Caffelatex Frequently Asked Questions

There're some combinations of tires and rims that are almost impossible to convert to tubeless, but they just fail to inflat.

You seem to be able to inflate the tires. So it's just a matter of seeing where the air is escaping. It's possible that the tires go flat a couple of times before the tubeless system is 'stable' and retains pressure. Inflating, rolling/shaking the wheels and take them for a 10 minute ride after inflating them is the solution to most of these problems. I suggest inflating them harder than you normally ride them, like 3 bar (45 psi), for these test-rides. If the tires are very porous and a quantity of Caffelatex escapes during the conversion, adding another 50 ml is not a bad idea either.

In order to use these Caffelatex Tubeless Presta Valves successfully, the wheels / rims must be PRESTA-DRILLED (1/4" valve hole). NO SCHRADER VALVE HOLES (21/64" valve hole).

Effetto Mariposa has begun to offer washers that will prevent the valve nut from getting inside the Schrader hole (not allowing to tighten it properly).  To convert a rim with a Schrader-drilled hole you will need 2 additional pieces: a thick black rubber washer and a flat metal washer; currently, these pieces are only available upon request.

To properly install the Effetto Mariposa tubeless valve on a Schrader-drilled hole, fit the thick black rubber washer on our tubeless valve, so it is down in contact with the squared rubber base.  Next, mount the valve.  The flat metal washer will be placed between the rim and the valve lock nut.

Temperature shock can cause Caffelatex to start polymerisation.

A sudden drop in temperate can in some cases activate this polymerisation. We've seen it happen from time to time with C02 cartridges (it doesn't happen every time though). Given the above situation, it could be possible that the sudden drop in temperature could shock the Caffelatex enough to start the polymerisation.

Caffelatex will work normally at temperates down to -4º C (24.8º F).

Yes, Caffelatex freezes... the anti-freeze is not sufficient to keep the water in the formula from freezing at temperates below -4° C (24.8º F).

Normally Caffelatex will continue to work as normal after it unfreezes.

The fact Stans uses 'natural latex' doesn't mean there are no synthetic elements in its formula. On the other hand, synthetic doesn't always mean 'bad' for the environment, as all the recyclable plastics demonstrate: basically, no toxic or environmentally-dangerous chemicals are used to make Caffelatex.

You could argue that the Caffelatex environmental impact is even lower than Stan's, because you don't run the risk of throwing away a tire (an high environmental cost!) because it has been eroded by ammonia, something that might happen with Stan's.

As far as chemicals are concerned, the most dangerous one used inside Caffelatex is 12 % of monoethyleneglycol (as anti-freeze, but I suspect Stan's also uses something like this).

From Wikipedia: "The major danger from ethylene glycol is ingestion, as it is somewhat toxic with LD50 = 1.4 g/kg for humans". To put this in perspective, Aspirin has an LD50 = 0.2g/kg, which is 7 times more dangerous than ethylene glycol in Caffelatex! Nevertheless, Caffelatex shouldn't be swallowed.

In addition to the above, Caffelatex can also be used by people with an allergy to natural latex.

It depends upon your tire size and brand. We suggest the following amounts of Caffelatex:

The above figures are some good starting points. Not all tire sizes across all tire brands are created equal. You will need to do some experimentation to find the best amount to use.

The short answer is yes!  Below is the long "how to" explanation...

Superlight tires are one of the most difficult to seal. Use soapy water on the beads and an air compressor to get the primary seal so that the tire can be inflated.  Next, deflate the tire and remove the valve core.  Obviously, if your valve core is not removable, skip that part!  Add the appropriate amount of Caffélatex through the valve, re-inflate and ride. 10 minutes of easy riding will make sure the tires won't deflate quickly.  It may take a couple of rides to stabilize and seal them completely.

The tape has a good adhesive base; if it doesn't stick there is something wrong with the rim surface!  First, inspect the rim to see where the tape is leaking.  Remove the sealant and clean the rim thoroughly.  If the conversion was done using a new roll of tape, there should be at least 1 meter of tape leftover on the roll. Cut and remove only the section where the tape leaked and add more tape.  Using droplet of superglue (cyanoacrylate) where the new tape overlaps should prevent the end edges from lifting.

