This year’s Sea Otter had a massive array of tubeless tire sealant introductions and updates, plus a few new faces to the bike care lineup. And in some cases, just new colors to old favorites. Starting off with Wend Waxworks, they’ve added six colors to their wax-based, stick-applicated chain lube. We saw them for the first time at the 2017 Otter, and now they have a Spectrum collection offering orange, blue, pink, yellow, green and red.
They’re also showing a black color on their website, though it’s not available in the drop down menu for purchase (yet?). A 2.5oz stick retails for $25, and a travel-friendly 1oz jar is just $7. Check them out at WendPerformance.com.
Joe’s No Flats handles high pressure road tubeless
One of the tricks with road tubeless is that most sealants have been designed for the lower pressure systems of mountain bikes. Cue road bikes with tire pressures sometimes exceeding 100psi (which, yes, defeats some of the point of going tubeless), and you could end up with a sealant that sprays out faster than it can coagulate and seal.
The new Road Leader Sealant from Joe’s No Flats claims to be the first sealant made specifically for high pressure road bike applications, able to seal tires pumped up to 130psi. It works thanks to a revised formulation and the inclusion of a variety of particulates to help clog the hole long enough for the sealant to thicken.
They’ve also added six-packs of their Podium Sealant, which is their super-fast acting sealant intended for race day only. Why? Because it dries up much faster than their other formulas, which is what helps it close a leak very quickly during a race.
MilkIt for all it’s worth
MilkIt is continually refining their tubeless valve stem system, with the main effort for the latest revision being to reduce the likelihood that sealant will end up clogging the stem itself. To lend an assist, they developed their own sealant…
…which they say stays fluid longer than others inside the tire. And, they say it’s CO2 compatible, with a wide temperature use range, making it an interesting option for those in extreme climates. Also worth a look: Their water bottle-sized tubeless booster, which you inflate with a normal pump, then use to seat tubeless tires. Compared to other auxiliary canister systems on the market, this one’s smaller, and it’ll fit in a standard bottle cage. And, since you’re only putting air into it, it can actually be used as a water bottle in a pinch. It was introduced last year, check out that story here.
Peaty’s sealant is now huge in the USA
Peaty’s tubeless sealant has been around for a bit, but their oversized booth was there to celebrate their formal introduction into the U.S. market. How big of a deal is this?
It’s big. Well, the massive shop-sized pump container of sealant is huge, anyway, giving you the size options you need for everything from a refill pouch to go in your pack, to this monster sitting inside your home or professional workshop. But what’s its deal? Check out this story for the tech details and explanation of those little blue dots inside it.
The complete line also includes Loam Foam bike wash, a foaming degreaser spray and Link Lube chain lube, among other things. Check them out at Peatys.co.uk.
Colorful, lightweight alloy valve stems
We spotted this rainbow assortment of lightweight alloy valve stems at Muc-Off’s booth, with your choice of black, green, blue, purple, fascia, red, orange and gold in 44mm and 60mm lengths. For $28, you get a pair of stems, three different shapes of rubber seal, and a valve core removal tool…and a color-matched cap, which is a nice bonus.
We forgot to snap a pic, but Stan’s NoTubes has new colored valve stems, too. Choose from 35, 44, and 55 millimeter lengths in red, orange, blue, green and black (not all colors available in all sizes). Retail from $23.
Blub helps beat the rub
Blub Lube looks like a new brand, but they’re making some big claims for their Wax Lube. How’s a 1.5 watt drag reduction sound? Pretty quiet if you ask them, as they say it’s also great at reducing drivetrain noise. And like any good wax-based lube, it’s also good at deflecting dirt and preventing it from gunking up your chain and cassette. All of which they say brings about a 1.6x chain lifespan improvement.
They also have wet and dry conditions lubes, and all of their products are 100% biodegradable and earth-friendly. Check out the rest at BlubLube.com.
