No more punctures? Anyone tried this?

[blimpnoddle]

The guys at Cycling Weekly tried putting some tubeless tyre sealant in some standard inner tubes and were very impressed with the results:
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/videos/cycling-tech/how-to-puncture-proof-your-tyres

My main question is, how do you deflate the inner tube, for instance, if you want to replace the tyre? Surely the sealant will just gunk up the valve preventing deflation.

 

[mjr]

I've used sealant to seal punctures. The sealant can't seal a hole as big as most valves but you should take the valve core out to deflate them, else the sealant eventually Gunks up the valve innards and prevents reinflation.

 

[Milkfloat]

I guess another way to look at it is to carry sealant with you. If you do get a p*un*ure then use a bit of sealant, spin the wheel and then reinflate. That way you don't run with sealant in the tubes which eventually dries out.

 

[Lonestar]

Keen cyclist at work has solid tyres...or foamy,whatever.

 

[screenman]

I have been doing that since I know not when, certainly a long time ago though.

 

[Drago]

Isn't that pretty much what Slime does, albeit Slime doesn't lose it physical properties with age like sealant does?

 

[screenman]

Some of us, shall we say long term riders may remember using milk.

 

[SimonJKH]

My main question is, how do you deflate the inner tube, for instance, if you want to replace the tyre? Surely the sealant will just gunk up the valve preventing deflation.

You hold the wheel with the valve at the top, so all the sealant is at the bottom?

 

[blimpnoddle]

Thanks for all the feedback. I think I'll give it a miss. A fair bit of effort, quite messy and needs to be topped up.

 

[mjr]

You hold the wheel with the valve at the top, so all the sealant is at the bottom?

It's rather clingy, so I'm not sure that'll work.

 

[SimonJKH]

Well presumably people who run tubeless manage to get air in and out of their tyres without catastrophe.

 

[mjr]

Well presumably people who run tubeless manage to get air in and out of their tyres without catastrophe.

Wouldn't deflating a tubeless completely like an inner tube mean collapsing the rim?

 

[screenman]

Wouldn't deflating a tubeless completely like an inner tube mean collapsing the rim?

No it does not, at least on our here. If what you mean is losing the seal, if not then I am not sure what you mean.

 

[lpretro1]

Just had one of these efforts in our workshop and we were unable to deflate the inner tube properly to get the tyre off to fix a broken spoke. Because the valve as totally gummed up. Made what would have been a straightforward job into a PITA - your mechanic will not love you for this. lol

 

[mjr]

No it does not, at least on our here. If what you mean is losing the seal, if not then I am not sure what you mean.

No, I mean deflating it completely. See the opening post. While you can use sealant to stop punctures in inner tubes, it has drawbacks that don't affect seamless because you rarely take them to completely empty of air, only to air pressure.

Made what would have been a straightforward job into a PITA

How? If the valve core can't be removed, I thought it would be cut the tube and catch the mess.