are reduced as temperature goes up and for many sealants if the temperature drops below zero. If you're going to be far from home and calling out the broom wagon isn't an option, carry tyre plugs or a product like Zot! or Stan's Dart to help deal with larger holes. As a last resort, it's worth having an inner tube with you that you can swap in if all else fails, although the sealant will make this a messy business. Still, 6mm is a very good performance – better than any of the other sealants we tested except Silca – and especially at these higher pressures we tested at.

The larger crystals are very evident in the fluid, categorised by long strand-like shapes. This will mean the only option for installation is to pour directly into the tyre and not through the valve. This is something I would always recommend, and there are various other sealants that also require this. One worrying fact given by Stan’s No Tubes is to inspect the sealant every 2-3 weeks for best performance. Stan’s Race Sealant is definitely worth the small premium over the standard blend. Our heaviest-hitting test riders swear by this stuff – a potent magic formula that heals cuts and makes holes vanish. Stan’s No Tubes Race Sealant is expensive, but contains twice as many sealing crystals and uses bigger particles that can make larger holes air tight. Latex-based and natural, Stan’s is one of the first and best-known tyre sealants. Its popular original formula is proven to work without the familiar issues of drying out prematurely or simply not being able to plug small holes and rips in damaged tyres.Inflate the tyre to below your normal tyre pressure, around 70-80psi, and ride the bike for a few minutes. This allows the pores in the rubber construction of the tyre to open effectively and enables the sealant to really coat the inside effectively. Pit Stop TNT is a thin sealant and it retained this viscosity when chilled, however we noticed a skin had formed over the sealant when it was heated.