Caffe Latex... conversion kit?

[The Llama]

the short/out of box review...

Well, I purchased the whole "Conversion Kit"  Let me just state this right up front, DON'T waste your $$$$ on the KIT

OK, now as to the actually Caffe latex product... now that is a different story...  ..

I set it up on my 29er, with Velocity's  P-35 on the back and the Blunt on the front and using the Mt king tires. I ended up using "Gorilla Duct" tape as the rim strip,  apply the tape then installing a tire & tube and pumping it up to 50-60 lbs to press the tape tightly into place. Remove tube and used the Caffe latex kit's stems.

The tires were kinda a bear to get seated on the wider rims, the only way I ended up actually getting them to sit was to take the core out of the stem and hit it hard with air while soaping the crap out of the bead....

after getting  1/2 decent bead setting I poured the latex in the stem, installed the core and filled with air. The rear tire seated with the latex and held perfectly, haven't had to touch it (other than actually letting air out to get it to the right pressure for me to ride) but for some reason the front wouldn't hold... held for a few day but was flat on the 3rd day with the crap all over the floor.. tried re-taping, 3 times even tried Stan's never held more than a day or 2.

Now, the actually Caffe Latex... well there were a few holes in the tires from previous thorns and when I first installed everything it squirted out and wouldn't seal right off, so I put my finger over the hole and that helped... but didn't stop it. What I did figure out was that the high tire pressure I start with when doing this type of thing was too much, I was basically giving up when the pressure had dropped to about 30-25lbs and the tire magical sealed. cool.    ( I've had this same problem with stan's and slime)  Been riding on the rear tire now for about 30 miles+ and everything seems good. I do want to figure out why the front didn't hold but I honestly can't say it was the sealant because I couldn't get any of the other brands to hold so being things as they are I have to say the Blunts just aren't good to go tubeless  . waaa...

the stuff does foam,  everywhere     I rode today through Bluff point and hit all the famous thorny spot with no issues. though the trails were recently cleaned up so that was a big help.


Haven't had enough time with it yet to really say, but if it does 1/2 of what they claim I'll like it better than stan's, More because I get side wall punctures 80% of the time over tread ones. with stans it's ok, If I catch it cause I just lean the bike over and slowly spin the tire till it starts jetting out and seals... but I would prefer it to already be in the general area on the tire where it's needed... so It would be worth the extra $$$ for that, also when doing "getto" tubeless sometimes the actual rim gets exposed and the lack of damaging ammonia against my expensive alum rims could make it worth it down the road.... so in this short test time I'd have to say I'll use Caffe Latex again... but more to come later on the product after a few months of testing 

BUT!!, as to the whole "conversion kit" well not even going to get into it a lot... very simple... the tape they supply is terrible, almost impossible to get to lay flat in the rim. the stems are about par with any others (that can be had cheaper) the injector is a good idea, but hey, just go to a medical supply place and get a $5 syringe and a 1 ft piece of tubing. I hear everyone yammering about the thing and honestly it's a good idea, but the stupid end they put on doesn't work all that well and probably 25% of the latex ended up on the floor before I just yanked the core out of the stem and shot it straight in from the syringe... that worked the best ( and is a WHOLE lot better than pulling the bead and pouring in the tire then resetting the tire back like you do with stan's)..

SO the "kit" was 70 buck...instead get..

 

• the Caffe Latex ($15 bucks for the 250 ml bottle that the kit comes with)
• Roll of gorilla tape (less than $5 at the local hardware store, probably less online)
• syringe from the med store and a piece of tube if you want (like $5 at the Medical store)
• couple tubeless stems ($5-15 bucks depending on make, the Stan's one are around 7 bucks all over the web)
  

..

Total.. 15+5+5+30(2 stems) = $55.. $15 savings and you don't have to throw out the tape   

My conclusion so far....

Get the Caffe Latex, Avoid their conversion kit!

again, I'll do a full report on the latex after a bit of abuse (and more tires/bikes...  )

[saddlesore]

Great review and interesting product.  I have been using Stans for a while and have few complaints with the exception of the mess it makes when you are switching over tires or if you shred the sidewall in the trails which I have done twice with my flimsy Specialized Captains.  I see from the website that the mixture foams in the tire instead of sloshing.  Did you or have you had reason to break the bead after installing the Cafe Latex?  I wonder if it is a foamy mess or if the mixture settles back down to a fluid when not in motion.  Again, love the ghetto tubeless but trying to get a tube in a shredded tire out in the woods is a complete mess. 

Also, don't take this as a bad review of the Captains, these are my favorite tire of all time.  I have Nevegals sitting on my basement floor that probably will never see my rims ever again.  I recently picked up Captain Armadillos which have more of a UST sidewall and I am just waiting for some more Stans to be shipped before I throw them on.  I wish I knew about the Cafe Latex, I would have given it a shot.

[The Llama]

I see from the website that the mixture foams in the tire instead of sloshing.  Did you or have you had reason to break the bead after installing the Cafe Latex?  I wonder if it is a foamy mess or if the mixture settles back down to a fluid when not in motion.  Again, love the ghetto tubeless but trying to get a tube in a shredded tire out in the woods is a complete mess.

it settles...  I have seen and heard others cry about a lite skinning of the Caffe latex inside the tire after a time... personally I don't see this as an issue but more of a bonus.   every time I redo my stan's I always cleaned the inside with alcohol and when I remounted I would get the stans oozing out all the pores again, if what I see from others happens with the Caffelatex it's like a thin skin and keeps the pores all sealed... saves $$$$  and come on... who's THAT much of a weight weenie to be concerned about a gram or 2 of latex on the tire... 

as too the tires, well I have converted to the Conti Mtn Kings on the 29er... at first the tad of roll resistance bothered me but now, after a tad of break in... the traction wayyyy out weighs the resistance!! I have gone through a few diff tires with wimpy side walls,(Maxxis ignitors, Kenda Klaws, few others) and slicing them does suck big time... makes a mess on trail side if tubeless. another reason I have gone to the Mtn Kings is the whole tire is stronger, and yet pretty damn light! 

I still have the nevegals on the 26, more cause they just work, not the best, not the worst, just work...