Tubeless setups have come a long way in the sport of cyclocross, and have even gained a spotlight at the 2015 World Championship when Mical Dyck was the first North American to cross the finish line, doing it with tubeless tires.
milKit has recently entered the fray of the latest in tubeless technology. They have created a tool that allows a rider to check the amount of tubeless sealant in a tire, along with the quality, all without needing to remove the tire. It’s one of those “why didn’t I think of that” ideas, and we’ve played with tubeless enough to see the need and desperately want one ourselves. The video above and details below are a part of a press release by milKit:
Zurich. April 27, 2015 – Those of you who ride tubeless know the problem: Flat tires due to dried out sealant. With milKit this is history. Riders and racers can quickly measure and check their remaining tire sealant with a simple, portable kit, adding sealant as needed while leaving their tires on the rim. The Swiss invention comes onto the market this summer. In order to boost the launch and to cover a part of the production costs, the inventors are starting today a campaign on the crowdfunding platform IndieGoGo. During the first three days of the campaign, backers benefit from an early bird discount. The campaign will run until the end of May with the goal of at least 25,000 USD.
Tubeless tires have more traction, a lower rolling resistance and are more puncture proof than traditional bike tires. But they can also be a pain to maintain, potentially slowing you down in the middle of a race — unless you’re riding with milKit.
Until now, the maintenance of tubeless biking tires was tedious. milKit eliminates the guessing game: Professional and amateur riders alike check and add sealant quickly and easily. A milKit comprises two easy-to-install valves that are compatible with all standard rims and a custom applicator. Key advantage: No air escapes from the tire when the valve heart is unscrewed. With the applicator, bikers remove, inspect and inject sealant whenever needed through the valve, while their tires remain on their rims, no mess or fuss. A rubber flap on the patented valve prevents the sealant from getting into the valve, thus no more valves clogging. The tire stays on the rim, the air inside the tire and the hands clean – a quick and simple solution for a safe ride.
Installation:
– Installing milKit is easy: Insert the special milKit valves like usual valves in rims. They fit to any standard rim.
– Pump the tire to 1.5 bar / 22psi
– Insert sealant with the milKit applicator and keep your hands clean
Advantages:
– Save time: Measure and refill sealant without deflating the tire.
– No more guessing games: Riders will always know exactly how much sealant is needed
– A rubber flab prevents sealant from filling and blocking the valves
– Clean hands and simple to use
milKit makes tubeless technology clean, safe and easy.
IndieGoGo: seed money for a flat free ride
The manufacturing of tools for the production of milKit costs 65,000 USD. On the
crowdfunding platform IndieGoGo the inventors of milKit are launching today a campaign to cover at least a part of the production costs. In order to succeed, bikers must crack the mark of 25,000 USD. “On IndieGoGo mountain bikers from all over the world have the opportunity to support our project financially. And those that pre-order milKit, will be one of the first to use milKit,” says Sven Rizzotti, co-founder of milKit – Sport Components AG. “The more people we reach with the campaign, the more mountain bikers can do what they love to do – carefree mountain biking.” During the first three days of the campaign, backers benefit from an early bird discount.
Who is milKit?
The faces behind milKit are the product development engineer Pius Kobler and the entrepreneur Sven Rizzotti, both enthusiastic mountain bikers. Together they founded the company Sport Components Ltd., with the aim to developing innovative products for the bike and sports market.
More Info: milkit.bike
