PEATY’S PUNCTURE BEATER

Tom Makin tells the story of Peaty’s tubeless sealant

The front tyre of my new bike blew off while it was on the back of my car and the sealant melted the paintwork. Disillusioned with what was on the market, I thought I could do better. I’m a microbiological and environmental scientist by trade, but also a racer with the Steve Peat Syndicate. At team meet-ups, over a few beers, I’ve got to know Peaty. Chatting to him about product gripes is where the idea for Peaty’s began. The last member of our crew is Bryn Morgan, whom I met on a friend’s stag do. As a racer who runs a product development company, he’s an ideal addition.

The three of us started batting ideas about and playing around with different formulas to create a biodegradable tyre sealant that wouldn’t dry out. We simply wanted to gain an advantage at races, but soon realised we had something that could benefit all riders. Things escalated pretty quickly and we went from filling pouches by hand in my garage to full-scale production in just two weeks.

Steve ain’t too shabby on a bike and his understanding of the science behind World Cup racing is second to none, so his input is invaluable. We’ve worked with the Santa Cruz Syndicate, Yeti/Fox team and others on developing a sealant that can withstand the friction between a foam tyre insert and the sidewalls. Another challenge has been to make a sealant that’s as effective for XCers in Africa as bike trekkers in Iceland.

We’re not just about sealant, releasing our Loam Foam bike cleaner last year and working on a new technology to reduce the weight of bikes without altering the set-up and ride characteristics.