Wattsup

So I was lubing the bike chain tonight in preparation for tomorrow's ride, and I discover that my rear tire (tubeless) has VERY low pressure. I pump it up to 40 lbs and hear a hiss. I inspect the wheel more closely looking for the source of the leak, and now I can see a small amount of goop oozing from a small leak. It doesn't seem to be sealing properly, so I spin the wheel several times, hoping to circulate the goop, and then set the bike down with the leaking end of the tire facing down, hoping gravity will bring the goop to the hole. I came back several hours later, and YES, the tire is holding air.

So here's the question(s). 1)Why didn't the goop fill the hole the day I was riding, (last Sunday) and 2) Would you trust the seal and go on a 30 mile ride into the wilderness tomorrow?

Brad L 

Why tempt fate? Change the tube.

bikeaddiction1

You may have punctured it near the end of your ride. I f it is holding air I would leave it. I have had a decent size hole, large enough I could see it, that leaked a bit of sealant, but once it sealed it never leaked again.

ArmChairRider

Decides to leak 3 days later?
Borrowed time.
Sealant must be old.

jadocs

indyfabz

Sealant is not a miracle worker that quickly seals all punctures all the time. Indeed, some punctures are beyond help without an internal patch. I had one that would re-open after a very short time when the tire was inflated above 60 psi. It air would escape. When 60 psi was reached again, the sealant would take over again. In short, tubeless doesn't prevent all flats. For that reason, I always carry a spare tube.

Wattsup

Thanks.....all good advice. I went in the "fahgettaboudit" direction and rode on it today...30 miles of gravel. The tire stayed inflated...no issues. I think I'll just add some fresh goop and go from there.