New to tubeless and looking at buying a couple of pints of sealant, wondering what peoples preferred sealant is currently, and what they add to it if anything?

Glitter seems to be a recurrent favourite but I'm keen not to litter the planet with any more plastic bits than I need to so wondering if there are any good alternatives.
Any suggestions?

Pretty sure I've seen hair clippings mentioned as a biodegradable option.

I am a man who once used glitter - long story and never again.

I'm not sure that you really need add anything besides the sealant itself. It's a good theory but I'm not convinced it does very much in practice.

Orange seal is the best I've used by a long stretch.
Currently trying out home made sealant. It works but you waste a lot more in the process. Homemade has no glitter in it at present.

I think something like shredded fibreglass would be more effective but less friendly!

Landslide wrote:Pretty sure I've seen hair clippings mentioned as a biodegradable option.

Interesting idea, but sadly if you come and stand round the back and stand on tip-toes, you can just about see that I'm getting to being just a teeeny bit bald. I'd have to go over the road to the barbers and ask for some floor sweepings, and he already thinks I'm a bit odd.

techno mail wrote:
I think something like shredded fibreglass would be more effective but less friendly!

I was wondering about using a fine crumb rubber, at least it's already had a life though reading up it seems it's almost the new asbestos. Come to think of it, asbestos might work well. Fibrous, super light-weight, no-one wants it so it's bound to be cheap as.....

Whats the point of the added materials?

The sealants I've used work fine alone

I just use ordinary Stans fluid and judging by the number off bits of hawthorn I pull of the tyres and the number of thorns sticking through to the inside when I switch tyres it works well. On the rare occasion the hole is too big for the Stans to seal - 3 times in about 10 years - I just plug the hole. I'm currently carrying a Lezyne kit which I've used once and it works faultlessly.

https://www.lezyne.com/product-tirerepr ... esskit.php

The OKO Hi-Fibre from PX looks like it might be good. The last time I used glitter for was for a very weepy WTB Nano TCS. It seemed to help. I wouldn't bother putting it in until I'd discovered an issue like that though.

FLV wrote:Whats the point of the added materials?

The sealants I've used work fine alone

To try and form a clot around the hole.

Oli.vert wrote:

Landslide wrote:Pretty sure I've seen hair clippings mentioned as a biodegradable option.

Interesting idea, but sadly if you come and stand round the back and stand on tip-toes, you can just about see that I'm getting to being just a teeeny bit bald. I'd have to go over the road to the barbers and ask for some floor sweepings, and he already thinks I'm a bit odd.

There are alternatives....

I was going to suggest beard shavings, but you're a bike packer, so probably don't shave your beard

Reading up on Orange sealant....."lasts 45 days between top-ups"
That's a pretty good sealant habit right there. Or do folks just leave it till they think they probably should. like every 6 months or so?

That's a pretty good sealant habit right there. Or do folks just leave it till they think they probably should. like every 6 months or so?

First tyre I ever fitted tubeless didn't have a top-up in over 6 years Only went down last year. Granted, the sealant would have being of little use against thorns, etc but I think 45 days could be pushed a but. Couple of years of that and you'll be rolling on soilid tyres

To try and form a clot around the hole.

The manufacturers have thought of this and I dont really see the point in adding anything, if anything actually worked they would have done it by now

As for top up it really depends but my rules of thumb are
1) When it loses air it must have run out
2) before i do a long independent tour
3) 6 months
4) tyre has worn out - usually only an issue on the commuter that one.

Don't top mine up unless I've had a cut and sprayed it everywhere or when I change a tyre ,had a tyre on the front since Oct 17 only replaced it last week there was still a puddle of sealant in it and it still sealed thorn holes , just didn't seal the 10mm gash I got off some broken glass , think I read somewhere that the longer your bike dosent turn a wheel the quicker it goes off , can't say for sure as I use the same bike for commuting , bike packing and weekly rides and I've never had a "stanimal" in the tyre
I just use the bog standard Stan's fluid

I used shredded old innertube to try to make some rubbish joes sealant seal holes bigger than thorns. Not sure if it made much difference however.... Orange or Squirt doesn't need anything added.

Oli.vert wrote:Reading up on Orange sealant....."lasts 45 days between top-ups"
That's a pretty good sealant habit right there. Or do folks just leave it till they think they probably should. like every 6 months or so?

I top mine up far less frequently than that with orange seal, Twice a year at most after tons of hawthorns.

And to be clear, the orange seal definitely didn't need any hundreds and thousands adding. Have been trying them in home brew sealant (Not actual hundreds and thousands) and not sure it is worthwhile.
Maybe rubber particles or asbestos are better at the job than glitter.

Thanks for all info, appreciate it.

Speaking of things that do or do not work better with hundreds and thousands inserted....does anyone remember the early Avocet cycle computers that came in different colours and were mainly useless once it rained? Because there were so many borked ones around I used to collect them, open them up and throw out the innards, and fill them up with things like pedal bearings, hundreds and thousands, or little signs that said "Who cares?" and gave them out to cycling chums as presents. So funny seeing keen roadies peer sideways at your 'puter to read your stats, then develop a look of existential angst and confusion as their brains did somersaults. So there's something improved by adding hundreds and thousands.

Had one of those Avocets on my Stumpy with the U brake, Flex Stem and stupid narrow cut down handlebars....