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Jan Frodeno * Latex Tubes * Sealant
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Riddle me this. With Jan's use of what looked like the use of Vittoria Latex at Oceanside and the flat is he NOT using sealant?!!?

Kona flats, Germany flats, flats everywhere. Surely someone has to have asked him IF he uses sealant in his latex? Also is their any legit studies saying sealant reduces speed?
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Re: Jan Frodeno * Latex Tubes * Sealant [ErickBar] [ In reply to ]
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Maybe he is using sealant but he's gotten pretty big gashes when flatting. Sealant won't seal a decent sized puncture.

Or perhaps he was running well used tires that already had some cuts on them. Who knows. There are too many variables that we don't know to really make any informed judgement.

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Re: Jan Frodeno * Latex Tubes * Sealant [ErickBar] [ In reply to ]
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Latex are amazingly immune to flats from smaller stuff.
Any latex flats I have had have been cm long stuff and had to use tyre boots to repair.
In fact, every single flat I have had in the last five years has been a tyre destroyer.
I never run sealant as there is simply no benefit.
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Re: Jan Frodeno * Latex Tubes * Sealant [ErickBar] [ In reply to ]
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Someone needs to tell him that glass on the road is to be avoided, not aimed at.
AFM or Jens tested sealant in latex, as far as I can recall there was no penalty
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Re: Jan Frodeno * Latex Tubes * Sealant [lyrrad] [ In reply to ]
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No benifit? Saved me from DNFing twice, and a couple walks home. Your statement is bullshit.
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Re: Jan Frodeno * Latex Tubes * Sealant [lyrrad] [ In reply to ]
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lyrrad wrote:
Latex are amazingly immune to flats from smaller stuff.
Any latex flats I have had have been cm long stuff and had to use tyre boots to repair.
In fact, every single flat I have had in the last five years has been a tyre destroyer.
I never run sealant as there is simply no benefit.

My experience is different from yours. Gotten pin hole punctures using latex with and without sealant. Also seen sealant seal small holes in latex tubes. Sealant is a no downsides addition to latex tubes for race days.
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Re: Jan Frodeno * Latex Tubes * Sealant [mike s] [ In reply to ]
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I gave up on sealant because all it did was fill my now flat tire with orange goop that stained my bike shoes when I changed the tube out.

In the run up to my last race I started using sealant in my latex tubes because I didn't want to chance getting a flat on race day. In 350km of on-road race training I got 4 flats; all the sealant did was make a mess. I was starting to think the sealant was actually corroding the tubes and causing them to fail, because of the 4 flats only once did I actually find something in the tire (and it was a tiny little piece of tire belt).

These were Vittoria Latex tubes with orange seal, in a continental attack and force, mounted to a HED Jet+ disc and H3+ front.

After I gave up on the sealant my flat problems went away (including on race day).

I really, really wanted the sealant to work, but not so much. That's just my n=1. I'm glad it saved your races, but I disagree with your assessment of lyrrad's statement.

I also disagree with Pantelones "no downside" assessment. If it works, or at least doesn't leak out of the tube there is downside. When it gets all over your hands and bike shoes, there is a definite downside.
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Re: Jan Frodeno * Latex Tubes * Sealant [ErickBar] [ In reply to ]
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Agreed with Steve zero way to really know. Adding sealant also adds to rotational weight I think.

I have run races with and without it.

2024: Bevoman, Galveston, Alcatraz, Marble Falls, Santa Cruz
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Re: Jan Frodeno * Latex Tubes * Sealant [mike s] [ In reply to ]
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mike s wrote:
No benifit? Saved me from DNFing twice, and a couple walks home. Your statement is bullshit.

No my statement is my experience of running latex tubes exclusively for the last 30 years.
I have never flatted in a race as roads are closed and I get to ride away from the gutter.

Sealant dries out long before a tube ever needs to be retired.
The tyre I slashed and retired on the weekend had a latex tube that has been patched and will continue in service for a couple of years yet at least.

Generally the only small type flats a latex will suffer is if a piece of glass has lodged in a tyre and works it's way in.
I am pretty good at spotting glass and if I do run through glass I stop and check the tyre before continuing.

Latex tend to just stretch with 'in and out' stab type injuries and because they are usually brightly coloured, cuts on sidewalls usually stand out before the tube makes it's way through.
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Re: Jan Frodeno * Latex Tubes * Sealant [lyrrad] [ In reply to ]
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Latex tubes are my nemesis too...so riddle me this!

