What Sealants do Pro Teams use?
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
What Sealants do Pro Teams use?
The question is sel explained. I wonder what Sealants they use if they ride their Bikes tubeless.
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 15,491
Bikes: 2015 Workswell 066, 2017 Workswell 093, 2014 Dawes Sheila, 1983 Cannondale 500, 1984 Raleigh Olympian, 2007 Cannondale Rize 4, 2017 Fuji Sportif 1 LE
Mentioned: 144 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7652 Post(s)
Liked 3,479 Times
in
1,836 Posts
Whichever company will supply sealant in exchange for a decal on the bike or jersey, I'd imagine.
Likes For Maelochs:
#3
I'm good to go!
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 14,992
Bikes: Tarmac Disc Comp Di2 - 2020
Mentioned: 51 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6196 Post(s)
Liked 4,811 Times
in
3,319 Posts
If you'd put your question in this other sub-forum, you might have got attention from just the people that will answer more seriously. Professional Cycling For the Fans
You can find the standard equipment used by teams here.... https://www.procyclingstats.com/teams.php
After selecting a team, then go to the <more> tab. Not the one in the black band at the top, but the more on the line below and select <Gear> from the drop down box.
No sealant's listed. Maybe eventually that'll get added as tubeless becomes even more entrenched. You can also become a member at that site and maybe add the info if you happen to be at a race and see what the mechanic's are using as they prep the bikes pre-race.
You can find the standard equipment used by teams here.... https://www.procyclingstats.com/teams.php
After selecting a team, then go to the <more> tab. Not the one in the black band at the top, but the more on the line below and select <Gear> from the drop down box.
No sealant's listed. Maybe eventually that'll get added as tubeless becomes even more entrenched. You can also become a member at that site and maybe add the info if you happen to be at a race and see what the mechanic's are using as they prep the bikes pre-race.
Likes For Iride01:
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,816
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 503 Post(s)
Liked 634 Times
in
374 Posts
I don't know, but I would suspect that they use whatever sealant they find to work best. Unlike wheels, pedals and other sponsored items that can't be really hidden or disguised easily, it would be easy to be sponsored by one brand, and use another. When I worked with the equipment of professional athletes (in another sport) this sort of thing went on all the time. I will also say that most times for the average enthusiast, using what the pros use isn't a good idea.
#5
Thread Killer
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 12,448
Bikes: 15 Kinesis Racelight 4S, 76 Motebecane Gran Jubilée, 17 Dedacciai Gladiatore2, 12 Breezer Venturi, 09 Dahon Mariner, 12 Mercier Nano, 95 DeKerf Team SL, 19 Tern Rally, 21 Breezer Doppler Cafe+, 19 T-Lab X3, 91 Serotta CII, 23 3T Strada
Mentioned: 30 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3148 Post(s)
Liked 1,714 Times
in
1,034 Posts
It’s highly likely that EF/EasyPost team uses Muc-Off, as tou can see from the vid below that they are the service truck sponsor and that the tubeless wheels seen in the truck use MucOff’s trademark pink colored valve stems.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Posts: 2,880
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1461 Post(s)
Liked 1,486 Times
in
870 Posts
I don't know, but I would suspect that they use whatever sealant they find to work best. Unlike wheels, pedals and other sponsored items that can't be really hidden or disguised easily, it would be easy to be sponsored by one brand, and use another. When I worked with the equipment of professional athletes (in another sport) this sort of thing went on all the time. I will also say that most times for the average enthusiast, using what the pros use isn't a good idea.
I have to assume things like chain lubes/wax and tire sealant are tested and used based on performance, regardless of who's sponsoring the team.
Likes For msu2001la:
#7
Banned
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Mississauga/Toronto, Ontario canada
Posts: 8,721
Bikes: I have 3 singlespeed/fixed gear bikes
Mentioned: 30 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4227 Post(s)
Liked 2,488 Times
in
1,286 Posts
What difference does it make what the pros use or do ?
