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I am putting Flat Attack tire sealant into 2 tubular tyres. Should I put the sealant in before I glue the tires onto the rim or after?

scott967

I use sealant, but I carry it and only use it after flatting. I can't see any reason why to add it until you have glued or taped the tires. But I have no experience with "Flat Attack".

scott s.
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msu2001la

The sealant goes on the inside. The glue goes on the outside.
The order of operation here seems irrelevant, but I'd probably glue the tires up first, then add sealant.

I also question if adding sealant inside a tubular tire (which typically has a latex innertube) is really providing any benefits. It seems like it would just gum up the valve, and once it's in there you have no way to ever get it out.

63rickert

It will vary with the sealant, with the tubular and with the environment. Once the sealant is inside keep that tire inflated forever. A flat tire with sealant inside leads to a tube that is stuck to itself. Then add air and the tube rips. This is a reason to not add sealant until you flat. If you do high mileage you will wear out tire first. If you have an off season it becomes an issue.

I have done this and gotten away with it for long periods. And also destroyed good tires. The risk is always there.

A tire with sealant will hold air longer.

Everything is two piece valves now. If the valve gets clogged remove and try holding it under runing hot water.

Good quality tubulars flat as seldom as good equivalent clinchers. Never worked this well in the years they were both popular and got a bad reputation. If you are in goathead territory or otherwise get lots of flats sealant is not enough to help.

Aardwolf

I've been running tubulars (butyl I think) with Orange Seal inside for the last 900 miles, no issues.
I did the first 90 miles with no sealant, then got a flat.
Sealant was way cheaper than a new tyre.

63rickert

If you have a butyl tube with sealant that tire will hold air for weeks, maybe months. Really sealed.

Your example is a perfect case for when this works.

gkamieneski

I use Caffelatex on my rear Conti Sprinter. When I think I am done riding the bike with sewups for the season, I use the syringe and long needle to suck as much sealant out as possible before storage. Then I always make sure they are inflated some and hanging with the valve at 12 o’clock.

Dave Mayer

After gluing the tires and before your first ride. Remove the valve core and inject roughly 20cc. For injection, use a junk frame pump in which the head parts have been removed. I never inject the front tire, because I almost never get front flats.

Aardwolf

Had to check: Vittoria Rubino Pro 2.0 G+ and Rally tubular are Butyl. I'm using Rubino.

From https://www.vittoria.com/ww/en/stori...osing-pressureWhich implies Corsa is latex.

tFUnK

I find it's easier to fill sealant once the tire is mounted, but it shouldn't really matter as long as you follow common sense to avoid back-spill when removing the syringe after filling.

Fredo76

After.

I've used Stan's in latex tubes, and Slime in butyl tubes, both sew-up and clincher. In goathead country, I'd put it in before you flat. When picking one out, maneuver the tire so that the sealant will come out instead of air. Learn to set your valve stem angled at between 4 and 5 o'clock (or between 7 and 8 o'clock) after a ride, so when you pump up the tires for the next ride, the sealant will have drained out of the valve area. Removable valve cores that get gummed up with sealant can be cleaned and work fine afterwards, IME.

I'd suggest tape instead of glue, as well. Jantex works well and is cheaper than Tufo.

The two worst hassles with tubulars are largely solved now. Hooray!

79pmooney

Thank you. I rode Cycle Oregon two months ago on Corsa G+ tires and landed two goat heads. First was a pump every 2-3 miles leak. Got to the next rest area and had the mechanic put in an ounce of Bontranger latex seal. Worked. Pulled another from my other tire leaving a rest stop and went straight back to that mechanic for the same. Don't know if I needed it but had no more issues the rest of the week (in true goat head territory the whole time).

I've only ridden that bike a couple of times since then and not for the past month. Saw this and went straight for the bike. Tires still had enough air to keep the rims off the pavement but that was it. Pumped to 100 psi, drained the valves at 6:00 and left the bike hanging with them at high noon. Thanks.

A new habit to learn! (And another reason not to add sealant until the first flat happens if that bike isn't a regular rider. I have 6 and ride what I feel like. Sometimes bikes get parked for many months.)

Edit: I still don't know what my Corsa G+ tubes are. I think latex but perhaps thicker latex. I seem to recall my silks of a former millennium going flatter sooner, These tires are rideable the next day, just soft. (28c and I'm light.) The ride is pretty sublime and hints latex.

Fredo76

I agree that sealant works well for goatheads, not sure why someone would think otherwise.

I'd bet a nickel that the Vittoria Corsa sew-ups have the same thicker (pink!) latex tubes that Vittoria sells separately, that I use on my clinchers. They do hold air longer than the old thinner natural latex ones did in Clement Criterium Setas. I may try riding my new Corsa Control Graphene 2.0 sew-ups without sealant at first, and carry a bottle of Stan's with me (no syringe needed if you're careful), but I'd expect my first flat in the field to change my mind back if I do...

Both of mine that use sealant are ridden regularly, and I'm in true goathead land.

63rickert

It's real nice to see you guys having better luck than me. I will keep trying. Which I am anyway, but success is not every time for me.

Sealant is compounded for tubeless tires. The sealant is supposed to flow together with escaping air. It is just one layer of tire on a tubeless. With a tubular the air leaks out of the tube and then there is a casing. So the flow is slowed and somewhat redirected. Yes, it works. It does not work so well or so reliably as with tubeless.

Modern tubulars are plain heavier than 60s 70s 80s 90s tires. The casing is not so limp. Remember when folding the tire under the saddle it would be flat sections of tire that just folded with no resistance? Modern tires much stouter. The venerable Jandd tire bag has not changed at all, it now carries one tubular rather than two.

Vittoria Corsa is latex tube. The heavier casing slows air loss compared to an old Clement.

Sealant eventually dries out. Tubeless riders get busy and scrape the gunk out, put in fresh. With butyl tubes and very darn little air movement, 100% humidity in there, it should stay wet a long time. Latex tubes with sealant in tubulars I've found it bone dry after four months. Yes, you can add more. Start to lose the tubular feel as the weight adds up. To avoid this problem ride more miles and wear out those tires.