One of the readers of Twenty Nine Inches- “Mickey”, had some great questions that were posted in the comment section of the last article. I thought I would break them out into their own post and share the answers with all of you readers. Here are some day to day issues one might face going tubeless.

What (do) you do with (old) sealant then, throw it away? Probably yes, but how?: This question can be answered in a few ways depending upon which sealant you are using. If you are using a latex based sealant and it dries up, there really isn’t any clean up necessary. Usually the sealant dries into “interesting formations” which Stan’s users have a rather uncouth name for. (!!) These can simply be discarded. If the sealant isn’t dried out though, it can be re-used. Recovery of old sealant from a tire usually is easiest when using a “syringe” type instrument such as the unit available from Stan’s or a similar product from CaffeLatex. Draw out the old sealant and mix it in with new sealant, then add it back into a new tire.

contiking09 036 An injector/syringe tool aids in sealant recovery as well as injecting sealant into tubeless tires.

Glycol based sealants are usually still wet after several months, but may be dried up to a thicker, gooey consistency. If you are switching out tires, it generally will be easier to wipe up the old sealant with an old rag or sponge. After getting the majority of the sealant out, you can wash with a soapy water solution and rinse with water to get any left over residue out. Your rag or sponge could be washed, or discarded with other hazardous waste.

How do you clean tires inside when changing to another (pair)?: Again, in a similar way to what I describe above. Just remember to discard the old rags or sponge with your other hazardous waste.


How do you put the tube (in) when the puncture is too big and you are on the (trail) ? Once you have determined the sealant isn’t going to seal the puncture, you should release all the air in the tire, break down the beads from the rim, and remove the tubeless valve stem. All rather simple things to do, but the whole process is complicated by the mess of sealant you will encounter within your tubeless tire. I have experienced this a couple of times. My advice is to carefully install a slightly inflated tube and push the bead of the tire over the rim without removing the sealant out on the trail. (Of course, making sure you do not have a foreign object in the tire yet, or a tear that requires a tire boot.) Keeping sealant off the trail and off you is the best way, if at all possible.

In the case of Bontrager’s TLR rim strip, you will also want to make sure you have a long stemmed presta valve to allow good purchase with your pump or CO2 unit after installing the tube. I have also found that carrying a multi-tool with a pliers type tool helps in loosening the tubeless valve stem nut, which is generally too tight to remove by hand. (Make sure you pick up your valve stem and stow it before you ride away!)

How (do) all those sealants work during a winter time? Sealants that are water/latex solutions will freeze up. Sealants that are glycol based are much less likely to freeze up, but may become too thick to really seal any punctures depending upon how cold it is out and the particular sealant in question. Some home brew sealants use windshield washer solvent, which aids in keeping the solution from freezing. In my experience, tubeless tires will still work in winter, but you may not see the puncture protection benefits that you do in summer, or during warmer weather.

Okay, that’s a wrap on Mickey’s questions. Thanks Mickey for writing those in the comments section. Remember, if you have any questions, just put them in the comments. I try to answer all of them and I may use one of yours in a future post.