Stan's tire and rim sealant?

[WrensMom]

My DH works with a gal who does triathlons, and she told him that the LBS put this Stan's sealant into her tubes on her Litespeed, and that it has worked great for goatheads and the like. Kind of like Slime, but different, I guess. She didn't have much other info, since the LBS did it for her and she is not the type to ask a lot of questions, so I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with this stuff.

[madisongrrl]

I race mountain bikes and run stans sealant with a tubless set up. It allows me to not carry tubes or a bike seat bag. I can run my tire pressure lower because I won't get pinch flats (and I'm a lighter rider so I don't have to worry about burping air out the sidewalls like heavier rides do). I do carry CO2 with me. If I do get a flat all I would need to do is add the C02, then spin the wheel so the stans can fill in the gap. In a race, I can flat and have it fixed in 30 seconds with this set up.

I haven't used stans with a tubed set up and I'm not sure that I would use it with tubes (but some people do). I would guess that it would be a little messier when you are running tubes. The sealant does dry out and you will need to clean out your tire and reapply every so often.

On a tubeless set up you may need to use compressed air to seat the tire (I have to with my Kenda Karma tires and Bontrager wheels). I have to bring the psi up to 60, the tire pops like a fire cracker and then it is properly seated. I would guess you wouldn't have to worry about this on a tubed tire set up.

Many of the Expert and Sport racers that I race with use stans and believe in it (though most use a tubeless set up or have converted their tube tires to tubless).

www.notubes.com

[emily_in_nc]

madisongrrl,

Do you have any idea how the weight of your tubeless tires + Stan's compares to the weight of a regular tire with a tube? I'd love to learn more about this as a possibility for the future. I am lightweight also and have never had a flat on my mtb (but I'm new to mountain biking). I'd love to get away with not having to carry one of those big ole mtb tubes on every ride!

Thanks,
Emily

[madisongrrl]

madisongrrl,

Do you have any idea how the weight of your tubeless tires + Stan's compares to the weight of a regular tire with a tube? I'd love to learn more about this as a possibility for the future. I am lightweight also and have never had a flat on my mtb (but I'm new to mountain biking). I'd love to get away with not having to carry one of those big ole mtb tubes on every ride!

Thanks,
Emily

The tubeless tires are going to weigh slightly more than the regular tires, but it will depend on your tire selection, the weight of your tube, how much stans you use, if you cease to use a seatbag etc.

I run Kenda Karma tubeless tires and they weigh in at 665g for a 26 x 1.95. A similar tubed tire is the Karma DTC which weighs in at 450g for 26 x 2.00. For the tubeless tire you have to add in the weight of the stans (I use 1.5 scoops of stans with the suggested amount of water), but that is offset by the weight of the tube for the tubed tire set up.

I no longer carry a set bag but I have this special C02 system that attaches to my seatpost.

Here is a picture...
http://cgi.ebay.com/INNOVATIONS-MICR...ayphotohosting

Your wheelset must be tubeless or tubeless ready to run this kind of set up.

Read more here...
http://www.kleinbikes.com/us/support.../tubeless.html

My tubeless is actually lighter (overall) because I don't carry seatbags, tire levers, or tubes. I really like this set up and I have very few worries when I'm racing.

Take care,

[madisongrrl]

My DH works with a gal who does triathlons, and she told him that the LBS put this Stan's sealant into her tubes on her Litespeed,

They must have a special tool or have to take off the valve stem to get the stans inside her tube. I wonder what happens when the stans dries out in 1-4 months (depending on how much they added). She will probably have to throw the tube away and buy a new one. I guess it doesn't seem worth using on a tubed tire, but maybe someone who uses this system can explain?

[WrensMom]

Yeah, she uses these Continental tubes of some sort that have a removeable valve core, even though they are presta. I don't know about the drying out time frame and all. These kind of details are kind of what I was hoping someone here might be able to fill in for me.

[WrensMom]

So, Madisongrrl, just curious (and hijacking my own thread), but do you use the tubeless setup all the time, or only on your racing bike? I am just wondering if you see it as an advantage overall, or just for racing or what. Are tubeless tires the wave of the future, or are there practical limitations to them that will result in most folks still having tubes for the forseeable future? Obviously, tubeless tires are what cars and motorcycles use now, and that's great, so maybe it is the same deal with bikes?

[madisongrrl]

Yeah, she uses these Continental tubes of some sort that have a removeable valve core, even though they are presta. I don't know about the drying out time frame and all. These kind of details are kind of what I was hoping someone here might be able to fill in for me.

I haven't been using stans very long, but it seems like it needs changing every 3 months with 1.5 scoops of stans. When I've used less stans (less than a scoop) it barely lasted for 2 months. So it is going to vary.

You can check on your sealant by physically shaking your tire, and if there is a sloshing sound then you are good to go. It is very easy to clean out a tubeless tire and/or add more stans. You don't have to take the tire off the wheel....just deflate it and only take the tire partially off the rim (just enough to add a scoop and some H20). It is ideal to have another person help you do this.... Then you need to put the tire in place and used compressed air to "seat" the tire (like I described above).

[madisongrrl]

So, Madisongrrl, just curious (and hijacking my own thread), but do you use the tubeless setup all the time, or only on your racing bike? I am just wondering if you see it as an advantage overall, or just for racing or what. Are tubeless tires the wave of the future, or are there practical limitations to them that will result in most folks still having tubes for the forseeable future? Obviously, tubeless tires are what cars and motorcycles use now, and that's great, so maybe it is the same deal with bikes?

