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Adding Sealant Made Easy, with new InjectaLever Tire Lever Syringe

Written by Zach Overholt
21 Comments
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Injecta Lever

Tubeless is awesome. Finding out your sealant has dried up causing a flat is not awesome. When the sealant dries up you have two options, pull the tire partly off the rim and dump the sealant in, or remove the valve core and squirt it in through there. Curt and Colin Shelman think they have a better way – with a tire lever. Well, a tire lever that has been merged with a syringe to create an easy, no mess sealant solution. The Injectalever works without removing the valve core or tire from the rim, which should keep your valves free and clear. Still in the design phase, the duo has taken to Kickstarter to raise funds for the finished product.

Adding Sealant Made Easy, with new InectaLever Tire Lever Syringe

Adding Sealant Made Easy, with new InectaLever Tire Lever Syringe

After hand filing the initial proof of concept out of a block of plastic, the team is now on their second design drawing below. Using rapid prototyping samples have been made and sent out to be evaluated. Users have reported back, and a few changes will be made to the final design not shown here. We’re hoping that includes a bigger opening, since the tip clogging up would be our only concern. For $25 + $5 shipping you can get in on the first run of the Injectalever plus a rock from a gravel road in Kansas that spurred the design of the lever!
Zach Overholt
5,730 articles

Zach Overholt is the Editor in Chief of Bikerumor. He has been writing about what’s new in the bicycle world for 12+ years. Prior to that, Zach spent many years in the back of a bicycle shop building and repairing nearly every type of bike, while figuring out how to (occasionally) ride them.

Based in Ohio, Zach is now slowly introducing a new generation to cycling and still trying to figure out how to fit the most rides into a busy schedule as a new dad.

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21 Comments
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Ben
Ben
10 years ago

huh? so, break the bead to add some sealant. You’ve created a solution to make more work. Am I missing something?

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Eddie O
Eddie O
10 years ago

You’ll have to break the bead any way to get the latex ball out, saves the extra step with the valve core.

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Ben
Ben
10 years ago

then why spend the money to get a special tool like this?

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Drew
Drew
10 years ago

So, instead of just breaking the bead and dumping some sealant in, this is making it easier by first having to put the sealant into a syringe THEN into the tire? Great idea!

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Adam12
Adam12
10 years ago

I have never had to remove a latex ball out of my tires in four years. Even when I changed wheels and tires, I did not find a latex ball. This tool is pointless in my opinion because I don’t intend to break the bead unless I am completely changing something. Besides, removing the valve core is not difficult.

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Kyle
Kyle
10 years ago

It would definitely eliminate the problem of sealant burping back out of the valve stem which I can’t seem to avoid with my wheel/tire combo. It’s gonna take a while before I waste $25 worth of sealant this way though.

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Matt S
Matt S
10 years ago

Or you can use a $.99 cent valve stem remover and a $.69 veterinary syringe and save $25… Just me.

@ Kyle- not trying to sound condescending at all, but if you’re having burping issues, have you tried turning your wheel so the valve stem is parallel to the ground? IE at the 3 or 9 o’clock?

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Colin Shelman
Colin Shelman
10 years ago

Thanks everyone!

We appreciate the feedback and the support from Bikerumor for sharing this.

My Dad and I had just gotten tired of trying to pour the sealant in through the valve stem with mixed results. What we have come up with here is what we think is a better/easier way to add sealant on initially setting up your tubeless setup. This way seems very easy if you can not pour the sealant in through the valve stem you would otherwise need to “crack” the bead for 8-10 inches to pour more sealant in. I know I am certainly happy to have this tool on all the tubeless setups I have done and our 8 other prototype testers have also adapted and love this way over going through the valve stem or pouring in.

Again thanks for the feedback and support we really look forward to what could come!

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Curt Shelman
Curt Shelman
10 years ago

Thanks Bikerumor for the post of our Injectalever. Really appreciate the comments, positive/negative, whatever, feedback is good when trying to develop a product.

Upon initial set of up a tubeless tire system, instructions from most of the tire/rim/sealant makers basically say: Install valve/rim strip, put on tire, pour in sealant (through bead or valve stem) fill tire with air, shake to seal, check your pressure and then go ride your bike! However, it didn’t always seem to work that easily for me or many of my friends.

Many times after getting the sealant installed, the bead wouldn’t seal, so then I would break down the tire, to try to reseat it, in the process spill the sealant and then have to use more sealant. Several times I did not have success with putting the sealant through the valve stem, one time the clear plastic tube shot off the end of the syringe and sealant sprayed across the floor. Pouring the sealant in the tire required opening a 6-10″ part of the bead, which would seem to create more sealing problems.

