Are tubeless mountain bike tire systems appropriate for winter riding in below freezing temperatures? Is there a low temperature limit that I should avoid riding in? Does the cold affect performance of the sealants?
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3 Answers
According to this link Stans is good up to -30 F
Special anti-freeze agents allow the sealant to be used in environments as cold as -30° F.
A comment asked about -40 F. Would it seal a puncture? I don't know. I imagine you can go a bit past -30 F and sealing performance would degrade. At some point it would out right freeze and then for sure it would not seal.
According to the MSDS the freezing point is -20 F. Which does not make sense with the -30 F use.
As for appropriate for winter. If you want to ride at low pressure then yes. Your winter riding may differ from your summer riding. Rock gardens may be covered in snow. Swapping out tires on a tubeless is a LOT more more work. If you ride different tires from summer to winter then factor that in.
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Stan's is actually good below that as well. I have rode Stan's at -40F with no issues. Commented Jan 9, 2015 at 22:39
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Be interesting what would happen if you get a puncture at -40F, would the Stans be viscous enough to plug the hole?– DWGKNZCommented Jan 10, 2015 at 6:19
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@ChrisinAK Just because you have ridden Stans past -30 F does not mean good. You can also run a tire outside the pressure range on the sidewall. Commented Jan 10, 2015 at 14:44
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1@Blam, my LBS did that test some years ago when they started using Stan's. It was a bit thicker at -40F, but still fluid. Commented Jan 12, 2015 at 17:19
All of my winter rides are tubeless now. I have successfully used tubeless setups with Stan's at -40F. Many other riders in my area have used them extensively and without issue at temperatures well below zero. Stan's happens to be the fluid used by my LBS, but I am sure there are others that work as well.
The hard part is getting the initial seal to work properly on fat tires. If they don't fail on the initial ride, they are just as reliable as in warmer temperatures.
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2No. It's on par with a tubeless system used in warmer weather, which I would consider more reliable. I carried a spare tube for two winters, this year I took it out of my frame bag because it just doesn't seem necessary. Commented Jan 10, 2015 at 0:34
I’ve just had some bad experiences with muc off sealant ar about 6 degrees C. A key problem is the sealant not drying; a bike room with a radiator failure and stuck at 11 degrees doesn’t help, so I’ve moved them into the warmer part of the house and then left at 20 psi to slowly push the sealant into the tubes. Which worked but then 8 weeks later, after multiple rides, it all decided to blow out of the tyre and rims. I think taking it to 50+ psi forced the air out -and sealant was just too cold/wet it dry and seal it off.
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How old was the sealant? What temperature is Muc off sealant rated to?– Criggie ♦Commented Dec 9, 2023 at 22:07
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Also what width tires were you inflating to 50 psi? This OP is about mountain bike tires, which these days I expect to be between 2.1" and 2.8" wide (nominally), and therefore running between 15 and 30 psi for most riders.– Paul HCommented Dec 10, 2023 at 0:01
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oh, maxxis ones which i keep reasonably hard for some on road use. guess i should cut them back, but i've had problems with that tyre since it went on– stevelCommented Jan 1 at 15:54