Confession: I am a horrible bike mechanic. Aligning derailleurs, adjusting brakes, and putting on tubeless tires have plagued me for years. Somehow, I never progress, despite a decade of riding bikes. But, as with all things, the better the tools, the better the result, and despite my absolute D- mechanic skills, I have 100% mastered the art of tubeless sealant. You can, too, with one simple, $9.99 product: Stan’s NoTubes Tire Sealant Injector Syringe.
If you do this right, you will never, ever spill sealant again. This method works great for refilling your sealant (should be done every 4-8 months, depending on climate), or for applying sealant to a new tubeless setup. You can do it!
SHOP SEALANT | SHOP TUBELESS WHEELS | SHOP TUBELESS TIRES
What You Need
Sealant Injector Syringe — Varieties exist online, but the gist of the syringe applicator is it allows you to gracefully control the flow of sealant directly into tire via the valve. It also allows you to measure the amount of sealant going into the tire, which is pretty handy compared to eyeballing the bottle. Plus, the syringe sits directly on the valve and puts enough pressure to shoot the sealant into the tire, so it doesn’t bubble up and out of the valve.
Tubeless Wheels — Tubeless compatible is a real thing, so make sure you’re on the right wheels. I ride tubeless road, gravel, and MTB, because tubeless is progress and better in every way. Disagree in the comments below, but know that you can’t stop progress.
Tubeless Tires — With the progress of tubeless, we now enjoy a bevy of great tubeless tire options for every type of riding. Run lower PSI, reduce the occurrence of silly flats, and enjoy the peace of mind of a tubeless tire.
Instructions
Note: Stan’s has a nice video of this process for the visual learners.
1. Assemble the tubeless tire on a tubeless compatible wheel. Ensure the beading is distributed nicely on the rim.
2. Remove the tubeless valve core and shake your sealant to ensure it’s well mixed.
3. Then, pull the sealant from the bottle into the syringe body by pulling back on the plunger.
4. Thread the injector onto the valve and push the plunger down to inject the sealant. (Note: 2 ounces is good for a sealant refresh, 4 ounces may be necessary for a new tire.
5. Thread the valve core back in place.
6. Inflate the tire until it seals (or, if refreshing, reseals) and shake, bounce, and rotate the tire to ensure the sealant applies evenly across the tire.
That’s it! You’ve just become a master mechanic — and you saved your bike, shirt, pants, and floor from that sticky sealant. Now, give it a test and go out and ride!