WHY TYRE INSERTS WERE CREATED IN FIRST PLACE Tubeless tyres (with sealant) are surely helping to keep punctures to a minimum, but they don’t totally eliminate them. With the right force, especially on rocky terrain, it’s possible to pinch-flat a tubeless tyre, cutting the tyre by pushing it very hard against the rim. Also rims […]

Those who ride occasionally (less than once a week), do not cross lands infested with thorns or – simply – do not want to face the small problems and complications that tubeless involves, can continue using inner tubes and be happy like that. In off-road riding, however, the transition to tubeless and the use of […]

It’s great to have multiple choices, as long as we also possess enough information for a correct decision: this also applies to our Shelter family. This family of frame protections offers different sizes, different thicknesses… but we realized we hadn’t quite explained our idea behind it. Basically there are three types of Shelter: Off-Road (thickness […]

Being a synthetic latex, Caffélatex is not as intrinsically “sticky” as natural latex sealants, showing a lower tendency to clog valves and valve mechanisms. Still, it’s important to learn how to use it properly to take full advantage of the puncture protection, reducing the drawbacks to the minimum. General tips for long lasting valves, when […]

Beside the use of CO2(described here) or contamination of your sealant with other products(described here), the “hair dryer” effect is a common but little-known reason for the decrease in a sealant lifespan. When does it happens? If a tubeless tyre doesn’t immediately inflate after having inserted the sealant, some people using a compressor might be […]

Tyre sealants are a must-have for the performance-oriented cyclists, to avoid the feared and annoying punctures. The big question is: how much sealant do I need? Parameters that influence the necessary quantity of sealant: Several parameters should be taken into account, for example the outside humidity, temperature and tyre inflation routine/regularity. However, the main factors […]

The most common reasons for polymerization of latex sealants (synthetic or natural) can be divided into two groups: physical (related to temperature changes, evaporation, etc.); chemical. Physical: a sudden temperature drop, e.g. when using CO2 cartridges, as described here; a quick evaporation, e.g. when the sealant comes out from a puncture in the tyre. In this case the […]

Why Caffélatex rather than other sealants? Caffélatex has some important features which make it a good choice as puncture preventative inside tubulars: non-corrosive: the complete absence of ammonia or any other aggressive chemical makes Caffélatex perfect even for very sensitive latex inner-tubes (quite common inside professional tubulars). Caffélatex is perfectly compatible also with tubulars with […]

While Caffélatex resists well to both low and high temperatures (between -20 and 50°C), sudden temperature changes are not good for its stability. A strong thermal shock could be a polymerization-starter for any latex-based sealant (natural or synthetic), so we suggest to limit the use of CO2 cartridges or, if necessary, to do it with extra […]