Putting sealant in latex tubes?

Triathlon Forum
1

So does this really work as a preventative measure? How much for Vittoria 700 x 23 latex inner tubes?

2

check out:

http://www.slowtwitch.com/Products/Things_that_Roll/Tires/Sealant_Test_-_Part_1_4147.html

and

http://www.slowtwitch.com/Products/Things_that_Roll/Tires/Sealant_Test_-_Part_2_4155.html
.

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3

Stans worked pretty well in my Corsa Evo’s tubulars. I recommend 1 ounce of Stans per tire. I just got my Orange Seal in the mail today. I will let you know how it works.

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4

I tried Orange Seal in the Challenge Corsa latex tubes on my cross bike without much success over gravel surfaces. On the other hand, Caffè Latex has worked pretty well in the same type tubes on the same wheels on the cross bike as well as for tubeless setup with Schwalbe Sammy Slick cross tires.

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5

From that test, looks like Bontrager tubes and sealant are a pretty good way to go. Plus I can probably get both at my LBS.

6

I used Orange Seal and Challenge latex tubes for the first race of the year this past weekend. No problems so far. One thing that was odd though was pumping up a latex tube with sealant in it. Started to create a bubble where the fluid was settling. Just something to be aware of when inflating i guess.

Oh yeah, tip i learned, always bring/buy extra valve extenders. Mine broke race AM when trying to pump up in the dark.

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7

The bubble, this was with the tube not installed? That happens always, sealant or not.

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8

Tube uninstalled, just putting a little air in tube before installing. Not something i recall happening before, but good to know its common with or without, thanks.

9

check out:

http://www.slowtwitch.com/...t_-_Part_1_4147.html

and

http://www.slowtwitch.com/...t_-_Part_2_4155.html

Thanks for the links! I missed that test.

But I wonder how valuable it is. IME even a very sharp object will not penetrate a latex tube initially… rather the tube will deform around it. So I doubt the latex tubes were even punctured… which is why they performed so well… except for the large nail that went all the way through.

Another very important factor is how long the sealant will last before drying up… especially if it is used in a race-only wheelset. I would expect the sealant to dry faster in a latex tube.

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10

I’ve recently started using Flat Attack, one of the sealants used in the tests. I’m happy so far, but I’ll know for sure as the goats heads start coming out. The Stan’s dried up quickly and left a big lump of latex in the tube (both latex and butyl). Flat Attack hasn’t dried up on me. Stan’s in a tube was also worthless for me on my CX bike for a snake-bite. The sealant never sealed, it just made a big mess.

11

Are you planning to patch-up your tires? If so, you may not want to use sealant. Once the sealant dries up (stans&slime), the inner tube is no longer usable. People have mentioned that if you keep the tubes inflated the chances of the sealant drying up is reduced however, it’s very difficult when the sealant does not work (quite a few times the sealant failed for me and I do not like to patch my tubes) and the tube no longer holds air.

12

I’ve done it, not sure if it works or not. I swap my latex tubes off my wheels after races, and I have noticed that the sealant will cause a deflated latex tube to stick together and I got concerned that would possibly weaken the tube over time.

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13

I’ve done it, not sure if it works or not. I swap my latex tubes off my wheels after races, and I have noticed that the sealant will cause a deflated latex tube to stick together and I got concerned that would possibly weaken the tube over time.

Not sure if dried sealant ruins the tubes but in my experience, the latex tubes no longer inflate properly and cannot be used anymore.