If some time ago you decided to do without the inner tube and switch to the tubeless system on the wheels of your mountain bike or your road bike, you should know that tubeless sealant does not last forever and needs to be changed regularly so it doesn't lose effectiveness against punctures. In this article, we show you how often you should change this sealant and how to do the replacement correctly. As you may have already noticed, going tubeless is one of the most practical, economical, and effective solutions to avoid dreaded punctures. You also manage to reduce the weight of the bike by about 150 grams per wheel (in MTB), which is the usual weight of the inner tubes you no longer need.
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But the sealant that allows us to plug air leaks from punctures has a limited lifespan. Over time, it loses its properties, dries out, and solidifies inside the tire, preventing it from moving throughout the inner surface. That’s why it’s important to keep in mind the timeframes we indicate for replacing it and avoid getting another flat.
Tubeless lifespan
The lifespan of the sealant will vary depending on the manufacturer, bike usage, and the time of year. However, as a general rule, it is recommended to change the tubeless sealant every three months, although there are specialized brands, like X-Sauce, that recommend doing it every two months as a preventive measure.
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However, as we have already mentioned, there are two other factors that will force us to shorten or extend the period for replacing the tubeless sealant. The first is how much you have used the bike since the last time you went tubeless. If you have barely ridden your bike in the last month, the sealant has most likely dried at the bottom of the tire from not moving, forcing you to change it before the recommended period. Secondly, the time of year also plays a role. In summer, the tubeless sealant tends to dry out faster, so if you went tubeless in June, for example, you should change it before the end of August if you don't want to risk a flat in the middle of a ride.
What happens if you don't change the tubeless sealant?
2019/11/bomba-de-aire-para-bicicleta-1.jpg"> If you don’t pay attention to these maintenance intervals for your tubeless tires
, the liquid will start to lose its properties, dry out, and solidify, losing its mobility and sealing ability. When you get a puncture, the hole that opens in the tire will not be sealed by the liquid, as it will have become stuck in another part of the inside of the tire, and it will start to release air. If you get a flat in the middle of a ride, you will need to have a spare tube to make the repair or use these specific rubber plugs to plug the hole. Otherwise, you will be forced to return home with a flat tire and end the ride earlier than desired. That’s why it’s very important not to neglect the periodic maintenance of your tubeless wheels.
How to check the condition of your tubeless sealant
Although it is recommended to change the tubeless sealant in your wheels every three months, the truth is that you can postpone the change and extend the use of the current sealant for a few more weeks, or even do a partial change if it hasn't completely deteriorated. You can do this with a simple, but careful, check. First, fully deflate the wheel. Next, with a specific tool (included in any tubeless kit), remove the valve core, the removable part of the valve. The valve should be positioned at the bottom of the wheel to prevent the liquid from spilling when removing the core. Removing this part will allow you to insert a syringe with an incorporated plastic probe (also included in the kit). With the syringe, suck out and extract the liquid inside the wheel, which will remain in the syringe tube. Using the numeric guide on the syringe (in ml), you can check how much liquid is left inside the wheel. For MTB, if it’s 29”, it should have between 80 and 100 ml per wheel, and if it’s 27.5”, 20 ml less. For road bikes, you need between 40 and 60 ml. If you extract less liquid, you’ll need to add what’s missing. Likewise, you should also check the condition of the sealant.
If it has a different color than the original or dry or solid fragments appear, it’s better to opt for a complete replacement and add new sealant. In this practical video from Biciteca you can see how to check the condition of the sealant.
Steps to change the tubeless sealant
If after this check you need a complete change, you’ll first need to remove all the sealant that is still inside the tire. Next, fill the syringe with new sealant, which can be purchased at any bike shop, either as part of a kit (which costs about 30 euros) or as separate containers, from 80 ml (which costs about 6 euros) up to 5 liters, depending on the brand. If you use the same brand of sealant, it won’t be necessary to remove the tire Just by injecting the new sealant with the syringe through the valve will be enough. Once everything is inside, reinstall the core into the valve, tighten it with the tool (but don’t overdo it), and use a floor pump to inflate the tire again until the beads seat. Afterwards, you can let out any excess air so that it adjusts to what the tire requires, or to your own needs. 2020/10/l%C3%ADquido-tubeless-1-1.jpg">
On the other hand, if you are going to replace the tubeless liquid with one from a different manufacturer, you should also remove the tire using tire levers and clean off any old sealant residue that is stuck to it, using water and scraping carefully. This way, the two products, which may differ in the chemical components used, will not mix, and you also prevent the tire’s composition from wearing out prematurely. Once the inner wall of the tire is clean, mount it back onto the rim, install a new tubeless valve (included in the kit), and add the necessary liquid through it. Then, close the valve with the core and inflate the tire until it seats, as explained earlier. Finally, don’t forget to spin the wheel a few times so that the liquid spreads throughout the tire and becomes effective from the very first moment.
When converting your conventional wheels to tubeless, remember that they require periodic maintenance, which involves changing the sealant. Otherwise, it will lose its properties and you will once again be exposed to punctures during your rides. Changing the tubeless liquid is a very simple operation that you should repeat every two or three months, you can do it at home in just 10 minutes and it is not expensive. This will allow you to ride with total confidence, forgetting forever about dreaded punctures.