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 2,395
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1562 Post(s)
Liked 1,734 Times
in
974 Posts
Because the pro-teams have done way more study with the different sealants than you and I.
Last edited by icemilkcoffee; 10-11-23 at 11:31 AM.
Likes For icemilkcoffee:
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 5,994
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2496 Post(s)
Liked 739 Times
in
523 Posts
The little I know about pro road-racing comes from the days when, if a rider flatted, a team mechanic quickly got a new wheel/tire combination into the bike and the rider was back to it with as little time lost as possible. Has that changed? Are pro roadies now using the kinds of tires and pressures that allow sealant to work in the way most of you use it? My gut says no. My educated guess says pro teams are not using much, if any, sealant in tubeless race tires, because if they flat, wheel/tire replacement has still got to be faster than finishing on a tire that is 10psi to 20psi down from optimal because of a (self sealed) puncture.
Likes For Leisesturm:
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Posts: 2,880
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1461 Post(s)
Liked 1,486 Times
in
870 Posts
Does it have to make a difference?
I haven't ever thought about sealant specifically, but generally speaking I find it interesting to see what kind of equipment the pro teams are using. I don't think it has much impact on the equipment I choose to buy as a consumer, it's just cool to see what the latest tech is and what kind of setups pro teams are running, what they're experimenting with, etc.
I haven't ever thought about sealant specifically, but generally speaking I find it interesting to see what kind of equipment the pro teams are using. I don't think it has much impact on the equipment I choose to buy as a consumer, it's just cool to see what the latest tech is and what kind of setups pro teams are running, what they're experimenting with, etc.
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 15,491
Bikes: 2015 Workswell 066, 2017 Workswell 093, 2014 Dawes Sheila, 1983 Cannondale 500, 1984 Raleigh Olympian, 2007 Cannondale Rize 4, 2017 Fuji Sportif 1 LE
Mentioned: 144 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7652 Post(s)
Liked 3,479 Times
in
1,836 Posts
I don't Know .... but based on @Leiseturm 's post, i kind of doubt sealant would be used ---- just excess weight. However .... sealant might be used to keep the tire aired up enough to keep it on the rim until a replacement could be made .... having a tire come completely off the rim would be disastrous.
Hmmmmm ..... who knows pros? Guessing has pretty much reached its limit I think.
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7,887
Mentioned: 38 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6972 Post(s)
Liked 10,970 Times
in
4,692 Posts
Remember that, back in the day, Team 7-11 rode on frames labelled "Huffy."
Likes For Koyote:
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Posts: 2,880
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1461 Post(s)
Liked 1,486 Times
in
870 Posts
The little I know about pro road-racing comes from the days when, if a rider flatted, a team mechanic quickly got a new wheel/tire combination into the bike and the rider was back to it with as little time lost as possible. Has that changed? Are pro roadies now using the kinds of tires and pressures that allow sealant to work in the way most of you use it? My gut says no. My educated guess says pro teams are not using much, if any, sealant in tubeless race tires, because if they flat, wheel/tire replacement has still got to be faster than finishing on a tire that is 10psi to 20psi down from optimal because of a (self sealed) puncture.
Most (if not all) pro teams are running tubeless for the majority of stage races now:
https://www.cyclingnews.com/features...hat-with-what/
2021 marked the last year a stage was won with rim brakes. The 2023 men's Tour had the feel that not only might it be the last time a separate bar and stem would top the podium, but also the last time that tubular tyres and inner tubes would too. Tubeless setups won 18 stages, with tubs taking two thanks to Cofidis, and inner tubes claimed one thanks to Mads Pederson and his team's sponsor Pirelli, whose 'Smartube' TPU inner tubes are preferred by some riders.
Given that Cofidis will almost certainly be using tubeless wheels next year thanks to new models from Corima (and that they only win stages every 15 years) it’s likely that tubeless may make a clean sweep in 2024. This may rile some curmudgeonly readers up, and also my colleague Tom, but road tubeless is here to stay and dominates things at the top end. Tubular tyres are as good as dead, and inner tubes may well simply fade into the lower end of tyre tech as time progresses.
