The route that seemed easy ended with three broken cameras and an argument with my brother-in-law.

April 24, 2025

This story begins like the best screw-ups do: with an easy, improvised, and poorly prepared plan. It was Sunday, and my brother-in-law (yes, the one whose bike is always cleaner than his dishes at home) suggested a "relaxing" ride to stretch his legs. Nothing technical, nothing long. " Just a short ride," he said.

I already had a feeling things were going to end badly, but hey, I trusted them. So we set off without checking tire pressures, without looking at the tires, and of course, with inner tubes that were older than my neighbor's dog. Spoiler alert: everything went wrong.

At 10 km, BAM! First blowout. My brother-in-law's rear tire. We stopped, changed the tube. All good. We laughed, we carried on.

At 17 km, BAM! Second blowout. This time, the front tire. Also my brother-in-law's. He started to get nervous. Inside, I was thinking: "I told you so, buddy."

And at 25 km… BAM! Mine. Third tube blown. And that's when the argument started: you said it was an easy route, why aren't you using tubeless tires , this doesn't happen to me with my group... The usual stuff.

In short, we finished the route pushing, with three punctured inner tubes, a family friendship under review, and a clear conclusion: if you carry old inner tubes, don't check anything, and are in a hurry, Murphy's Law will run you over.

From that day on, I switched to tubeless tires and I haven't looked back . Why? Because with a good sealant, you forget about silly punctures, pointless arguments, and dusty hands and swearing in the middle of nowhere.

And if you ask me what I use, I'll tell you straight: Damoff Sealant . Why? Because it's ammonia-free , it's gentle on the rim, it doesn't dry out the tire, and it seals up to 8 mm without any fuss . I've tested it on some pretty bad rim damage, and it held up perfectly. It's clean, effective, and doesn't smell like hardware store chemicals.

Plus, with tubeless tires and the right sealant , you reduce weight, improve grip, and forget about carrying three spare inner tubes just in case. A plug, a canister, and you're good to go. Now that's how you enjoy cycling.