How to use bike tire sealant ?

Tubeless Ready tires are not completely airtight. You need to use a sealant to ensure a good seal. Combining a Tubeless Ready tire and a sealant provides better protection against punctures and the sealant does not have any negative effect on rolling resistance.

Depending on your type of riding (Road = high pressures vs Gravel & MTB = low pressures), you’ll need to adapt the type of sealant used.

Although tire sealant is mainly used inside Tubeless Ready tires, it can also be injected in inner tubes to repair small punctures. This is the case with TubeType tires, but also Tubular tires. By injecting the sealant into the inner tube, it will plug small perforations and allow you to continue riding.

Note that Michelin has designed an inner tube called Michelin Protek Max which already contains tire sealant. This means you can avoid the potentially messy task of injecting the liquid and enjoy its reparative properties while you're riding. Michelin Protek Max comes in two versions, City and MTB.

1/ Check the expiration date

Before using tire sealant, make sure that the product has not been used beyond the expiration date indicated by the manufacturer. Sealant loses its effectiveness once exposed to air, especially after multiple uses. Using expired or previously used sealant may result in decreased effectiveness.

2/ Remove the wheel

While not mandatory, we recommend that you remove the wheel before injecting the sealant. This makes handling easier and allows for more even distribution of the sealant.

3/ Shake the bottle well

Tire sealant consists of several components such as water and denser particles like latex or polymer. It may also contain natural or chemical solvents. To ensure effectiveness, shake the bottle well before injecting the sealant.

4/ Unscrew the top part of the valve

Note that the valve can come in two formats: PRESTA or SCHRADER, also known as “standard valve”.

No. Unlike what some people think, inflating your tire to maximum pressure and letting it rest overnight after injection is not useful to improve the sealing action. Simply inflate the tire to rolling pressure and shake it well after injection.

The tire sealant only remains effective for a limited period, which depends on a number of factors. After a certain period of time, the sealant dries and turns into a rubber film, or breaks into small pieces. In winter, with greater temperature variations and a more humid environment, the tire sealant can dilute and become less effective.

We recommend that you check and add sealant roughly every 3 months, depending on how often you use your bike. It is also recommended that you change the tire sealant every time you change a tire.

To find out where to dispose of used sealant, whether it can be recycled or not, please refer to the instructions on the manufacturer's box.

Most tubeless-ready tire punctures go unnoticed, since the tire sealant plugs the puncture almost instantly. However, if the puncture is quite significant, the tire may lose pressure. In this situation, it is often quite easy to spot the puncture due to the visible presence of sealant.

If your tire loses air due to a puncture:

• Locate the leak: The punctured area will show visible sealant.

• Position the puncture downward: This ensures sealant flows directly into the hole.

• Let the sealant dry for a few minutes before re-inflating.

• Reinflate to normal pressure (do not overinflate).

If the puncture is too large, you may need to repair or replace the tire.