Should You Put Tire Sealant in Tubes?

Should you add tire sealant to bike tubes to seal punctures? That's what we will discuss in this video.

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[keithparr]

I've been putting Orange Seal Endurance sealant, in the innertubes of my 6 bikes for the last 7 years and I haven't had a single puncture since. I can get my tyres on and off easily anywhere. Sealant inside tubes is the best move I've made in 50 years of cycling.

[captainchipowen]

Hello Clint, for my style of riding (74 YO), I think running tubeless is more hassle than it's worth! I do run Slime sealant in my tubes to eliminate sand spur flats. Thanks for pointing out that tubeless systems improve traction and ride quality. That I didn't realize. I think I'll try tubeless on my next bike!

[KILLA-J]

I was debating either adding sealant to tubes or going tubeless - however - this video has helped me decide to go tubeless!!! THANK YOU!!! Yesterday I went to the bike shop and returned with all items necessary to make this transition to all four of my mountain bike tires. I've watched some videos on how to convert to tubeless - I think I can do this. Thanks again!!! 👍

[VictorYepello]

Good video Clint. This advice is great for MTB. eBikes really benefit from a good quality sealant like Flat-Out. Rear wheel flats are costly to fix for my customers so I always try and sell them on sealant.

[xpucmogrozdanov]

I'm convinced! I'll start putting sealant in my tubes to prevent small punctures from glass, spikes etc, and if I get something more major, I'll be able to change the tyre without much of a mess on the road

[tstodgell]

A little bit of sealant inside tubular road/cx tires works, too.

[ewu]

i run full tubeless on my road bike for few years now but for my MTB which I will ride only for 2-3 friendly competitions a year, I don't want to deal with the full tubeless hassle (clean the shit, refill and so on). But I will give it a go with sealant inside the tube and hope I don't get a puncture. I'll carry a spare tube next weekend on the first competition and see how it goes.
As for less pressure, better ride quality, i don't care. All I care is about no puncture for 2-3 hours during the event.
Thanks for the great video!

[noels]

Good vid Clint, just my 2cents, I’ve been on tubeless for 10 yrs. With the wider inner rim widths on modern disc road wheels, I went back to inner tubes with (drumroll please) orange sealant. Note this is in context of roadbike on tarmac, not mtb which definitely need tubeless setup due to off road riding.

[pascalbruyere]

But you can inflate a repaired or replaced inner tube with any crappy pump.
I heard it can be very hard to inflate a patched tire.

[coopr]

The simplest and most straightforward method for applying sealant to a non-removable valve is to puncture the tube, apply sealant, seal it with a tire patch, and then inflate.

[leighroughriders]

I have successfully been using repaired inner tubes with Stans sealant now for over a year and more.
First I ride MTB on 26in wheels and use only quality Presta valve inner tubes which are around 0.9mm thick. After testing I’ve found BBB to be a good inner tube, however on 26in their range is now limited, so I suggest Continental, or Specialized or Hutchinsons 0.9mm inner tubes because I think they all use the same Chinese manufacturer where the tubes are better quality. Never use the cheap supermarket tubes.
I prefer to use the best inner tubes and repair them, and they can be repaired many times if done correctly, then discard when they fail around the valve if old. Eventually the rubber will get weak but I expect by then you will have your money’s worth.
Best practice is to carry spares and change the inner tube and repair at home.


Schrader valve cores can easily be removed however most or all Presta valves I have tested the valve core is all one, so Presta cores cannot be removed.
If using Schrader valve remove the core and inject the sealant.
If using Presta valve when you repair a puncture inject the sealant through the puncture hole and then patch with the sealant inside.
I’ve found the Stans sealant still fluid over a year later. Some did dry up but still noticeably liquid. Be careful to pump with the valve at the top.


After a year without a puncture I got a flat due to the valve damaged. The tube otherwise was sealed. Checking the tyre I found 2 small thorns plus a small sharp stone in the tread. There was no apparent sealant on the inside of the tyre. So I’d say it was a success and worth continuing to test if you have to use inner tubes. I tested with Stans ordinary but haven’t tested anything else. I did notice less punctures.
I didn’t put in huge amounts and not as much as would go in a tubeless tyre, so I didn’t notice any difference in rolling or weight in either the front or back tyre.


