Typically, sealant has been used in the mountain bike industry for their tubeless systems. Tubeless and tubular systems are also common on the road scene, and sealant is becoming more and more appealing.One big disadvantage with tubular tyres is that once they are punctured you cannot replace the tube. I went through three Vittoria Corsa Graphene G+ tubulars which were punctured on the first couple of rides by small pieces of glass. After spending hundreds of dollars on replacements, I was introduced to sealant. I actually went back and put sealant in some of the punctured tyres I had replaced just to test it out, and they all sealed as soon as I pumped them up.
Orange offer two different sealants from Orange Seal, the Regular and the Endurance. The regular version remains liquid for two to three months, depending on temperature; it also forms a film across the inside of the tyre, which acts to seal any punctures quickly. The endurance version lasts much longer and remains liquid; it does not form the same film on the inside of the tyre and instead remains a lot more fluid. This may result in slower puncture sealing, but it prevents topping up the sealant every few months.
Orange offer two different sealants from Orange Seal, the Regular and the Endurance. The regular version remains liquid for two to three months, depending on temperature; it also forms a film across the inside of the tyre, which acts to seal any punctures quickly. The endurance version lasts much longer and remains liquid; it does not form the same film on the inside of the tyre and instead remains a lot more fluid. This may result in slower puncture sealing, but it prevents topping up the sealant every few months.Orange also have an applicator system which is available with their products. The system has an attachment for the valve to help prevent the mess often created by trying to get the sealant through the small valve into the tyre.
Orange have also created a dipstick which is put down through the valve to check the level of sealant remaining in the bottom of the tyre. This provides a quick way to check the level without removing the tyre.
Sealant is a great option to add to your tubular tyres to prevent a puncture in a race and costing valuable time. You will probably never know how many punctures you avoid as the hole will be sealed before you even know about it.
By Mike Phillips - Pushys Sponsored Athlete