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I bought a Giant TCR road bike in the sale last year (August or September I think) and have spent the ensuing time studying part time on top of my day-job so had no time for cycling at all.
Anyway, I've finished studying now so hoping to go for my first ride in ages this weekend. Giant's all come set-up with tubeless wheels and tyres now and I know that the shop filled the tyres with the slime stuff when I bought it last August.
My question is, does it matter that apart from a 1hr ride when I bought it last year, the bike has sat stationary for like 10months?
I.e. will the slime stuff in the tyres have dried out and if it has, does it matter?
I'll take spare tubes with me like I always do so I'm hoping that if I get a puncture and the slime doesn't work, I can just replace the tube in the standard way albeit it might be a little more messy?
As you can tell, I'm clueless about tubeless and sort of wish it just had a standard set-up really but don't suppose I'm bothered if I can just carry on as usual.
Are the tyres flat on the bike? If I'd left a tubeless set up for 10 months, pretty sure they'd be flat. I think the sealant would have dried up...if it were Stans, you'd get the 'little monsters' of latex in a murky solution if it hadnt completely dried up.
Depends how keen you are to get out; if you've got the time, i'd pop the tyre off a bit and have a look. Personally, if the tyres pump up and stay up, Id leave it and take a spare tube.
They would have put sealant in them not slime, I would clean them out and put in fresh sealant it's probably dryed out anyway.
Yeah sorry I think I meant sealant, not slime. And yep they're totally flat.
Safe to assume they're dried out then- but seems I'm OK to ride them anyway if they inflate OK?
Thanks for the replies.
I would open the tyre up (take one side of the tyre off the rim) and clear out the old dried sealant and put in new. Yes the tyre may well blow up without doing this but if a thorn goes through the sealant won’t work.
Cheers! OK, looks like I'll need to take a look then, got a week until I can get out anyway so should be able to find the time.
Thanks.
Tyre is probably full of dry latex animals.
Sorry, one more dumbass question that just occurred to me- if I take the tyres off and clean them out and either stick a tube in or refill with sealant can they be reinflated and re-seated with a standard track pump?
I recall the guy in the shop saying something about a compressor I think?
If it holds air, take it for a spin and just check the sealant hasn't dried at the bottom and makes the wheels feel unbalanced. If you don't notice anything I'd get a couple of small bottles of stans and put it in the tyres through the valve core. Assuming you can unscrew them. Saves breaking the bead seal and the hassle of re-seating it in case it does require a compressor.
You may get lucky and pump up with a track pump, but have inner tubes to hand if you have to give up. Unseat the beads, and then try to inflate them before deflating and adding sealant.
The last thing you want to do is add sealant and then give up, wash it out again, and fit an inner tube!
Tips if you struggle to seat them are to remove the valve core for better air flow, soapy water on the tyres, pump really fast 🙂
Nice one, that makes sense, cheers 👍