Hi, I've used JRA Wheel Milk and Stan's NoTubes "The Solution" for ages on several ghetto tubeless setups. They work well. Stans has larger 'grit' in it so might seal bigger holes but is not suitable for squirting into valves for top-up as JRA is.

I read recently about ammonia in some solutions added to stabilise the latex content, and which can rot the tyres. Stan of Stan's says here that it's not a worry for their stuff though: http://www.velonews.com/article/82082. I've not noticed any tyre-rot presonally with JRA either, even over 1 year.

Effetto Caffe Latex uses synthetic latex and no ammonia. It also foams up. So, it sounds good.

JRA is cheapest £15 per litre, Stans slightly more at £18 for 946ml, Caffe Latex £25 per litre.

Anyone tried Caffe Latex?

Cheers, al.

Ghetto: http://www.tubelesswheels.com/

JRA: http://www.justridingalong.com/shop.php?product=43
Stans: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=38850
Caffe Latex: http://www.ukbikestore.co.uk/product/91/e_ltx_s/effetto-caffe-latex-sealant.html

bump

Yes, been using Caffelatex recently and it seems very good. It sealed a punctured tubular tyre straight off with no worries. Also good for Tub applications because you can inject it straight past the valve core without having to remove it. It doesn't have any 'bits' in it but so far so good. The way it froths up seems to help tubeless tyres seal better as well.

Stans did this to one of my tyres:

It caused the inner and outer casings to delaminate then it went bang, luckily going uphill at the time.

I'm told you can add glitter to JRA to speed up healing. Haven't tried it yet.

stuartie-what are you using now?

Still using Stans at the moment because I had a quart to use up and it is otherwise excellent. I just keep an eye on the inside of the tyres whenever I do a top up. The Caffe Latex looks to be an interesting alternative.

The tyre above was quite old as well, though I'm fairly certain that the sealant caused it to deteriorate more quickly than it otherwise would.

Thanks fontmoss for the 'bump'. I've gone and ordered more Stans based on my experience and price. Seems to me this could or even should be very combination-specific. If your Bonty tyres are held together with glue that's very sensitive to ammonia or whatever's in Stans but say Contis aren't.

The front tyre on my much-ridden-at-Glentress Inbred has a hawthorn in it (from an East Lothian ride). I've come to regard the thorn as part of the tyre, it's been there for ages, worn smooth and causing no problems. I noticed it when doing a 'pop off the bead and pour it in' top-up with Stans. I was in a hurry and given the battering this tyre has taken I reckon it just adds character 😉

It hasn't disintegrated, and it's kind of funny. Of course it could go anytime, but I don't "feel" it will. And if the tyre survives until its tread is gone and needs replaced, then it's an illustration of "the power of tubeless" =)

When I mentioned the Caffe Latex foaming action to a friend, he said car sealants do this. Do they? I never heard of it. But I know nothing about cars.

Cheers, al.

I've not had any problems injecting Stan's through the valve myself, even using just a normal 50p 60ml syringe.

There is an independent review of the caffelatex on bikefix.net

My last 1L bottle of JRA was rubbish, on 2 or 3 occasions it set solid like fried egg white after only a few days of being sat still in the tyre. Back to Stan's for me.

The tyre above was quite old as well, though I'm fairly certain that the sealant caused it to deteriorate more quickly than it otherwise would.

So what you're actually saying is that you have a vague hunch that it might be down to the Stan's stuff, but actually you don't really know? Why do you think it's the solution and not just an old, manky tyre falling to pieces?

Given the numbers of people using Stan's and similar, if there were a widespread delamination issue, don't you think it would have become slightly more obvious by now?

I've run out of Stan's Solution, but have the bottle of latex from my car (it doesn't have a spare wheel, y'see). I'll never use it for the car, so will probably try it for sealing bike tyres.

Anyone any experience of this?

