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OK so I'm def a tubeless convert, despite my moaning about tape on here.
My only other issue with it has been punctures near the bead not sealing. I've had a couple recently. Yesterday's was right on the bead, and it did eventually seal after a fair bit of shaking before holding the wheel/bike sideways. The other was a couple of months back on a gravel ride in the middle of Galloway, and needed plugging.
Thing is, neither were large. The one I plugged had to be massively enlarged before I could fit the plug in.
So it could be that my sealant is the problem. In both cases, it was a long way from expiring, but it was Orange Endurance seal -- this may be less capable at sealing, but should surely handle a 1mm hole with ease(?)
My issue yesterday was prob tyre pressure. I'm 77-78kg and was running about 18 psi in the rear with a 29 x 2.6 Vittoria in the lighter enduro casing (it does have a puncture strip in the sidewall and another on the bead, clearly not enough though). This was around Gisburn Forest, which is quite rocky. The thing that confuses me is that I ran lower pressure than that for years, with a smaller less sturdy tyre (2.4 Ardent), before I got a proper pressure gauge, and I swear I've had more punctures since then.
So, I'm wondering if I should try another sealant, get an insert in the rear, or just up my pressure and hope for the best...?
Under the rim pinch flats rarely seal IME. There's nothing in there for the sealant to coagulate around and, obviously, most of the sealant spends its time on the outside of the centrifuge.
As such I always tend to carry my fondue fork preloaded with two thin worms as most holes that would only take one worm would possibly seal on their own. The really annoying thing about bead punctures is that it makes it far more likely that you push the bead off the rim when shoving the worms in. Then it is tube time as there's no way to reseat a tyre using a minipump or CO2.
Then it is tube time as there’s no way to reseat a tyre using a minipump or CO2.
CO2 is the easiest way to reseat a bead!
I've only ever used Stan's sealant. I have an anhovie kit but I've so far, never had to use it.
Confirmed that Stan's was doing it's thing when I replaced a tyre last year and the inside had loads of small holes that the Stan's had sealed.
Maybe a change of sealant is worth a try?
Only ever use Stans. Dynaplug Racer with a thin plug in one end and a fat in the other has never let us down along with a CO2 large cartridge.
I repair from the inside with a mushroom plug once home.
Could be maybe not getting on with the sealant? How much are you using? Are you checking levels every 3 to 6 months and topping up if needed?
I'm using peatys sealant and so far touch wood have either never noticed any punctures with it or haven't gotten any, some of the routes I've been riding are so overgrown I'm just smashing over brambles and gorse and all sorts, so either my tyres have kept me lucky or my sealants done well touch wood.
You do shake the sealant well before putting it in? All watta and no tatties won't seal anything.
18psi in a lightweight casing sounds low, especially in a relatively lightweight casing on the rear.
I’m 90kg and I run 22psi with similar casings and Cushcore pro.
How does the rear rim feel about 18psi in a lightweight rear tyre over rocky ground?
I've never understood how people can ride with tyre pressures that low, so squishy soft and draggy can feel it with every pedal stroke. If had to choose between the extremes I'd go fast rolling and pingy!
and, obviously, most of the sealant spends its time on the outside of the centrifuge.
I’ve been nursing a slow puncture which ended up as a not so slow puncture, was a minute sidewall pinhole, the only way I could get it to seal was taking the wheel off and doing the stans shuffle a couple of times.
18psi in a lightweight casing sounds low, especially in a relatively lightweight casing on the rear
How does the rear rim feel about 18psi in a lightweight rear tyre over rocky ground?
I’ve never understood how people can ride with tyre pressures that low, so squishy soft and draggy can feel it with every pedal stroke. If had to choose between the extremes I’d go fast rolling and pingy!
To clarify, it's Vittoria's enduro casing, but the lighter of the two (an Agarro TNT), so still a relatively tough casing by my standards. It's actually their e-bike version, and is ~1000g for the 29 x 2.6" I have. It's equivalent to a Maxxis Exo+, and my riding tends more to XC than Enduro, so it should be plenty
But... I do agree that 18 psi sounds low. It doesn't feel that low to me and if anything it feels a bit too hard still: I don't get regular rock strikes, normally only one or two even on a rockier ride, and tyre stability is fine. Rolling resistance is good too -- there's really not much tyre sag, which is actually kind of surprising at my weight
So I think the problem is, perhaps, that I rode lighterweight tyres at even lower pressures for years (accidentally -- my track pump told me low 20 psi)
On a rigid single speed, on the rooty woodland trails I was riding, that felt great. Now 18 psi feels quite hard, even though it seems I do need to go a little higher for rocky stuff
Could be maybe not getting on with the sealant? How much are you using? Are you checking levels every 3 to 6 months and topping up if needed?
It could be the sealant isn't up to it. I def had enough in there, I'd actually just done a tyre change.
Sealant shaken too
Perhaps it is time for me to go for the obvious Stans option. Although from what I read, it's these bead-level punctures where Orange seal tends to be a little better
I will try some Orange regular seal and go from there I guess
Exo+ is relatively lightweight IMO.
To protect against pinch flats you either need to add an insert or use a double walled (Doubledown) tyre at 18psi.