I ride Zipp 404s, never have any problems with butyl tubes. Change to latex...first time...5km and puncture in front wheel. Figured I installed it improperly. Next race, put in another latex tube...10km...puncture. So obviously there is something up with the front wheel...but the issue is so small it does not affect butyl tubes and so far no one has been able to identify what it is. So...until I can get some cash together...I will hopefully not be joining the roadside crew with my slow butyl tubes instead of latex. Run latex in the back after I changed it for the first race...and ride it every day...zero issues. Sigh. :)
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Re: Jan Frodeno * Latex Tubes * Sealant [Darren325] [ In reply to ]
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Darren325 wrote:
Latex tubes are my nemesis too...so riddle me this!

I ride Zipp 404s, never have any problems with butyl tubes. Change to latex...first time...5km and puncture in front wheel. Figured I installed it improperly. Next race, put in another latex tube...10km...puncture. So obviously there is something up with the front wheel...but the issue is so small it does not affect butyl tubes and so far no one has been able to identify what it is. So...until I can get some cash together...I will hopefully not be joining the roadside crew with my slow butyl tubes instead of latex. Run latex in the back after I changed it for the first race...and ride it every day...zero issues. Sigh. :)

How about some pictures of the tube in question?

Things to look out for on Zipp wheels are errant small strands of carbon.
I recommend using bead to bead tubeless tape.
I myself have a layer of tubless tape over the original rim strip.
Zipps are reasonably wide so fitting latex to them is usually painless, however, latex do like to creep so make sure your valve is hard up against the rim so it cannot creep around the valve.
Other than that, standard precautions of not capturing the tube between rim and tyre.
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Re: Jan Frodeno * Latex Tubes * Sealant [lyrrad] [ In reply to ]
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I think you are on to something lyrrad...thank you.

Both times the puncture in the tube occurred near the valve stem. The second time it punctured, I had literally just stopped to get off the bike to line up to rack it...and phssssst. So quite likely it has to do with the latex moving around in the rim. I will try it out a few more times and see. But latex tubes can be an expensive experiment...but I know it is something to do with the wheel/my installation so it's worth figuring out what I'm doing wrong and getting it sorted. Thank you!
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Re: Jan Frodeno * Latex Tubes * Sealant [Darren325] [ In reply to ]
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My money would be on your rim tape. Look at the silca rim tape. Good stuff.

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Re: Jan Frodeno * Latex Tubes * Sealant [Darren325] [ In reply to ]
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Darren325 wrote:
I think you are on to something lyrrad...thank you.

Both times the puncture in the tube occurred near the valve stem. The second time it punctured, I had literally just stopped to get off the bike to line up to rack it...and phssssst. So quite likely it has to do with the latex moving around in the rim. I will try it out a few more times and see. But latex tubes can be an expensive experiment...but I know it is something to do with the wheel/my installation so it's worth figuring out what I'm doing wrong and getting it sorted. Thank you!

Because latex tubes are nice and smooth they are very good for accepting patching.
I use parks emergency patches to get home and often just leave them on if the tube holds air, if not then I fit a normal vulcanising patch.
You can also simply superglue old pieces of latex tubes over holes for a permanent repair.
Don't throw away a good latex tube just for the sake of a small hole.
Even though I thashed the sidewall on my tyre on the weekend, the hole in the tube was only about 5mm round.
Patch and continue, you won't notice and rolling resistance increase until you have a coat of many colours for a tube.
If you use the superglue latex piece method, I doubt you could ever measure an increase.
I use my tubes until they have degraded to a useless chemical blob.
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Re: Jan Frodeno * Latex Tubes * Sealant [lyrrad] [ In reply to ]
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lyrrad wrote:
[
You can also simply superglue old pieces of latex tubes over holes for a permanent repair.
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Conventional patch cement works very well and is more flexible than superglue. Coat the tube around the puncture and one side of you latex patch. Let dry until good and tacky and press together. I have a 8 ounce can of Rema patch cement that's many years old and ought to last many more.

Genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.
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Re: Jan Frodeno * Latex Tubes * Sealant [ErickBar] [ In reply to ]
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I don't know... you'd have to talk to Jan about what he does/doesn't do.

For me I use sealant and on the times it doesn't work I had sealant all over... even blew the Silca rubber valve stem thing off too. That said I think it was from me using the stock rim strip with a Flo wheel... I've since wrapped it in (Silca) rim tape.
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