Pearson100

I finally converted my gravel bike to tubeless tires. What affects how often I should add more sealant?
1. brand of sealant?
2. temperature of environment?
3. mileage?
4. brand of tire?
5. ??
Thanks for any information.

mihlbach

The temperature, humidity, also the amount of fluid you may loose from punctures and poorly sealed tires are probably the most significant variables. The kind of tire may make a minor difference...the sealant slowly seeps thru the sidewalls of some tires. But I have never noticed a big difference between tires in terms of how long the sealant lasts. I cant imagine the mileage would make any difference other than its relationship with what kind of environment you are exposing your bike to while riding it. All the brands seem to last about the same length of time as far as I can tell, but to be honest, I haven't monitored this very carefully.
Maintaining tubeless tires doesn't require much thought or effort. For me, one application of sealant lasts months. I always make sure I have some sealant in stock so its there if I need it. I usually just add more sealant thru the valve stem when I can no longer hear it sloshing around in the tire when I give the wheel a spin in a quiet room. Perhaps once a year I will pop the bead and look inside the tire and clean out any solid latex boogers that may accumulate. That about all there is to it.

rsbob 

You mean they require sealant? Who gnu?

I just put whisker shavings and lint in mine and some air.

Seriously there are multi-page threads on tire sealant if you use “The Google”

chaadster

All those things are factors, though not so much mileage, but rather time. As noted by mihlbach , frequency and type of punctures is a big variable, too.

I do think type of tire is a major factor, both for the fact of whether the casing is lined and airtight or not, but also for the thickness of the casing which affects transpiration and evaporation rates. Tread thickness is also related to puncture resistance.

Rolla

^This.

Don't overthink it; sealant is gonna last as long as it lasts. Just check the level with a dipstick through the valve stem every couple of months, and when it reads low, add more.

dabac

I’ve used Kenda sealant https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kenda-tire-.../dp/B0052CHIY2 for a ghetto tubeless setup. Seems to last longer than Stans, but doesn’t plug bigger holes as well as Stans.

jponio

I've used Orange Seal Endurance formula with no issues. Lasts about 4 months during Chicago summers, then needs a top up. Haven't had any punctures so I can't speak to its sealing abilities.

Kapusta

I just shake the tire to and listen for the sealant sloshing around. If I can hear it, I’m good.

On my fat bike, go well over a year between fill-ups. My MTB with 2.4s, maybe 6-12 months. On my Gravel bike, I need it about every other month.

jaxgtr

I live in the northeast florida and have been running tubeless for the last 8 months. It is quite pleasant during the winter and when I check after 6 months, found I did not need to add any as I could hear it moving around Now that the humidity and heat are starting to kick in, I checked last week, I found I did need to add some. One of the guys at the bike shop told me to check it every 4-6 months and that should be good.