As per the integrated cockpits, every single stage of the Tour de France Femmes was won on tubeless tyres. A small sample size, again yes, but it's also hard to comprehend a future edition of the TDFF where stages are won with inner tubes or tubular tyres.
Given that Cofidis will almost certainly be using tubeless wheels next year thanks to new models from Corima (and that they only win stages every 15 years) it’s likely that tubeless may make a clean sweep in 2024. This may rile some curmudgeonly readers up, and also my colleague Tom, but road tubeless is here to stay and dominates things at the top end. Tubular tyres are as good as dead, and inner tubes may well simply fade into the lower end of tyre tech as time progresses.
As per the integrated cockpits, every single stage of the Tour de France Femmes was won on tubeless tyres. A small sample size, again yes, but it's also hard to comprehend a future edition of the TDFF where stages are won with inner tubes or tubular tyres.
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Posts: 2,880
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1461 Post(s)
Liked 1,486 Times
in
870 Posts
I have a feeling these setups are tested extensively by the teams during off-season training and doubt the riders themselves actually get much of a say in what type of sealant goes into their tires.
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7,887
Mentioned: 38 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6972 Post(s)
Liked 10,970 Times
in
4,692 Posts
You could be correct. If they are running their own sealant choices (rather than a sponsor's choice), we'd never know.
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: San Diego
Posts: 705
Bikes: 1978 Bruce Gordon, 1977 Lippy, 199? Lippy tandem, Bike Friday NWT, 1982 Trek 720, 2012 Rivendell Atlantis, 1983 Bianchi Specialissima?
Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 346 Post(s)
Liked 175 Times
in
107 Posts
This is an interesting thought. Tire pressure is really important to racers .... It would be much faster to change a wheel at the top of a mountain than to limp down on a half-deflated tire.
I don't Know .... but based on @Leiseturm 's post, i kind of doubt sealant would be used ---- just excess weight. However .... sealant might be used to keep the tire aired up enough to keep it on the rim until a replacement could be made .... having a tire come completely off the rim would be disastrous.
Hmmmmm ..... who knows pros? Guessing has pretty much reached its limit I think.
I don't Know .... but based on @Leiseturm 's post, i kind of doubt sealant would be used ---- just excess weight. However .... sealant might be used to keep the tire aired up enough to keep it on the rim until a replacement could be made .... having a tire come completely off the rim would be disastrous.
Hmmmmm ..... who knows pros? Guessing has pretty much reached its limit I think.
Likes For L134:
#17
Clark W. Griswold
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ,location, location
Posts: 13,538
Bikes: Foundry Chilkoot Ti W/Ultegra Di2, Salsa Timberjack Ti, Cinelli Mash Work RandoCross Fun Time Machine, 1x9 XT Parts Hybrid, Co-Motion Cascadia, Specialized Langster, Phil Wood Apple VeloXS Frame (w/DA 7400), R+M Supercharger2 Rohloff, Habanero Ti 26
Mentioned: 54 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4359 Post(s)
Liked 3,999 Times
in
2,668 Posts
Like others have said probably whatever but we tend to use Orange Seal at two of the shops I have worked at, it seems to do a good job and is made in 'Murica,
In terms of what the pro's use it matter only to a slight point. Most riders will never do what the pros are doing and the pros have team cars and a lot of support behind them so if something goes wrong they are getting a new bike or wheel or something and they have budgets to experiment but also sponsors to appease. Not saying they don't run good equipment but they may not run good equipment for the average cyclist who doesn't have a team truck with pro-mechanics and massive budgets.
For me personally road tubeless has a way to go before I would want to use it. Gravel and MTB stuff is great but skinny tire high pressure stuff could use some more refinement for me. I am not opposed to it but I think a big part is running lower pressures which I wouldn't want as much on a road bike. Sure there is some puncture sealing which is great but honestly the lower pressures are the thing for me and I don't want super low pressures on skinny road tires.
