Tubeless tires are undoubtedly one of the most influential changes to mountain bikes in recent years, and have nearly eliminated flat tires for most riders. The magic behind the curtains is that tire sealant floating around inside of your tire, instantly plugging all those little holes that would have left you stranded if you were running a tube.

However, tubeless sealant doesn’t last forever!

If you go too long between refilling your sealant, there won’t be any left to plug the next little hole you put in the tire. You’ll need to put new sealant in your tire in one of three scenarios: it gets used up because it’s plugging your punctures, it evaporates because you live in a dry climate, or it’s been in your tire long enough to expire.

Refreshing sealant is so easy to do, but is often forgotten because it’s out of sight and out of mind, just like that ice cube you kicked under the fridge. How often sealant should be topped off depends on many factors like temperature, humidity, and how often you shralp corners. We recommend checking your sealant a month or two after installation, just to get an idea of how quickly you’re going through the stuff.

If you’re somewhere with really dry air like Arizona or Colorado, chances are you’ll have to top off after losing some sealant to evaporation every month or two. In more humid states you may have to put up with sweating a gallon of water on all of your rides, but at least your sealant won’t evaporate as quickly!

When topping off sealant we recommend just adding one or two ounces of sealant instead of a full dose.

Personally, I go through a set of tires every few months and find that the sealant doesn’t need topping off before installing fresh rubber. If you find that your tires are lasting you longer than 6 months, then it’s time to wipe out all that old sealant and throw in fresh sealant. After about 6 months the sealant won’t be able to fill those little holes you’re putting in your tires.

If you aren’t able to ride for a couple weeks, then we recommend getting a quick spin around the block to keep that sealant from coagulating in the tire. If the sealant isn’t forced to move around for more than a few weeks it’ll start the slow process of hardening in a puddle at the bottom of your tire, which can be easily prevented by just giving the wheels a quick spin.

Tubeless tires were a great revolution in mountain biking, but we do need to make sure those tubeless tires stay tubeless. A quick refill of sealant or a full refresh can go a long ways, and is not a difficult job to do.

When you should refill the sealant in your tubeless mountain bike tires:

• After it seals a big hole
• When it evaporates after months in the tire
• When it expires after 6 months
• When you are installing new tubeless tires

Got questions? Feel free to shoot us an email or give us a call!

360-306-8827

sales@thelostco.com