RidingTire installation product
Bead Buddy
A new tire is something to look forward to. Getting it onto the wheel is often the frustrating part. Bead Buddy is a thick, clear gel I made for that job, meant to make mounting and bead seating easier on the person doing the work and on the tire.
The part before the ride
Bead Buddy is a mounting and bead-seating lubricant. The bead is the edge of the tire that sits against the wheel, and the gel helps the rubber move into place during installation.
It does a different job from sealant. Armor-Dilloz goes inside the tire to deal with punctures; Bead Buddy helps get the tire onto the wheel in the first place.
Thick, slippery and made for rubber
I developed the formulation myself. It needed to stay thick enough to handle during installation, remain slippery as the tire moved into place and be compatible with rubber.
The result is a thick, clear gel. We blend and bottle it at our Miami headquarters.
Seated, and still round
I wanted to help the bead seat at a lower pressure and reduce the uneven forces that can distort a tire during installation. A tire can be mounted and still leave you with a lump you feel on every ride.
Tires and wheels still have their own installation requirements, and not every combination behaves the same way, so I don't give one seating pressure for every tire. The product instructions explain how to use the gel.
I created the formulation and developed the product.