A few weeks ago i read about the same issue on mtb. review, a guy did some test, as i remember the caffe latex dried out a bit faster than stans…………. so i stick with stans
use there search function, and you cand find it

cheers

BWD

Many manufacturers including Kenda and Maxxis say that the tyre delamination is due to the ammonia in Stans/JRA milk etc. and will not warranty tyres that have used sealant.

It seems to especially affect UST tyres which, according to the manufacturers should be run without sealant – kinda defeats the object in my opinion.

BWD,

in answer to your somewhat querulous post, I'm basing my "hunch" on the fact that the inside of the tyre had developed bubbles where the inner casing had separated from the outer. The sealant had soaked into the material giving it a spongy texture. I made the inference that there might be some kind of agent that had caused this to happen and since the sealant was the only substance in the tyre (other than air), circumstantial evidence pointed to that as being the cause of the degradation.

Please accept my most profound apologies for my inexactitude. I'll endeavour to be much more scientifically rigorous from now on.

Stuartie,

querulous

is an excellent word.

inference

ia another one.

circumstantial

well, what can I say!?

inexactitude

Ambassador, with these words you are spoiling us!

rigorous

Ah, now I see you are an honest man who has been slighted.

Verily, al.

Now, now children.

I don't get the point of tubeless???

You don't really lose much weight if any, it's a faff, you get covered in crap when changing tyres or replacing spokes, I'll stick to good old tubes, never had a puncture in 3 years, and still runing the same tubes to this day, used to run my tyres near flat over rocky terrain with no problems, my hands aren't covered in latex and I haven't spent a penny on rim tape, valves, core removers, tyres rims sealant etc, etc.

Stan, you can stick your tubless kit up your ass mate, then seal it in there with your latex, tubless is the biggest load of shite ever dreamt up!

It seems to especially affect UST tyres which, according to the manufacturers should be run without sealant – kinda defeats the object in my opinion.

Bontrager tubeless tyres say on the tyre that you have to use sealant (though I suppose they want you to use the bonty stuff not Stan's).

Lord Felcham the III – stop trolling or make your own troll thread if you really have to.

though I suppose they want you to use the bonty stuff not Stan's

Spot on. The tyres are dsigned to absorb the Bonty sealant. And it works, so I don't see the point in using other sealants with their tyres.

I'm using this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150381036031

Not had a puncture (that I've noticed!) yet. Smells like JRA stuff so I guess is latex based

Well I've got a load of Stans so I'm gonna keep using that – has worked fine so far. Will just keep an eye on the tyres and replace them if they get really worn.

I have been running tubeless for 2 years, exclusively using stans sealant, found it really good at resisting drying out so will prob stick with that for the time being.

Given the numbers of people using Stan's and similar, if there were a widespread delamination issue, don't you think it would have become slightly more obvious by now?

I have had one tyre delaminate on me (Specialized Captain S-works), I'd had it about 8 months. I noticed a few 1cm blisters between the tread blocks so I took it back to local dealer who replaced it for me FOC. The warranty guy at Spesh did ask if i'd been using sealant though – I don't know if this suggests that they are aware of/or having issues with sealants.

I have had issues with Stans delaminating my Kendas. It takes a while though. You just need to ride lots so the tyres wear out before Stan kills them!

i know i shouldn't feed them but…

I don't get the point of tubeless???

You don't really lose much weight if any, it's a faff, you get covered in crap when changing tyres or replacing spokes, I'll stick to good old tubes, never had a puncture in 3 years,

fine, sounds like you don't need tubeless. now leave the rest of us, who do regularly get punctures on our local trails, to our discussion of it.

I have had issues with Stans delaminating my Kendas. It takes a while though. You just need to ride lots so the tyres wear out before Stan kills them!

Surely Stans dries out before the tyres wear out??

Dez: In my experience the fluid can dry out and that's fine. The gunk has sealed the rimstrip to the tyre, it's bomb-proof.

There's no thorn-proofing once it's dried but there's no pinch flats, period.

al.