For those that have to use inner tubes then I would give this a go. For those unskilled to go tubeless then this is an ease step towards it.
I’d suggest giving this a try and do so when repairing already damage inner tubes.


The drawbacks.
The inner tube in time may get dry and gummed up inside and there is no way to clean it. However depending on sealant I think this will take a couple of years before disposal.
The valve core can get clogged but with Stans didn’t stop it’s use.
You are rolling the extra weight of the sealant with an inner tube.
You are also carrying extra weight of the sealant in any spare inner tubes.
Inner tubes containing sealant cannot be rolled tightly flat so take up more space in your pack. Plus if one leaks then you could get sealant in your kit.


If you don’t want to do this yourself ‘Slime’ sell them, however you could also consider the thorn proof thicker inner tubes with a thicker tread.

[FlyingFun.]

I use the green slime in my tubes.
I run a higher presure because my riding is a good mix of off road and relatively smooth tracks and the weight is compensated by the reduced rolling resistance.
I have only had to fix one puncture in 2 years, the rest fixed themselves with only needing a top of of air when I got home.
I'd like to try timeless sometime but feel like it seems fidly .

[jramirezar]

I've been riding for about 20 years now, most of the time with tubes, and I can count the flats I've had with my fingers and still have some left... Recently I moved my MTB to tubeless and I can't really see the difference, just more hassle... I can't change my tires as easy, the valve gets stuck very often, and the sealant will dry up, ending with clogs rolling inside my tires... My new bike will continue with tubes, maybe with sealant inside... But a few years ago I tried some tubes sold with sealant for my road bike, one flat with a tiny wire and did not seal, what a mess if sealant, not no mention that I couldn't repair the tube. I hope new sealant is way better... Quite a long history!

[TheMatt]

I do this all the time, way more puncture resistance (especially with thorns) and nowhere near as finicky as tubeless on road wheels.

[bmxshow]

I don't care about a better quality ride, I want reliability - I dont want to fix flats while on a ride. I've been putting Orange Seal or Stans sealant, in the tubes of my 6 bikes for the last 10 years. 100% success rate sealing pinch/snake bites, goat head and metal causing punctures

[pagekyle]

What I don't get is why these questions are still open/up to each rider, of tubed/tubeless, and sealant: whether to add, and if so how much. Clint prefers tubeless, but tubeless comes with a recommendation of 4oz of sealant within each tire, from what I understand, which slows you down. It just seems like there should be a simple formula people can use, describing the amount of sealant to add, based on the tubed vs tubeless set-ups and the likelihood of puncture flats.

[mancello]

I used Slime inside tubes in the past with mixed results. I converted some of my bikes to tubeless and it's the way to go especially for gravel and mountain trails. Important to check sealant levels regularly as sealant will dry out. Also my rear tire will get more cuts than front tire and needs sealant more often as it's being used up to seal the cuts. I find myself adding sealant every couple of months.

[Divercitylife]

I will add one negative to Stan’s in tubes. With higher pressure tires, like gravel and road bikes, the sealant will just shoot out. I found more often I have to remove the tube and the tire will fill with sealant. Messy. Though I do have a couple bikes that won’t run tubeless, so I still use sealant in tubes. Thanks for the video

[weeringjohnny]

I've successfully put sealant into non-removeable valves. You need to attach a syringe using a tight plastic tube to the valve, depress the plunger lightly and wiggle the open valve core as you do this. The sealant should drip in no problem. One concern is blocking the valve with dry sealant because I don't think you'll be able to ever get it out.

[lazurm]

In tests performed exactly for that purpose it was determined that "static weight" vs "rotational weight" isn't an issue 2:35 . As for weight, remember that sealant has weight so the difference between tubes and sealant isn't as much as one would think otherwise.
Having stated the above, tubeless is better for traction, reduction of flats, cornering, and ride quality.