Orange Seal Endurance Formula

Were sent a couple of 8oz portions of the Endurance version of Orange Seal, one of the many competitors in the world of tubeless tire sealants.  Orange Seal is not new, but the Endurance formula was designed to last longer in any given condition as compared to the original Orange Seal product.  What you do give up is a bit of ultimate seal-a-bility, if you will, as the Endurance formula will not seal as big a hole in your tire.

From the Orange Seal website:

Endurance tire sealant, it’s formulated to maximize longevity; enabling riders to go longer between top-offs. All while offering the same quick sealing properties you’ve come to expect. 

Whether you’re a beginner, expert, or somewhere in-between you will benefit from its proven ability to last up to three times longer. It is proven to seal large punctures up to 1/4″ and perform under varying temperatures and altitudes. Orange Seal Tubeless Tire Sealant is compatible with most bike tire systems and is eco-friendly. We have developed our new Orange Seal Injection Systemfor easy sealant injection.

Testing a sealant is a bit of a gamble as I am sure not going to tear a good tire just to test sealant.  And even if I just poked a tiny hole in the tire, I would expect any sealant to stop up a tiny puncture like from a thorn or wire.  So what I was looking for was how the sealant was to deal with, how it lasted in the tires I ran them in, and how it ‘looked’ as far as the integrity of the mix over time.  Did it dry out?  Did it separate and begin to congeal and grow boogers?  Was it coating the tire with a nice layer of latex?

I have it installed in three sets of tires now.  The ‘kit’ I received was pretty cool in that it came with two 8oz bottles of the Endurance mix, a hose attachment to inject into a Presta valve with the core removed, and a nifty little dipstick to test and see how much mixture is still in the tire without dismounting the tire from the bead seat and peeking in there.

Now one set of tires came from a bike shop that set up my wife’s Cannondale Slate with a tubeless tire/rim combo about two weeks ago.  Since the she rode over 500 miles on that set up, and I just recently popped the tires off to change to another brand.  That gave me a look at how it was doing in there.

I also have been running them in the Specialized 6 Fattie and have changed tires once since then.

I have not, as far as I know, had any tire damage, but it certainly is possible I have had small punctures that I would never see.

Installing the Orange Seal was pretty straightforward.  I tried using the little hose section that slides over the Presta valve with the core pulled, and it worked but it also was a bit tricky to keep it from popping off there.  Messy.  I preferred to do one of two things:  Either install the sealant when the tire is open before final mounting, taking care to shake it well and tip it upside down with a finger over the spout, allowing any Nanites, their name for the clotting material they suspend in the liquid, to run down and be equally distributed in the mix you are applying.  If I was adding it after the tire was mounted, then I preferred to take an old 3oz squeeze bottle, like you would get as a single serving from Stan’s No Tubes (this was an old Bontrager bottle), and fill that from the master bottle of Orange Seal then simply insert the small nozzle tip of the little bottle into the Presta valve sans core and squeeze till empty.  Repeat as needed.

Now the little dipstick is very clever, although I can sure see losing it into the toolbox somewhere, but it’s a neat idea, allowing you to get an idea of how much is in there in between tire removals. It does have gradations on it like a real auto dipstick, but I am not sure how to read that…always to the top of the markings or?  I suppose you could simply check a freshly filled tire one time and then have a measure to go by.

The results:

Every time I have opened up a tire that had been running the Orange Seal Endurance formula I have seen the same results. The mix has stayed ‘intact’, in that it looks like it did when it when in there…no signs of separation or breakdown.  As well, they have been very moist inside with no real signs of drying up, even when hung in a hot garage for weeks at a time.  Of course, nothing lasts forever, but this looks like it will do better than average in this regard.

As well, there has been a good, even coating of Latex on the rim and tire wall, so that is nice to see, helping the tire sidewall seep less and keeping the rim/tire interface sealed well.  The image to right shows that well, although the messy-spiderweb look is from me removing the tire from the rim and ‘un-gluing’ it all.

I like it even better than my homebrew, which I had OK results with, but was a bother to source liquid latex for all the time.  I was actually shopping for a new commercial solution when these samples came along.  I think I will stay with Orange Seal Endurance for a while and see how it treats me, but so far, it looks like it is very well done.

Note: The products shown here were provided at no cost to Twenty Nine Inches for test and review. We are not being paid, nor bribed for these reviews and we will strive to give our honest thoughts and opinions throughout.