To ensure proper adhesion, the "tire + tube" procedure is also recommended.  Simply mount the tire with an inner-tube and keep it at 50 psi/3 bar for at least 1 hour.  The "tire + tube" procedure, which was previously mentioned in our blog post: "Caffélatex KIT How-To" (step 4), gives the added bonus of easier tire inflation once the tube has been removed.

No specific procedure: Caffélatex won't set inside tubulars and won't damage them over the winter. The only care measures, which apply more to the tubulars than to our sealant, is to protect the bike from extreme temperatures, thermal shocks and humidity.

As for the frame, once Caffélatex hardens, the only way to remove it is mechanically rubbing it away with a finger. Latex is immune to most chemicals.

Yes you can. Here is a blog post from Effetto Mariposa showing Alberto's very first Road Tubeless Conversion. http://www.effettomariposa.com/dblog/articolo.asp?articolo=40

So long as there is no chemical interaction going on, there's no problem adding bits of thread, glitter, hair, finger nail shavings, etc... to the Caffelatex. Adding bits of materials for improved sealing efficacy and puncture protection assumes you'll have a constant distribution throughout the mix which is likely not the case. You also risk jamming up valve mechanisms. But, as they say, what the hey... go for it if you think it will increase puncture protection, or have had positive experiences with it in the past.

Yes you can use Caffelatex in tubes (or tubular tires), it works exceptionally well for preventing flats in tubes. I personally use Caffelatex in my commuter and no flats in months. The slow leaks have also stopped.

50ml of Caffelatex will add around 60 grams (0.13 lbs.) of weight to your tubes.

If the other sealant is competely dry then you will have no problems. When the previous latex is dry, it won't react with Caffélatex, so there's no need to remove it. Otherwise, washing the tire with soapy water will eliminate any 'active' latex.

The only method to get rid of dried-up latex, is to peel it off. Latex is immune to most chemicals.

Never mix Caffélatex with other sealants, see our blog post "Warning: Do Not Mix Caffelatex with other Sealants."

Caffé tubeless valves, thanks to the replaceable valve core, can accept any valve extender, so they are perfect with higher profile mtb rims.

While Caffelatex resists both low and high temperatures extremes, the sudden (and localized) change of temperature that occurs when a CO2 canister is discharged to inflate the tire can cause a thermal shock great enough to start polymerization of the Caffelatex. To avoid this, use a CO2 canister with the valve in a 12 'o clock position. The sealant will tend to flow down and will escape most of the big temperature shock. If some foam is still around the valve area, that should not be a problem.

The kit includes also an injector, which is normally not included in other kits. We think an injector is a must to do a clean job and perfectly control the quantity of latex you're using.

The sealing tape, although similar in function to exisiting products like Stan's Yellow Tape, is of a completely different grade: it's fiber-glass reinforced and can stand 9 bar (126 psi) with a single turn. That will potentially allow road-tubeless conversions as well, as soon as more road tubeless tire options will be available.

Beside injector and tape, the kit includes Caffelatex sealant and high-quality tubeless valves with replaceable valve core. All the elements of the kit are made in Italy.

Synthetic latex lasts longer than natural latex... although it's difficult to give numbers here, it depends a lot on tire/wheel/external conditions. During our field-testing Caffelatex has stayed liquid over 12 months in thick-casing tubeless tyres on UST wheels. Nevertheless, in the impossibility of knowing our customers' specific application (kind of wheel/tire set-up, tire sidewall thickness and porosities, external temperature and humidity, bicycle storage conditions...), we recommend checking Caffelatex every 2 months, to make sure it's liquid and therefore retains its 'puncture preventive' action.

Very important. That obliged us to stay away from natural latex formulations and turn to synthetic latex, which has some other advantages as well. The ammonia content of current latex sealants is not dangerous for tires/rims in the short period... but some concerns start to be raised from long-term users. We prefer to avoid any of these potential problems from the start.

The base formulation we started with to develop Caffelatex comes from the automotive field, where sealant stability, effectiveness and chemical compatibility have very high requirements.