Best tubeless sealant

Discussion in 'Sealant' started by Tom the Bomb, Apr 22, 2018.


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  1. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower
    Orange Seal paid them more money in advertising.

    As a "review" site....they are awfully biased towards those companies that advertise.
     
  2. rossage

    rossage iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    East Sacramento
    Name:
    Ross Lawson
    Current Bike:
    Highball
    Yeah, just trolling the boys....
     
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  3. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    Does this mean no more (Stan's) boogers when using Finish Line? :confused:
     
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  4. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    It’s worth it just for the air retention! I haven’t added more than a pound or two of air since VQ- 5 weeks ago.

    You want it to seal holes, too??? :p
     
  5. Runs with Scissors

    Runs with Scissors iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    West Anaheim
    Name:
    Mark Whitaker
    Current Bike:
    Giant XTC with pedals
    Seems Fish Line failed the real world test against an actual hole.

    The comments following said it was great, but apparently without actually having to seal a hole.
     
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  6. Cyclotourist

    Cyclotourist iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Redlands
    Name:
    David
    Current Bike:
    Don't fence me in!
    I don't know about that hole... it looks like it was right at the lip of the tire, next to the bead. I can't say if Stan's, Cafe Latex or Orange Seal would do any better. The fluid just doesn't go up the sidewall to get a spot like that. How does it work against plain old goat heads?

    Edit: I see it's right at the edge of where the tread ends. And yeah, it's a slice, not a puncture.
     
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  7. UPSed

    UPSed iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Simi Valley
    Name:
    Ed
    Current Bike:
    Niner Jet 9 RDO
    It was a slice. I've yet to see any kind of sealant permanently seal a slice. As soon as you start rolling and the tire flexes it's going to let go. The cut looks like a good candidate for a plug.

    20180520_213004.jpg
     
  8. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    Sealed mine during VQ, I believe... it happened too fast and I was a little less than 100% at that point. I may have been hearing things.
     
  9. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    That is the difference with this stuff... If it works. The jury is still out. The sidewall and tread are covered equally, as it paints the inside of the tire completely with jelly. No pools at the bottom when the tire is at rest. I'm pretty sure this is the reason that my tires don't lose air anymore. The thin weepy sidewalls aren't allowed to be weepy anymore.
     
  10. JordanHMay

    JordanHMay Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Rancho Santa Margarita
    Name:
    Jordan May
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon
    All I’m going to add is to sort of echo what J said earlier. MTBR is a bought and paid for website. Read their reviews long enough and you’ll see where they “push” readers. Just follow the accompanying ads. :)
     
  11. Fijirob

    Fijirob Member

    Location:
    Ladera Ranch
    Name:
    Rob
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  12. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower

    Exactly...that is why they are pushing the Ebike agenda so much.
     
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  13. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    On our Black Star + Single Tracks ride the other day, I apparently sliced the front tire on Booby Trap. The slice is approximately 1 inch long, and runs vertically between bead and tread. Some of the slice isn't all the way through, but there are several spots that are seeping inside the cut.

    The good news? I didn't notice it until I went to put the bike on the rack after the ride. The front tire lost about half of its air... But it sealed without me even realizing it had been cut. I filled it when I got home, and it held air the rest of the week. I don't trust the tire with the type of cut it has, but the Finish Line sealed it, and got me back to the car as well as Stans or Orange Seal would have. Maybe better...
     
  14. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    Update... I have been off of the bike since last Saturday. 9 days and counting. :(

    The Chameleon has been sitting in the garage, baking in the heat... Thinking that she's unloved. :( :cry: I noticed a small chalky circle of sealant in the center of the tread, where it had sealed a puncture in the past. Looking at the tire more closely, there are at least 6 "pin prick" type holes that were sealed fast enough that I never noticed, and fast enough that I never lost air. I'm pretty sure the way this stuff coats the tire lets it work much faster than a liquid that pools and then has to "find "the hole. The tire still has 25 PSI in it, even after sitting for 9 days. And I don't remember when I last had to add air... I love this stuff for the air retention alone. :thumbsup:

    I'm going to call "Total BS" on the MTBR review. It sealed a front sidewall tear enough to get me back to the car without ever noticing it... And it's been working steadily on the punctures in the rear since the tire was mounted in March- before Vision Quest.
     