In terms of what the pro's use it matter only to a slight point. Most riders will never do what the pros are doing and the pros have team cars and a lot of support behind them so if something goes wrong they are getting a new bike or wheel or something and they have budgets to experiment but also sponsors to appease. Not saying they don't run good equipment but they may not run good equipment for the average cyclist who doesn't have a team truck with pro-mechanics and massive budgets.
For me personally road tubeless has a way to go before I would want to use it. Gravel and MTB stuff is great but skinny tire high pressure stuff could use some more refinement for me. I am not opposed to it but I think a big part is running lower pressures which I wouldn't want as much on a road bike. Sure there is some puncture sealing which is great but honestly the lower pressures are the thing for me and I don't want super low pressures on skinny road tires.
#18
Full Member
Join Date: Jan 2022
Location: Albuquerque NM USA
Posts: 492
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 222 Post(s)
Liked 304 Times
in
194 Posts
Keep in mind that what may be optimum in a race is not necessarily optimum for the average Joe rider. In a race, I would expect you'd want the very best sealant for plugging leaks even if it meant easily clogging a value core. Or a sealant that may work really well, but dry up rather quickly. For the average Joe, there's a balance we want so that we don't have to service our tires daily, other than adding some air.
My experience with road tubeless is most leaks drop very little pressure. I'm only aware I've had a leak if I find some dried sealant on my bike. I would assume a pro rider is sensitive enough to tire pressure that they would know when it is too low and they need to swap wheels. But I'd bet plenty of them finish a race never knowing they punctured.
For me personally road tubeless has a way to go before I would want to use it. Gravel and MTB stuff is great but skinny tire high pressure stuff could use some more refinement for me. I am not opposed to it but I think a big part is running lower pressures which I wouldn't want as much on a road bike. Sure there is some puncture sealing which is great but honestly the lower pressures are the thing for me and I don't want super low pressures on skinny road tires.
I think road tubeless is great. 28 mm is a common road width these days. And optimum tire pressures are in the range of 60-75 PSI. So, while much higher than MTB and higher than 40 mm gravel tires, it's certainly not high pressure by traditional road standards. Rolling resistance is quite likely much lower overall on a variety of road surfaces, and likely only a very slight penalty on super smooth surfaces.
You might be interested in this video from NorCal Cycling. They ran some real-world runs on their bikes to see if lower tire pressure made any measurable difference in time over a course. Spoiler, it didn't. Conclusion was the lowest pressure (50 PSI) ran great, but wouldn't use in a race (they do crits) for concern of rolling a tire in a corner.
My experience with road tubeless is most leaks drop very little pressure. I'm only aware I've had a leak if I find some dried sealant on my bike. I would assume a pro rider is sensitive enough to tire pressure that they would know when it is too low and they need to swap wheels. But I'd bet plenty of them finish a race never knowing they punctured.
For me personally road tubeless has a way to go before I would want to use it. Gravel and MTB stuff is great but skinny tire high pressure stuff could use some more refinement for me. I am not opposed to it but I think a big part is running lower pressures which I wouldn't want as much on a road bike. Sure there is some puncture sealing which is great but honestly the lower pressures are the thing for me and I don't want super low pressures on skinny road tires.
You might be interested in this video from NorCal Cycling. They ran some real-world runs on their bikes to see if lower tire pressure made any measurable difference in time over a course. Spoiler, it didn't. Conclusion was the lowest pressure (50 PSI) ran great, but wouldn't use in a race (they do crits) for concern of rolling a tire in a corner.
Likes For Mtracer:
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 786
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 338 Post(s)
Liked 408 Times
in
252 Posts
Pro teams juggle a lot of bikes, and keeping sealant fresh in all of them is too much logistically. Hence they use tubeless liners a lot, spare bikes / wheelsets might not have any sealant bar the minimum just to fit the tire.
They don't cause any extra rolling resistance, add minimal weight and enable you to ride with a puncture.
They don't cause any extra rolling resistance, add minimal weight and enable you to ride with a puncture.
