Was dead set against tubeless tires until a single goathead thorn changed my mind

For years I ran tubes on my gravel bike because I hated the idea of dealing with sealant mess. Then last July on a ride near Lyons, Colorado I picked up a goathead thorn that left me stranded for an hour patching a tube on the roadside. A buddy loaned me his tubeless wheelset for a week and I hit the same stretch of goathead heaven without a single flat. I still hate cleaning dried sealant off rims but being able to roll over thorns without stopping is hard to argue with. Has anyone else found a trick for keeping sealant from crusting up inside the tire after a few months?

3 comments

3 Comments

victorhill23d ago

Just be glad you're not the one who forgot to check the sealant for a YEAR and found a solid rubber donut inside.

river3201mo ago

Swapped over to Stan's sealant and just top it off every 2 months with a few ounces through the valve core. Cuts way down on the crusty buildup for me.

verawhite1mo ago

Heard a mechanic say that topping off through the valve core is one of the best ways to keep the sealant fresh and avoid the dried up mess. Might have to try that myself.