After six years and having zero flats on race day, I had two this past season. Never paid too much attention to sealants since primarily do short course and figure race is over if get flat. Now considering using sealant for next year with two long course races planned. Use Conti TT tires with Vittoria latex tubes. Been reading all the posts here on ST and other articles about sealants with tubes including the 2014 ST two part study. Still have a question though about best way to fill up the tire if needed on the course. If the sealant works, is the best way to pump up the tire by using a C02 cartridge or use something like Hutchinson or Effetto Mariposa? But can they be used for filling up a rear disc when a crack pipe is needed? Appreciate the feedback.
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Re: best way to replace air in a tire/tube using sealant? [gphin305]
[ In reply to ]
My advice is not to do it. I'd say just make your life simpler and use the GP5000 which has a puncture belt and gives up very little in rolling resistance. Or go full tubeless.
But to clarify your question - you're saying that if the sealant does work, but you've lost too much air pressure to continue safely, how do you inflate back up? I'd say don't do that. If the pressure goes too low, just replace the tube with a butyl tube, re-inflate, and be on your way with high confidence. The goal of sealant in tubes would be to have some chance of sealing small punctures very quickly, so you don't have to stop.
As soon as you have to get off the bike, just fix the flat properly. If the puncture was so bad that it didn't seal until you went nearly flat your odds of successfully getting back to higher pressure with a tubed setup are pretty low, and you're better off just committing a few minutes to a full tube swap.
But to clarify your question - you're saying that if the sealant does work, but you've lost too much air pressure to continue safely, how do you inflate back up? I'd say don't do that. If the pressure goes too low, just replace the tube with a butyl tube, re-inflate, and be on your way with high confidence. The goal of sealant in tubes would be to have some chance of sealing small punctures very quickly, so you don't have to stop.
As soon as you have to get off the bike, just fix the flat properly. If the puncture was so bad that it didn't seal until you went nearly flat your odds of successfully getting back to higher pressure with a tubed setup are pretty low, and you're better off just committing a few minutes to a full tube swap.
Re: best way to replace air in a tire/tube using sealant? [trail]
[ In reply to ]
Agree with this... the point/purpose of sealant is that it seals after a puncture and doesn't lose much pressure. If it blows out/doesn't seal you'd be better off replacing the tube.
trail wrote:
My advice is not to do it. I'd say just make your life simpler and use the GP5000 which has a puncture belt and gives up very little in rolling resistance. Or go full tubeless. But to clarify your question - you're saying that if the sealant does work, but you've lost too much air pressure to continue safely, how do you inflate back up? I'd say don't do that. If the pressure goes too low, just replace the tube with a butyl tube, re-inflate, and be on your way with high confidence. The goal of sealant in tubes would be to have some chance of sealing small punctures very quickly, so you don't have to stop.
As soon as you have to get off the bike, just fix the flat properly. If the puncture was so bad that it didn't seal until you went nearly flat your odds of successfully getting back to higher pressure with a tubed setup are pretty low, and you're better off just committing a few minutes to a full tube swap.
trail/xeon....yes, goal is to try and fix/inflate without having to change tube.....even if only inflates to 50-60 lbs. I've carried a spare butyl tube and CO2 in the past (fortunately never have had to use) but at my last 70.3 in Sept, I saw a lot of bikes with Vittoria Pitstop, Hutchinson, Expresso. So, is an option to use or not use sealant but use one of these three sealant/inflator options to fix a flat quickly. Don't care about using tube (or tire) again.....just want to try and get back to T2 as quickly as possible......and avoid changing tube..