If you’re looking for a way to avoid flats but don’t want the bumpy ride associated with flat-free solid tires then self-sealing tires are your best bet. But what is it and how does it work?
As the electric scooter scene progresses, manufacturers come up with and implement new technology and features to enhance their rides and make our life as riders less complicated. You may have noticed for the past few years that more and more of the bigger brands are shifting to tubeless tires with a special inner lining or gel coat that helps reseal the tire upon puncture. They all seem to be aligned that this is a great feature for rides, and I completely agree.
However, one thing they seem to not be aligned on is what to call it. Self-sealing, self-repairing, anti-puncture, even puncture proof tires. Yes, although utilizing the same type of technology these tires go by many different names. Something that can be quite confusing, so let me break it down for you.
In this article I’ll walk you through how this technology works, how they differentiate from regular tires, we test out their self-sealing ability, and I’ll even teach you how you can make your standard tubeless tires self-sealing.
Understanding Self-Sealing Tires for Electric Scooters
What Are Self-Sealing Tires?
Self-sealing electric scooter tires are tires that can repair themselves upon puncture. They have an inner lining or coating that will quickly and efficiently fill in any holes left by a small object puncturing the tire. They are not fully puncture proof, but after testing out many different models I can promise you that their ability to quickly reseal the tire is very effective. One of many reasons why it is starting to become the industry standard.
How Their Self-Repairing Technology Works
A self-sealing tire is in large part just your normal tubeless tire, but with a gel-like inner lining or coating that has been applied to the tires inside during production.
The process of how it self-repairs is quite simple. Once an object punctures all the way through the hard outer rubber of the tire, the coating which is made of a sticky soft rubber-like compound will instantly follow the air into the punctured hole, its particles will get stuck and solidify and in the process reseal the hole. The sealing process is instant and in most cases the rider won’t even notice a puncture has occurred.
How They Differ From Your Regular Electric Scooter Tires
The main difference between a self-sealing tire and a regular tubeless tire is of course its ability to fix punctures as they happen. Where a regular tire will leave you stranded, a self-sealing tire will just keep on rolling.
Price is another factor that sets the tire types apart. Self-sealing tires have additional production cost which will trickle down to the consumer making them slightly more expensive. However, they will generally have a longer life span and you will save on repair costs upon puncture.
Common Misconceptions
Due to this type of tire technology being new to your average everyday rider, it comes as no surprise that there are some common misconceptions floating around on the web. Take it from someone who spent most his summers/winters switching car tires in my dads workshop, these misconceptions are mostly grounded in bad marketing by companies. Combined with a slight percentage being due to a lack of understanding for its ability to self-repair.
Here are the two misconceptions I come across the most:
- Calling them anti-proof – Although having a good ability to reseal punctures they are definitely not to be labeled puncture proof. The only puncture proof tire is a solid tire.
- They can fix any puncture – Aligning with the above mentioned misconception. The gel/inner lining can be found covering most of the tires rubber even up on parts of its sidewalls. This provides it with the ability to seal most punctures up to a certain point. But they are still prone to larger punctures and the risk of blowouts are still present.
Types of Self-Healing Solutions
There are two main categories we put self-sealing ties into:
- Factory-produced self-sealing tires
- Aftermarket DIY self-sealing tires
The first one is where the tires are produced with an inner coating from the factory. The second category is when you make your own self-repairing tires with the help of some tire slime.
Self-Sealing Tires: Pro VS Cons
Products We Recommend
Top Pre-Built Self-Sealing Tires
Anything from the big brands will have great quality and longevity, but I’ve even tested some cheap Chinese knock-off options and they haven’t let me down either. Their coating mixture may not be as great as the likes found on your Segway tires, but they kept on rolling until it was time for a change. The interval between tire changes may be a bit shorter with the knock-offs though, so keep that in mind.
Best DIY Tire Sealant
There is but one who reigns supreme in this category and I’ve used it since I was a kid on anything with tires. They got both a tube slime option as well as one specifically made for tubeless tires. You fill in your tires with slime that upon puncture will follow the air out and block the hole.
Also read: Tubeless VS Tubed Electric Scooter Tires – Key Differences
PRO TIP: You may want to mix it with 30% soapy water to make the slime move around in the tire easier.
We highly recommend Slimes Tire Repair & Prevention and you can find it in most well-sorted bike shops or online at Amazon.
Conclusion and Key Takeaway
As we’ve discussed throughout this article there aren’t many negatives that should discourage or eliminate any rider from adapting this new tire technology on their electric scooter. If you want to keep your electric scooter comfy with great grip, but don’t want to have to deal with the headache of punctures then self-sealing tires is your best bet.
We can expect it to only get better too, with more optimized sealing mixtures and ways for it to reseal punctured tires as time passes.
Now you know exactly how self-sealing tires work, what they are capable of, and how you can utilize them for more peace of mind while riding. All the big brands have already made the switch over to self-healing tires on most of their newer models, which is a great indication on where the industry is heading.
