to be clear, I’m skeptical of enve’s purported stance regarding not pre-taping too…
but I can see how it is a different set of conditions when the wheel is pressurized and in use vs. new and unused (such as when buying a new wheelset).
regarding flying, it is good practice to maintain some pressure in the tubeless wheels IMO/E, regardless of the pressure variation in cargo holds
Recent adopter of road tubeless here. I was initially put off the idea due to having to add sealant every few months so have come up with my own solution, partly due to the fact GP5000 S TR are pretty much impossible to remove from my wheels.
I have added just enough sealant into each tyre so that they hold air pressure. I then syringed out any excess sealant.
I now carry a 30ml bottle of sealant with me at all times when out on the bike, along with a Dyna plug, Fumpa nano pump, Fumpa pressure gauge and spare valve cores. In the case of me getting a puncture I will just add the sealant to the tyre to get it to seal (use a dyna plug if need be), before adding air. If this fails, a taxi or wife will have to rescue me.
That sounds reasonable and worth a try, but know that you would be missing out on one of the main benefits of tubeless which is that most punctures seal without needing to stop, or before you even realize they happen. Another consideration is that If the tire loses air completely the bead may become unseated. I’ve had success reseating a bead roadside with c02, but I’m not sure how effective the Fumpa would be for that. Keeping some sealant in the tire helps prevent that from happening altogether.
The way I avoid frequent top-ups is to use regular Orange Seal for the initial setup, and then after a few months top up with Orange Seal Endurance which tends to last me the rest of the season, although I’ll still check the levels from time to time. I know there are mixed reviews on the Endurance, but it’s worked well for me by using this approach and stays liquid seemingly forever.
What process do people go through when switching brands of sealant? Full dismount of the tire, clean everything out, and start fresh? I’m switching from Stans to Silca.
I have an abandoned 946ml bottle of Silca on the shelf after deciding to give it a go from Stans Race.
A few things to be aware of - the carbon media can clump, a thin layer of dried sealant is almost impossible to remove from rubber carcasses (not so bad on cotton) and most importantly for me, silca soaks into and stains clothes.
I’ve been tubeless for a couple months now having had the wheels for a couple years and finally giving it a shot for the road. I have orange seal now as Stan’s never really sealed well. I notice I have a ton of these “wet” spots on both tires. Seems like small puncture but that seems like a lot. Surely if I were puncturing that much before I would have noticed it. Has anyone come across this?