• Today was a frustrating tubeless experience.

    I've been running my tyre/sealant combination since February this year and there's been a number of issues but mostly with the tyres - Gravel King Mud 35c, which is tubeless compatible (a number of the GK range aren't). I've now had 6 punctures on them whilst running tubeless. So it's way past time to give them up, that's as many punctures as i've had in the last 5 years across all other bikes. They simply cut up far too easily.

    It wouldnt be the end of the world though if they always sealed up but that's not been the case. The sealant, Caffelatex, has been rather hit and miss.

    Just yesterday I'd topped up both tyres and they had plenty sloshing about yet todays cut just wouldn't seal despite it being tiny, a small thin nick in the casing that should have been trivial. Yet it just kept bubbling away. No matter how much spinning, bouncing, or just letting the sealant pool at the hole - it just kept bubbling out. When the pressure was low I pumped up again, just goes down again.

    So I tried a Maxalami. Didnt help, sealant just bubbled out past it. Previously a Maxalami had helped seal a much bigger messier hole. WTF.

    After 30 minutes I had to give up and pop in a tube. Of course then my pump broke and I had to sit, take it apart and reassemble it to finally get back on the road.

    New tyres were on the cards anyway - something that doesnt cut up so easily. But the sealant has me worried too.

    Since February, a 1L bottle of Caffelatex is now 2/3-3/4 used across two bikes. Once I fit new tyres, and top up the tyres on the other bike that'll be pretty much the whole tub of Caffelatex gone so time to buy more of some brand or other.

    A lot of that use has been due to topping up through the large number of punctures, some sealed, some not. But also due to drying out. And that drying out seems pretty quick, it's northern Europe, not a particularly warm place, but it's occurred twice (and I'd topped up in the meantime) already in 9 months. I guess I can't complain /too/ much as they do claim 1-4 months between top ups.

    But it seems pretty expensive if it's going to continue to cost 20eur+ a year, and give somewhat average results.

  • Where you are getting cuts that don't seal, have you tried inserting "anchovies" to give the sealant something to coagulate around?

    My own experience is of using 38mm Schwalbe G-One tyres over a couple of seasons. Used for 60/40 trails/tarmac, including commuting. These are tyres that don't have great durability as the "knobs" do wear down relatively quickly. However using the regular Stans sealant I have only had a couple of occasions where an anchovy has been required, and never had to resort to having to put a tube in. My bikes are stored in a relatively warm room (where our boiler/washing machine/clothes rack are situated), and found that the sealant requires topping up every 3ish months. (Of course now that I have said all of this I will constantly be getting flats now)

    IMO it sounds like this combination of tyre/sealant hasn't worked very well, but perhaps a change of these and use of anchovies may help you continue to have faith in tubeless tech?

  • The 'anchovies' would be the Maxalami I use. All punctures have been cuts from glass in the centre tread, no sidewall issues. Anyway I'm gonna order new tyres in the week (probably x-one all-round), see how they work with what's left of the current sealant.

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