  15. UPSed

    UPSed iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Simi Valley
    Name:
    Ed
    Current Bike:
    Niner Jet 9 RDO
    Good stuff! While swapping tires on Saturday I noticed mine has turned a pretty shade of blue. I will get a pic next time.
     
  16. Poofighter

    Poofighter Member

    Location:
    Cypress Hill
    Name:
    Noel
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Shortboy
    Thanks once again for the update. I decided to give a go as well, so hopefully I have similar results.
     
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  17. Danmtchl

    Danmtchl iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Bakersfield
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    2020 Trek Fuel EX 9.7
    I too have noticed that the Finish Line sealant holds air better than the Stans. I generally have to add 10+ pounds of air in the Stans wheelset than the Finishline wheelset. May 2-3 lbs to the the Finishline wheels.
     
  18. Obsidian

    Obsidian iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Costa Mesa
    Name:
    Obsidian
    Current Bike:
    27.5 Intense Tracer
    My rear tire went flat, so I decided to get the tube out of there and go tubeless. The rim was already taped, so I purchased the Enve stems from Jenson (which probably should have come with my bike, right Intense?). I had purchased a bottle of the Finish Line sealant a few months ago ... back when I thought my tires were already tubeless (again Intense, WTF?). However, I decided against using it because 1) It cannot easily be injected through the valve core, and 2) Every review I have seen on YouTube says it sucks for anything bigger than very small holes. I ended up going with he Orange Endurance sealant, which is easy to inject through the valve core like Stan's.

    So, after two hours of trying to remove a tire from an Enve M70 Thirty (ranting more on that later), I was finally able to install the stem. I decided to try and pump the tire without any sealant in there ... and after about 100 pumps with a floor pump it started to fill and seat. I heard hissing, and sure enough there were at least four pinhole sidewall punctures in the tire. I injected 4 ounces of Orange sealant and pumped it up again ... and it has held air since. The Orange will hopefully last awhile and not seep through my sidewalls like Stan's did on my last bike ... but I was impressed with how it instantly sealed at least four punctures on the first try.

    I had intended to also convert the front tire to tubeless, but said screw that until I need a new front tire or it goes flat. Why the F is is so hard to get a tire off a carbon rim????? It took me two hours and I was exhausted from trying to get the damn thing off. Both my thumbs are jacked. I broke the bead on one side in about 30 minutes, but the other side took forever. I thought I was a retard or something, but then searched YouTube and found some bike shop pro's who were using vises to break the bead, so that made me feel better. I will hate life if I ever need to get one of these tires off out on the trail when I am exhausted.

    Anyway, this is my first sealant other than Stan's, so I hope it works well. And if anyone wants an 8oz bottle of Finish Line, hit me up and you can have it.
     
  19. Obsidian

    Obsidian iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Costa Mesa
    Name:
    Obsidian
    Current Bike:
    27.5 Intense Tracer
    Same rim, different tire. Pretty funny after two hours of struggling to get a damn tire off a rim. If it was worn out I would have cut if off.

     
  20. Cyclotourist

    Cyclotourist iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Redlands
    Name:
    David
    Current Bike:
    Don't fence me in!
    Needs one of these!
    tire-changers-image-1.jpg
     
  21. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    As far as #1... Cut top off to fit over valve stem and inject... Nothing else needed.

    As far as #2... Use what works. I'll use Finish Line until is fails me, like all of the others have... So far, the air retention alone is worth it.
     
