Switching to tubeless tyres on my road bike was a game-changer. My first experience was with Bontrager R3 tyres that came stock. Riding those for a full season, I only encountered one puncture I was aware of – a large staple. I pulled it out, the sealant (Stan’s) did its job, a small amount escaped, and that was the end of it. No pressure loss, no flat, despite likely riding over other debris that sealed without me even noticing. The tyre tread certainly showed evidence of picking things up, but flats became a thing of the past.
My next tubeless setup was Schwalbe Pro One TLE tyres. During a double century ride, I hit something that went unnoticed initially. It was only at a water stop that I realized a soft tyre and sealant (again, Stan’s) sprayed on my seat tube. This puncture was a bit more stubborn and wouldn’t seal completely. After a couple of pump top-ups over the next hour, I resorted to a DynaPlug. This plug held perfectly for the remainder of the tyre’s life, no further issues. This experience highlighted the importance of carrying more than just sealant for tubeless repairs.
Currently, I’m using my second set of Schwalbe tyres, this time with Silca sealant. A few thousand miles at the end of last season have been uneventful, so it’s still early to judge the Silca sealant’s performance definitively. However, similar to my previous experiences, I suspect many minor punctures have sealed without me even realizing they occurred, a testament to the effectiveness of tubeless systems and sealants in a good Bike Tyre Repair Kit.
In past experiences changing old Stan’s sealant, especially in mountain bike tyres with larger volumes and after extended periods (a season or more), I’ve observed a change in consistency. It sometimes appeared watery with white/beige globules, resembling curdled cream, but thicker. Despite this appearance, those older tyres still sealed effectively. This reinforces the reliability of sealant as a primary component in a bike tyre repair kit.
