Page 114 - AMB Freelist

NOTHING LASTS FOREVER
Have you found you’ve got a flat, and the sealant does nothing? Well, sealant doesn’t last forever. It can dry out or separate, and lose it’s effectiveness. Some of the most effective sealants dry out faster. A few brands make stickers so you can put a note on the rim – but white electrical tape and a permanent marker means you can do this yourself just as easily.
TRY A SEALANT SYRINGE
Effetto Mariposa and Ride Mechanic both have sealant syringes, although the latter is predominantly designed to remove old sealant without breaking the bead. These tools let you set the bead and check your system dry, and then you can add the sealant through the valve stem afterwards.
This way you can check for tiny leaks using a tub of water, or a soapy water spray, before committing to adding sealant. It can end up far less likely to leave a mess.
ARE YOU USING THE BEST SEALANT FOR YOU?
Some sealants are race specific, and plug a hole in no time. But because they react so quickly with air, you will also find they dry out faster! Read the description of the sealant, and you’ll find out more about how much you need to use for your tyre size, how long it should last, what temperatures it works in, and what size hole you can expect it to fix. Most brands have more than one sealant, so do your homework.
DOES YOUR CASING WANT TO SEAL?
Almost all tyre brands will have a TR (tubeless ready) casing and bead, but there are still tyres out there that may be too thin. You should also check that your tyre casing is up to the riding you’re putting it through. If you’re always cutting tyres, or rolling them on the rim – it might be time to move up a casing level for more supoort and protection.
DON’T TOP UP!
If you want high quality sealant that works – why would you top up your old, crappy sealant with new sealant? The result is a mix of old and new. Start fresh each time, to make sure you have the best tubeless sealant quality. You can use the Ride Mechanic Tubeless Exchange Kit to syringe the old stuff out and fill up with fresh sealant – all without breaking the bead on your tyre. If you’ve got a date on your rim for when you put the sealant in, this is easy to plan around.
CARRY REPAIR OPTIONS
A flat tyre that sealant won’t fix doesn’t mean a tube has to go in right away. Plug kits like DynaPlug and the Stan’s DART allow you to plug a hole in the tread, to reduce the size of the hole the sealant needs to seal. It all relies on air pressure, so the key is being quick. Don’y bury your plug kit deep in a pack, keep it handy and know how to use it, so you can save your ride – or someone elses.
UNDERSTAND YOUR TYRE PRESSURES
With higher volume tyres and wider rims, our operating pressures can edge lower. So it pays to be precise. If you’re getting flats, it may be more about a user error than a system error. While paying attention to your sealant type, sealant age and tyre casing is important – tyre pressure is key! Do your own testing to find out what works on a known trail, and use a digital pressure gauge so you can have your bike dialled before you go for a shred. You’d be amazed at the difference even 0.5psi can make.
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