Silca is so confident in its new sealant, it's willing to give $500 to the first sponsored rider who gets a puncture that doesn't seal

Silca has launched version 2.0 of its Ultimate tubeless tyre sealant, which has been reformulated so it can now be injected through valves rather than poured directly into your tyres. Perhaps the bigger story from the announcement, though, is Silca's 'Bad Day Bonus being offered to sponsored athletes, which will pay out $500 to any "SILCA-sponsored GP athlete who has a puncture that doesn't seal during a Life Time Grand Prix race"... full satisfaction or your money back, and then some!

$500 for an unsealable puncture? *Takes out penknife* 

Sure, $500 (about £397) might not be much to Big Sealant corporations, but it does suggest a level of confidence we've not seen from the bike industry in a while. Every brand makes bold claims in a press release, that's what they're for, to make a big show and dance about their new product. But not many have the stones/cash to back up their claims. 

> Best tubeless sealants

We realise Silca hasn't opened this critique up to the general public, and probably for good reason. Wouldn't you be tempted to stage a ride-ending puncture on the promise of receiving $500? Perhaps our moral compass is slightly off...

Fiberfoam technology

So what's new with the Silca Ultimate sealant versus version 1.0? The brand claims this new variant can seal punctures 6mm in size and larger, and you can now inject the sealant through the valve. This is pretty standard nowadays so Silca is late to the party here, but the fast-drying formula in the first version would start to activate if syringed through the valve, according to what Silca told our reviewer back in 2022. The brand reckons it has solved this with the new formula.

Silca says it has increased the longevity of the sealant, saying the new stuff can last over six months even in "desert climates." We're not sure that's going to be of particular concern to many of our UK-based readers, but a sealant that can withstand any extreme temperature is useful for the British climate. 

Silca also says the new formula is the brand's first-ever "natural and synthetic latex blend" tubeless sealant. This is, 50% natural latex for sealing power, and 50% synthetic latex for greater durability. 

The new formula has also apparently been optimised with a single strand carbon fibre strand length, which is what helps to make the new stuff injectable. This single-strand focus allowed Silca to use a higher fibre load, which is what helps the sealant to plug 6mm+ punctures. 

The new Ultimate sealant is available to purchase now, with prices ranging from £6 for a 65ml bottle, to £24 for 500ml and £42 for 1 litre. 

silca.cc