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Seattle
Posts: 1,957
Bikes: Specialized Roubaix, Canyon Inflite AL SLX, Ibis Ripley AF, Priority Continuum Onyx, Santana Vision, Kent Dual-Drive Tandem
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 878 Post(s)
Liked 726 Times
in
436 Posts
Pro teams aren't as smart as people want to give them credit for when it comes to new tech. I've both read and heard that some teams use (arguably less than) the bare minimum of sealant because they're still overly obsessed with weight, and you can look at some of the flats that happened at the most recent Paris-Roubaix for instances where the tires came off because no tire liners were used. They'll eventually catch up with mainstream cycling -- it took them a while to adopt tubeless 28mm and wider tires.
Likes For surak:
#21
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 8,451
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4416 Post(s)
Liked 4,871 Times
in
3,015 Posts
Pro teams aren't as smart as people want to give them credit for when it comes to new tech. I've both read and heard that some teams use (arguably less than) the bare minimum of sealant because they're still overly obsessed with weight, and you can look at some of the flats that happened at the most recent Paris-Roubaix for instances where the tires came off because no tire liners were used. They'll eventually catch up with mainstream cycling -- it took them a while to adopt tubeless 28mm and wider tires.
Ineos rider Luke Rowe commented on his podcast about some teams being stupid for not running liners at Paris Roubaix, in a vain effort to save maybe 1W of power.
The funniest part was that Geraint Thomas wasn’t even aware that his team was using liners. Pro riders are not all focused on the tech. Some just ride and leave it to the engineers.
Last edited by PeteHski; 10-12-23 at 04:21 AM.
Likes For PeteHski:
#22
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Posts: 2,880
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1461 Post(s)
Liked 1,486 Times
in
870 Posts
Pro teams juggle a lot of bikes, and keeping sealant fresh in all of them is too much logistically. Hence they use tubeless liners a lot, spare bikes / wheelsets might not have any sealant bar the minimum just to fit the tire.
They don't cause any extra rolling resistance, add minimal weight and enable you to ride with a puncture.
They don't cause any extra rolling resistance, add minimal weight and enable you to ride with a puncture.
I don't really see how sealant would be a logistical problem. I doubt they keep tires on wheels long enough for sealant to dry out. It's not like they mount up a bunch of wheels in the spring and then run them all season - these guys are likely running brand new tires for every race.
#23
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Posts: 2,880
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1461 Post(s)
Liked 1,486 Times
in
870 Posts
This^
Ineos rider Luke Rowe commented on his podcast about some teams being stupid for not running liners at Paris Roubaix, in a vain effort to save maybe 1W of power.
The funniest part was that Geraint Thomas wasn’t even aware that his team was using liners. Pro riders are not all focused on the tech. Some just ride and leave it to the engineers.
Ineos rider Luke Rowe commented on his podcast about some teams being stupid for not running liners at Paris Roubaix, in a vain effort to save maybe 1W of power.
The funniest part was that Geraint Thomas wasn’t even aware that his team was using liners. Pro riders are not all focused on the tech. Some just ride and leave it to the engineers.
#24
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 786
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 338 Post(s)
Liked 408 Times
in
252 Posts
EF's team mechanic discussed this on a podcast a few years ago and said they were running inserts with minimal sealant, but I thought I had read/heard that they stopped using the inserts because riders didn't like how the tires felt. I don't think this is common among the pro peloton, but maybe you have more info than I do on this topic.
I don't really see how sealant would be a logistical problem. I doubt they keep tires on wheels long enough for sealant to dry out. It's not like they mount up a bunch of wheels in the spring and then run them all season - these guys are likely running brand new tires for every race.
I don't really see how sealant would be a logistical problem. I doubt they keep tires on wheels long enough for sealant to dry out. It's not like they mount up a bunch of wheels in the spring and then run them all season - these guys are likely running brand new tires for every race.
Anyway, a team is going to have a lot of spare wheelsets and a lot of spare bikes, and I don't think tire spomsors are going to be thrilled if they throw away hundreds of perfectly fine tires, not to mention the extra labour.