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There are some mechanical skills every mountain biker should have which will save them time and money. A biggy for us is the ability to top up your tyre sealant when needed.
Running tubeless tyres with sealant can save you money, time and energy over the lifespan of your tyres. One requirement requires you to “refill” your sealant roughly every 3 months. Your local LBS (local bike shop) provides this service and the cost ranges from R200 to R400 a pop. Very few people know that this process is quick and simple and can be done at home. That’s right ladies, you can refill your sealant and save yourself the hassle of taking it into the store. Let’s show you how simple it is and that in 10 minutes your tyres will be ready to roll on the most unforgiving trails.
Stan's NoTubes sealant can be used to prevent leaks and repair punctures for standard and tubeless bicycle tires. I add it to the tubeless tyres on my Bike about every six months. (Or sooner if I cannot hear the sealant “swooshing around when I roll the tyre). Heat and other elements can affect the sealant so just listen out for when you need to top up. The following instructions assume you have presta valves with removable cores.
1) Deflate tire such that its presta valve core can be removed.
2) Unscrew the presta valve core using needle-nose pliers or a presta valve core removal tool.
3) Shake your bottle of sealent and pour it into a wide dish that you can suck it into an injection.
4) Slowly release sealant (60ml) into the presta valve while keeping the valve at a fifteen degree angle from the ground so that the sealant is not blown back out. This is challenging to do sometimes because the spokes get in the way.
5) Screw in the presta valve core and inflate your tyre to the desired pressure.
6) Disperse sealant across the interior surface of the tire (or tube) by spinning the wheels in an upright position and then twice more horizontally, a few spins with each side face up.
You are ready to roll!