I have a tubeless set up on my full suspension mountain bike. My other bikes are older so they have a tubed set up (I think they also have conversion kits that you can turn your tubed wheelset into a tubeless one with stans rim strips). I think there is a huge advantage for not only racing, but mountain biking in general. You can run you tire pressure way lower with tubeless than tubed. And all you need to carry with you is C02. It is possible to tear a sidewall of your tubeless tire (I haven't done it)...which is why some people still carry tubes. But you could also tear the sidewall of a tubed tire so you might be "screwed" either way.

Many people say that tubeless set up performs better than tubed (they roll faster, accelerate quicker are more comfortable etc). But it is hard for me to compare because the bike I have them on is so much nicer than my old hardtail that it is not an "apples to apples" comparison.


Here is an article that explains the pros and cons of each.
http://mountainbike.about.com/od/buy...less_ornot.htm

[emily_in_nc]

The tubeless tires are going to weigh slightly more than the regular tires, but it will depend on your tire selection, the weight of your tube, how much stans you use, if you cease to use a seatbag etc.

I run Kenda Karma tubeless tires and they weigh in at 665g for a 26 x 1.95. A similar tubed tire is the Karma DTC which weighs in at 450g for 26 x 2.00. For the tubeless tire you have to add in the weight of the stans (I use 1.5 scoops of stans with the suggested amount of water), but that is offset by the weight of the tube for the tubed tire set up.

I no longer carry a set bag but I have this special C02 system that attaches to my seatpost.

Here is a picture...
http://cgi.ebay.com/INNOVATIONS-MICR...ayphotohosting

Your wheelset must be tubeless or tubeless ready to run this kind of set up.

Read more here...
http://www.kleinbikes.com/us/support.../tubeless.html

My tubeless is actually lighter (overall) because I don't carry seatbags, tire levers, or tubes. I really like this set up and I have very few worries when I'm racing.

Thanks for all the great information! This is something I will definitely have to consider for the future, but right now I've just put nearly $2K into a used Titus Racer X plus repairs and new crankset, so I don't see a new wheelset in my immediate future, but perhaps down the line. I love the idea of not needing to carry a seat bag and being able to run lower tire pressure. Since I only weigh ~105 or so, I tend to run lower pressure anyway, so I figure a pinch flat could happen eventually (but I'm willing to risk it until it actually happens!)

Thanks for your informative, thorough explanation!

Emily

[velogirl]

Hey Madison Girl, the question you haven't answered is have you actually flatted with the Stans?

I run tubeless without Stans (my Kenda sponsor says not to run the Stans -- it ruins the tires). Of course, that means a traditional flat change (and as you know, tubeless are a butch to get on & off the rim).

[madisongrrl]

Hey Madison Girl, the question you haven't answered is have you actually flatted with the Stans?

I run tubeless without Stans (my Kenda sponsor says not to run the Stans -- it ruins the tires). Of course, that means a traditional flat change (and as you know, tubeless are a butch to get on & off the rim).

Nope I haven't flatted yet. But for my friends who have flatted, the stans held up pretty well. It is almost amazing what that stuff can do (provided that you don't have a huge tear in your tire) I know there are a few pros (like Mary M.) that run stans with their Kenda tires as well as many people I race with that have used this set up. So that is why I went with the Stans even though Kenda said not to.

I haven't had a problem getting my Karmas on and off the rim. It is actually much easier than the taking the stock tubeless Michelin tires (which had tubes in them) that came with my Trek Fuel EX 9 on and off the rim. The fit was so tight that I couldn't do it....When I went in for a fitting and needed to put a slick on, I had the guys in the shop take that tire off and on for me. It took them 10 minutes to get that tire off and 10+ to get it on (and this is a high end, well experienced shop....not the typical LBS)....and they had to used brute force with one of those salad tong tire tools. So I decided to drop the tubes, buy the Karmas and use the stans. So far so good...so we will see!

[WrensMom]

Great info, thanks! I will pass this information along to my mtn biking DH

[madisongrrl]

(my Kenda sponsor says not to run the Stans -- it ruins the tires).

Velogirl,

Do you race expert or are you a pro? What type of mt bike races to you enter?

[spokewench]

Tubeless mountain bike tires. I've never run tubeless but have been told by many of my male racer friends the reason they run them is that they can run less air pressure which makes their bikes stick to the trail easier, without the fear of flatting as much as with tubed tires. You have to run more air pressure depending on heavier riders and type of rider if you are a basher and heavier, you need more air pressure, hence the reason they want to run tubeless. They still can flat and if you are by yourself, you should carry a tube in case you can't get the tire to seat again or it has a cut in it or something like that.

I never wanted to spend the money on them cause 1. I rarely flat cause I'm not too big; 2. I rarely flat cause I'm a cautious downhiller; 3. I only run 35-40 pounds in my mountain bike tires anyway. So, it is a personal choice I guess and there are a lot of variables into why you might want to run tubeless vs. tubed.

I raced several seasons in the Arizona desert and never flatted (even with cactus thorns everywhere) with tubed tires. The only time I even run slime is when I do 24 hour racing and that is because there are lots of thorns on the trail from people running into cactus at night! And, they are hard to miss when you are riding at night with lights.