The Injectalever only opens/disrupts about 1 inch of the bead, so it makes it easy to re-gain the bead seal. So now I set up the tire, pressurize it to see if it will basically hold air, seat the bead, then deflate it, use the Injectalever to put the sealant into the tire, re-inflate the tire, shake for dispersant of sealant within the tire and then go ride! It seems to be faster and easier to me. My experience is mostly with Road and CX tires, limited amount with MTB tires, so that may be part of the difference in experiences with mounting tubeless tires. MTB tires do seem mount and seal easier, but there are many more choices of tubeless ready MTB tires than Road/CX tires.

Prototypes have been in some of users hands for over a year and one user is a bike shop owner/mechanic and has almost worn his out he has used it so many times!

It does work, yes it is a little different approach, kind of like MTB, Road, CX, Gravel, Hybrid, Commuter or 700c, 650b, 26′, 29’r, 40c, 23c, 25c, 28c, 35c, tubular, clincher, tubeless, even solid rubber tires…Or Trek, Specialized, Giant, Fuji, Salsa, etc etc…there are a lot of options in cycling and we as the users and riders get to choose our favorite! Thank you for your time! It is always great to hear how other think! Sincerely, Curt Shelman

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Padrote
Padrote
10 years ago

Stan’s comes in 2oz bottles that easily fill through the valve stem.

Buy one, refill it from your quart. Pretty simple.

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FlintHills tubeless rider
FlintHills tubeless rider
10 years ago

I’ve been using an early proto-type of this for some time now. It not only saves me time (95% of sealed bead stays attached/no clogged valves), but allows me to easily check to see if my tire needs more sealant. I just insert the tip and draw back on the plunger. Little or no sealant comes up, add some more. Presto.

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mike
mike
10 years ago

I have the stans injector and valve removal tool. it’s the cleanest fastest way and you don’t risk damaging the tire’s bead. On some tire/rim combo’s the bead is too tight to just open a small section. You end up having to break the bead on one side of the tire to pour in sealant. I don’t think this one is for me. Good luck with it.

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Colin Shelman
Colin Shelman
10 years ago

You guys should check the video out on the Kickstarter page. You really don’t have to break the seal of the bead very much using the I Injectalever.

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Rico
Rico
10 years ago

I use the stans syringe that screws onto the valve stem. Clean and easy.

This is not bad though! I might try one.

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Ben
Ben
10 years ago

Colin, Curt,
I appreciate that you guys came on here and defended your new product. Thanks. I personally haven’t thought to myself that I needed a better option. Hopefully all of the feedback helps. Good luck.

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Colin Shelman
Colin Shelman
10 years ago

@Ben not a problem at all!!!

We are happy to see some feedback. I have been working with my Dad for over a year on this so it’s just really exciting to see it in the public eye. We think Kickstarter is a great way to judge the demand for a product before putting anymore money into it.

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Tom
Tom
10 years ago

Just watched the video. First, why is it in vertical format (FAIL)?

Second, it looks like a pretty good idea. In my case though, I just fill through the removed valve and have never had it clog. I’ve only been using Stan’s Notubes for only about a 1 1/2 years, so I’m new to it. Only added sealant once after the initial fill.

I’m sure I will need to add sealant later this year, I will see if I have a need for this product.

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Ben Bolin
Ben Bolin
10 years ago

I have been a beta tester for this thing. Honestly, when they gave me the prototype I had the same “why do I need this?” Line of questioning. I had my doubts. I had a Stan’s refill syringe and a fill cup. What more did anyone need? I tried it out and gave them some feedback on it. After using Injectalever for over a year the Stan’s kit is in a box in the garage someplace and this is the only thing I use. Works great on MTB, CX or road tubeless systems. Simple to fill, simple to use and one of my favorites is that it cleans up super easy with a quick shot of water through it. I use it to suck up sealant when changing tires as well. Suck it up and inject it in the the other tire setup. As a doubter of the need for such a tool I can say that it changed my mind after testing it.

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Jason Saucy
Jason Saucy
10 years ago

I’ve been handling service in shops for over 20 years and this will save me a lot of time in the long run. Damn! Why didn’t I think of it! Sigh…..

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Joe
Joe
10 years ago

I am a shop guy and I use the stans injector and I love it. I would try this just for something new and tricky.

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Toni
Toni
10 years ago

I use a 60 ml syringe with a 14G needle. Fill syringe with sealant, stick it through the tire and squeeze the sealant in. No need to screw the valve core or use complex systems. That´s what the sealant made for right? Sealing small holes? 😉

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