Bikeradar - The world is for riding

Not a year passes by without somebody claiming to have found a cure for the common puncture. This is quite a novel approach, combining puncture repair and inflation in one, and has made me a little less cynical about such products. Sure enough after riding through a stretch of broken glass and then a thorn strewn lane or two, the inevitable happened.

Having located and removed the offending bead of glass and checking for any other debris I opened the valve, shoved the nozzle on the Presta valve (although Vittoria claim it universally fits Woods, Schrader, Dunlop and Regina valves) and pushed gently, only to be greeted by the sound of latex sealant being forced into the tube. Inflation was a little disappointing - I managed 40psi in a 26x1.5 slick - so adequate as a get you home measure but a little low. The instructions recommend riding for at least 5km after repair and checking the pressure periodically.

This is a once-only deal and the whole cartridge needs to be spent in one hit. And while in fairness the tyre has remained inflated for the past week, I have reservations about the long-term durability of the repair, so will be watching closely over the next couple of months. It might suit commuters not wanting to remove a rear wheel on a dark, rainy night and might save some time, but I won't be leaving my trusty spare tube, patch kit and pump at home anytime soon.

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