Kenda Kwik Seal inner tube

Kenda’s quick seal are a sound choice for commuter, mountain, training and utility steeds that need puncture-resisting dependability without a big weight penalty. In contrast to their bulky thorn resistant cousins, the Kwik Seal is a conventional butyl tube containing a sealant designed to seal holes up to an eighth of an inch wide.Over the test period, they’ve proven very reliable but don’t be tempted to leave the spare tube, pump and patch kit at home.

Upon discovering you’ve some glass, a thorn or similar debris through the tyre, stop and remove it before spinning the wheel to send the sealant coursing round the tube and filling the affected area. Generally speaking, there’s a loss of around three to ten psi dependant upon how quickly you reach the foreign object.

Temperature doesn’t overly effect their efficiency, although as an experiment I left one in the freezer overnight and paired it with a particularly puncture prone tyre. The repair took a few seconds longer and a loss of 25psi before healing over. These aren’t a cure-all for the dreaded hiss but seem basically reliable and considerably nicer compared with others I’ve fitted in the past. My experience suggests these are very effective in the short to medium term but sooner or later the nail with your name on it will burst the tube resulting in a gloopy mess, and you'll need your spare.

Combined with Kevlar belted tyres, they might prove a particularly good option for hub braked and geared city bikes with more involved wheel removal.

Verdict

Not a cure all but a good option on hub geared and braked city bikes where wheel removal is more involved.