Tubeless Setups: Do you Carry Extra sealant?

[SnoViking]

Hey Folks,

So I just converted to a tubeless setup on my mountain bike and I'm curious if anyone carries extra sealant with them when they ride? I was reluctant to go the tubeless route because of the amount of sharp rocks and such where I ride, so I was thinking through scenarios and "burping" the tire came to mind. If I get a side-wall slash I'm out no matter what. In the past I actually ran downhill tubes for peace of mind (sure they weigh more but in 3 years of riding and hundreds of miles, I never once had a pinch flat or puncture.)

Am I crazy for thinking carrying extra sealant (2oz +/-)?

 

[whwv]

I know people that carry a small bottle on the trail, but I don't. I inject fresh sealant every month or two so I know it's not all dried up. So, if I have a flat on the trail it's because the hole was too big for the sealant to plug and it's unlikely adding more sealant is going to fix the problem.

You aren't going to loose much sealant, if any, when you burp a tire. If you find yourself burping, your air pressure is probably too low. If you want to run low pressure (like I do) for traction, wider rims change the tire profile which prevents burping.

A common mistake for people new to tubeless is that they get a flat because the sealant dried up after a couple of months. Get yourself a valve core tool and an injector (a syringe with a piece of tubing) so you can easily add fresh sealant through valve stem each month.

Tubeless is awesome, but you are going to still need to carry a spare tube on rides you are not willing to walk out from.

 

[Christophe Noel]

For years I carried an embarrassingly small number of trailside repair items and was not only cavalier about it, was damn lucky I only suffered one short walk-out. Now that I'm a freshly diagnosed Type-1 diabetes rider, ya that sucks, the thought of me being out in the bush longer than expected makes me nervous.

So, I carry the kitchen sink. With regard to flat fixings, I carry:

- Pump (a good one and I inspect it regularly)
- Tube with an extra replaceable core (presta)
- Genuine Innovations Tubeless plug kit (weighs absolutely nothing)
- Pre-glued patches
- Park Tire Boots, (also preglued)
- Alcohol pads for boot and patch prep
- Super glue (fixes some tire cuts, and does it really quickly and easily)
- Curved sewing needle with about 40 inches of dental floss for stitching sidewall tears
- Small bottle of Stans sealant and core remover
- Presta valve replacement for tubless
- Three tire levers (need two and break one and you're bumming)


Sounds like a lot. And it is. But honestly all of that stuff is so small it fits in your hand and save for the tube and sealant, weighs a tiny bit. Why so much? I have every scenario covered, and on more occasions than I care to count, it isn't MY tire that is the problem, but someone else on the trail I feel obligated to help when all they brought to the deal is a frown.

Added:

To put this in perspective, this constitutes the bulk of my repair items and tools. In addition to this I carry:

- 11, 10, and 9 speed SRAM Power Links. They're light and I can fix min chain or others regardless of what they have
- 3-4 zip ties, usually for fastening brake housings that have come loose
- Gorilla Tape, usually a bunch of it wrapped around my Stan's bottle.
- Multi-tool with tools I confirm fit everything on my bike, and can actually be used on every bolt on my bike. Some folding tools don't allow you to easily access all bolts.
- Chain tool on the multitool.
- small pocket knife
- Headlamp because this crap always happens 30 minutes before dark.
- Rubber gloves. Cuz when you need them, they really are nice.

 

[mtnbike28]

No, in almost 10 years of tubeless, I have only completely flatted once (burped) and the shot of CO2 sealed it back up. On rides farther from the trail head I do carry a tube. I figure if it rips a hole too big for sealant, I will need the tube, a simple burp is the CO2. I only add sealant when it stops holding air over 2 weeks or so. But when I switch tires, the stuff is dry!

 

[Christophe Noel]

Down here in the arid southwest, sealant dries quickly. I've had several flats due to small holes that wouldn't seal because my sealant had pooped out. Instead of removing the whee, tire, valve, then adding a tube, I can often just shoot more sealant in the tire, inflate it, then carry on. I've also plugged some holes than wouldn't seal, added a bit of sealant for added insurance, and ridden like that for hundreds of miles.

I started doing this because some of the tubeless tire and rim combos I've been using as of late are so tight, the old, "just slap a tube in there" trick is actually a colossal pain in the pants.

 

[nmdezert]

Another SW desert rider here. I carry two 2 oz bottles. It's not often I need them (assuming I am maintaining my sealant and not letting it dry), but when I do, they save me from a long walk. And I agree with Christophe - throwing a tube in is more of a hassle than sealant and/or sewing a sidewall.

 

[Christophe Noel]

Dave in Denver, I completely understand what you're saying about popping in a tube because your tire/wheel combo makes it easy. That's the one reason I stuck with my tubes for so long. Tubeless is a PITA at times. I'm currently testing a set of prototype wheels from a major wheel player and every tire I've tried on them is so bloody tight, I'll do anything to fix a flat without resorting to pulling the tire. I can wobble home on a slightly unseated tire. I first have to get the bugger off to get a tube in it. Then back on!!

 

[dman93]

I only carry tubes (plus of course tire levers and patches and pump). Three times I've been on rides where resealing failed (for someone else) and we needed a tube. Then it happened to me and the tube was quick and easy. I tend to carry a lot of repair items and first aid stuff, so saving even the volume of one bottle of Stan's is helpful. Besides, when you break your collarbone, a tube makes a nice sling to stabilize your arm when you have to hike out several miles pushing your bike with one arm. DAMHIK.

 

[rcharrette]

I run tubeless and it works great 99% of the time. If you get a flat it's a mess though I've had 2 major tire failures. One time a stick went right through the tread! The other just a big cut side wall. In both instances I slammed a gel pack, pulled out my tube, installed it with the empty gel pack as a "boot". Works like a charm.