December 26, 2019

Mountain Bike Tire sealants

It comes down to Stans versus Orange Seal. Stans works great, but everyone seems to say that Orange Seal is better. Stans turns into a wad or golf ball inside the tire, Orange Seal tends to coat the tire. Indeed, when I checked a tube that used to have Stans in it, there is a lump or wad in one location.

And just when you decide that Orange Seal is the stuff, you have to choose between the regular forumulation and the "endurance" which lasts a lot longer (but doesn't seal as well). If you are a casual rider, you may as well get the endurance. A possible guideline -- if your tires last a year or more, you are casual. I went with the original, since I can't possibly admit that I am casual.

Can you mix Stans and Orange Seal. Apparently people do all of the time, without explosions, and with proper sealing results. Some actually make a 50/50 blend and use that.

Amazingly, people say this stuff will seal holes up to 6mm (1/4 inch), which is far more than I would have expected.

Another surprise is that the stuff needs to be replenished, maybe every 2-3 months. The thing to do is to pull the valve core and use a dipstick to see how much is in the tire. Orange Seal recommends putting 4 ounces (118 ml) in each wheel (maybe more on a fat bike?).

Have any comments? Questions? Drop me a line!

Tom's mountain bike pages / tom@mmto.org