  22. Poofighter

    Poofighter Member

    Location:
    Cypress Hill
    Name:
    Noel
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Shortboy

    I've had a similar problem to you back in the day with any tire to Sun Rhyno Lites rims, which broke several plastic tire irons and bent a metal one. I eventually gave up and cut the tire off and sold the wheelset. Later after youtube came out, I saw a video that showed how it helps if you pinch the tire and move it to center of the rim which give you more room to pull the bead over the side.

    Im with @Faust29 on using Finish Line as it hasnt failed me, however I have not been using it as long as he has. I might take you up on your offer, as I plan to convert my 2nd bike to FL after my stans drys up in a month or so.

    Just curious why you didnt want to remove the valve core and use the Stans Injector Syringe?

    edit: I just watched your youtube link and he just did what I talked about moving the tire to the center of the rim.
     
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  23. rossage

    rossage iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    East Sacramento
    Name:
    Ross Lawson
    Current Bike:
    Highball
    I have been seeing polarized results for the Finishline at the shop. Riders love it or hate it. Same sentiments expressed above, holds air longer, seals small holes, can't handle bigger cuts.
    I see the Finishline as more of a "sealer ", than a more active sealant. The FL sets up like a thick coating and is not as mobile as Orange Seal or Stan's. Kind of creates a gooey Rhinodillo for the tire.
    I'm sticking with the Orange Seal Endurance for now. Make sure you shake the bottle like you're having a personal M8 earthquake. The larger clogging particles like to clump and stick to the walls of the bottles. The particles look and feel like the metal scrap from a CNC shop so maybe that's why they stick together so well.
     
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  24. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    There’s nothing on this planet like a Stan’s booger. :cool:
     
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  25. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    Agree with the sealer description... The coating is more active than the liquids. But... When it does seal a puncture, it's instant, because it's already in place. It doesn't have to "hunt" for the leak like a liquid does. When I took the Forekaster off the back of the Lizard awhile back, it had dozens of tiny punctures that had sealed. And they were sealed fast enough not to lose air. No "shaking the tire" to get it to seal, and then adding air.

    I'd say the weakest part of the FL is the seal around the bead. I think Orange Seal is the best for that, with the thick band it forms.
     
  26. Obsidian

    Obsidian iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Costa Mesa
    Name:
    Obsidian
    Current Bike:
    27.5 Intense Tracer
    Yes, I shook the crap out of it. Tire did not lose any pressure overnight, so all good so far.
     
  27. UPSed

    UPSed iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Simi Valley
    Name:
    Ed
    Current Bike:
    Niner Jet 9 RDO
    I went back to Stan's myself. I had accidentally loosened the valve stem on Jennifer's front wheel and the Finish Line would not seal it. I picked up some Stan's and added an ounce and after a little shaky shaky it sealed.

    I had also noticed over the past few weeks my tires were losing air and this week I have ridden it daily. Today I got a small puncture on the rear and thankfully I was close to home because the Finish Line would not seal it. I added an ounce of Stan's, spun the tire and voila! Instant seal.

    I think after my next tire change I'm going to add just enough Stan's to seal the tire and carry a 2oz bottle with me. There are no goat heads where I ride and it is very rare that I get a flat.
     
  28. Runs with Scissors

    Runs with Scissors iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    West Anaheim
    Name:
    Mark Whitaker
    Current Bike:
    Giant XTC with pedals
    That's, like, 56 grams!!! The inner weight weenie shuddered. :whistling::laugh:
     
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  29. UPSed

    UPSed iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Simi Valley
    Name:
    Ed
    Current Bike:
    Niner Jet 9 RDO
    As soon as I feel like the 112 grams (I added a 2oz bottle to the front yesterday as it was losing a few pounds overnight) slow me down I'll take it out. :sneaky:
     
  30. jwag

    jwag Member

    Location:
    San Clemente
    Name:
    Jeff Wagner
    Current Bike:
    Hightower LT, Milk Money SS


As a former Amazon Associate I continue to get screwed trying to stay qualified as an Amazon Affiliate. So I quit!


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