Ok maybe a dumb question but...

...how often do people top up their sealant in tubeless tyres?

Does anyone actually clean out the old stuff?

Also, how long does the stuff stay good in an opened bottle?

Depends on the sealant, Continentals RevoSealant is good for 6 months in my experience, Stans is more like 2-3months.
Both seem to last pretty well in the bottle after opening.
I'm trying the Joe's sealant at the moment in my wtb nanos, I'll let you know how it goes.

You can take the wheel off shake it and figuire how much is in there.

I've used joes for around 4 years now....I generally only have to top up when I change tyres.

If I can't hear it, I generally open it up, clear out the Stans monsters and then add fresh.

I change my tyres around a fair bit though, so it's rare that I have it dry out.

A lot depends on the weather: the hotter (yeah right!) it is the more often you need to top things up. I tend to check every couple of months, easiest to take off the front wheel and check that, if it needs topping up then do the back wheel as well. Might also do it before a big ride.

I've got a bike here that was set-up tubeless around 7 years ago. I think I recall adding a touch of sealant sometime during the summer of 2012 ... otherwise it hasn't been touched, only ridden.

I understand that this says much more about me than it does about the properties of sealant.

Bearbonesnorm wrote:I've got a bike here that was set-up tubeless around 7 years ago. I think I recall adding a touch of sealant sometime during the summer of 2012 ... otherwise it hasn't been touched, only ridden.

Wow, tyres that last 7 years, what are they?

I never realised you had this pissing about when you ran tubeless. Just another reason
why I think I'll stick with tubed.

Wow, tyres that last 7 years, what are they?

Maxxis Swamp Things Ray. They're on the bike I use for coaching, so in reality don't actually see big miles.

RobMac wrote:I never realised you had this pissing about when you ran tubeless. Just another reason
why I think I'll stick with tubed.

TBH, it's not that onerous: I'll give the front tyre a shake when I take it off to put the bike in the car. I top up the sealant by removing the valve core and using a syringe, not something you'd do trailside I admit.

RobMac wrote:I never realised you had this pissing about when you ran tubeless. Just another reason
why I think I'll stick with tubed.

There's pissing about in the comfort of your own workshop when you feel like it versus pissing about in the middle of nowhere at night in horizontal rain. I know which I prefer.

johnnystorm wrote:

RobMac wrote:I never realised you had this pissing about when you ran tubeless. Just another reason
why I think I'll stick with tubed.

There's pissing about in the comfort of your own workshop when you feel like it versus pissing about in the middle of nowhere at night in horizontal rain. I know which I prefer.

Is the clue in your username?

Nope!

Ta all. I'll do the shake test and top up as required before I leave plus pack some spare sealant in my (long distance) bikepacking kit.

If you're running Stans valves (plus maybe others) & remove the valve core, the nozzle of the small (59ml) bottle fits perfectly inside the valve so no need to remove the tyre or use syringes. Handy at home for topping up & i usually carry a full one out on the trail as the sealant sometimes starts to fail without much warning.

http://nextdaytyres.co.uk/details.aspx/ ... le/131/534

In fact had it on a ride at the weekend, one of the lads burped his rear tyres & there wasn't enough stans left in there to re-seal the bead. One small bottle later, plus a bit of riding & a few re-inflations & all was good again. Loads better than trying to fit a tube & having to find & remove any old thorns in the tyre