We splashed through a few muddy puddles during the Tsukuba-Kasumigaura Ring-Ring Road ride, so Kuroko was in desperate need of a bath. I also wanted to get more sealant into the tires to stop the slow seeping of air.
Just four days after filling the tires up to 45psi, they were down to less than 20. In fact, as I discovered in Itako, they would lose that much in just five or six hours.
I’d got a hypo for the sealant with a valve that is supposed to let me add the sealant without removing the tire valve. But I couldn’t get it to work out, and the result was a bit of a mess (as can be seen). So I removed the valve from the hypo and the valve from the tire, and things were pretty straightforward after that. I tried to give each tire about 90ml, but when I poured the sealant into the top of the hypo it just flowed right through into the tire. So anyway, I added a lot more to each tire.
I wanted to get a picture of using the hypo to add the sealant through the valve, but — have I mentioned this yet? — the process is a bit messy. Besides, despite my considerable achievements over the years, I still have only two hands.
After reinflating the tires to 60psi, I immediately heard the hissing of air escaping. After spinning the tires around for a few seconds, the hissing stopped and beads of white latex appeared where the tires were seated on the rims.
After a bit more spinning, I noticed small beads of latex seeping through the sidewalls, sealing up the tiny holes there. I’d heard these tires were known for the weeping sidewalls, so it’s good to see the sealant doing the job here.
Splish splash
With the tires sorted, it was time to do something about the grime. Before breaking out the cleanser and brushes, though, I decided to record some of the mud for posterity.
After a few minutes with the cleanser, brushes and sprayer, the bike was looking a lot better (if not quite perfect).
I got a new chain cleaner because the clasp on the previous one wasn’t holding together any more. This Park Tool beauty works a lot better, with a lot less spitting of the degreaser.
Finally, I didn’t forget to clean my shoes!
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