[First Impressions] New Effetto Mariposa Vegetalex

In July Alberto of Effetto Mariposa brought us a preview of his latest creation which was said to smell like olives. We thought he wanted to invite us to a barbecue with salad as a side dish and instead the bottles of olive-colored liquid didn’t contain a condiment, but rather the new Vegetalex, a biodegradable plant-based sealant.

Compared to the classic Caffelatex it is much denser and should dry much more slowly, lasting up to three months. We immediately put it to the test on the new Schwalbe tires, noting how well it managed to seal them without any problem. More complicated was sealing two tires on my son Oscar’s Canyon Neuron Young Heroes, much lighter and lower-end. In that case Caffelatex proved to be more effective because it has more liquid in its composition and therefore is faster in plugging the various punctures of tires.

We did puncture in the month of testing, the classic pinch of the tire caused by its crushing between the rim and the ground – this caused two cuts, one on the tread and one next to the rim. To date, no latex has ever managed to plug those holes, requiring the help of plugs , and Vegetalex was no exception.

You can’t find a full test of the new product today because we need more time to evaluate its durability. Below you will find the official press release and the additional details and prices.

[Press Release] – What’s not to like about the Mediterranean region, with its sunny weather and delicious, natural food? Take olives, for example: they’re good in so many ways, to produce oil, as appetiser… to fix punctures!
This happens with Effetto Mariposa new Végétalex, a quickly biodegradable, plant-based tyre sealant, containing finely ground olives stones as repairing ingredients.

Why we created it

Our tyre sealant Caffélatex has a strong palmarès of victories to demonstrate its performance, together with a solid and constantly growing base of happy users, worldwide. As we should all do our best to reduce our impact on the environment, we started working on a plant-based sealant that was both good with nature and very effective – similar to Caffélatex – against punctures. It took us more than two years of development, but we can now say Végétalex has exceeded our expectations.

Plant Based Repair Elements

Most tyre sealants employ slowly biodegradable liquid polymers (like natural or synthetic latex) to repair punctures; Végétalex instead contains only plant-based particles and fibers – finely ground olive stones and cellulose fibers – to deliver a tremendous puncture clogging effect. This mix, held together by xanthan gum (produced from simple sugars), fixes punctures ranging from small tyre porosities to bigger cuts (up to 5 mm) fast and in a permanent way.

Extremely durable

Durability was one of the priorities for the “Végétalex” project. As it doesn’t rely on the solidification of a liquid polymer to fix punctures, rather on a sophisticated mix of different shapes and sizes of natural particles with xanthan gum, Végétalex has a long ‘active’ lifespan inside tyres.
Starting at 3 months in worst-case scenarios (very porous tyres in hot weather and small quantity of sealant), Végétalex will keep repairing punctures for more than 6 months inside most tyres. This makes it also suitable for inner-tube applications.

Lightweight

Végétalex has been finely tuned to obtain a high mobility, so that a small quantity goes a long way in terms of coverage of the inner surface of the tyre.
For Végétalex, we suggest using about 20% more than the quantities recommended by the iCaffelatex app for Caffélatex. As an example, for a 29×2.10 (54-622) tubeless-ready tyre iCaffélatex recommends a minimum of 70 ml (approx. 2 ½ oz.) of Caffélatex or 84 ml (approx. 3 oz.) of Végétalex.

Compatible with the use of CO2 cartridges

Végétalex isn’t damaged by the use of CO2 cartridges.

Biodegradable and totally plastic-free

Végétalex doesn’t contain ammonia or other aggressive chemicals, nor is it toxic or corrosive. Végétalex doesn’t contain macro or micro plastics, no rubber particles (please note: recycled rubber decomposes very slowly!), no aramid fibers (that will remain in the environment for a long time…): all the ingredients of Végétalex are highly biodegradable.
Végétalex doesn’t trigger allergic reactions in people who are allergic to products made with natural rubber latex. However, it may contain traces of nut.

Low maintenance

Being able to ‘forget’ about tyre sealant is the dream of tubeless tyre users.
Especially those of us who don’t ride too often, wondering whether the sealant is still liquid inside our tyres (or not) is a worry that can spoil the pleasure of a ride. We say that Végétalex is ideal for e-bikes because e-bikers often have to deal with more complex machines, batteries, and electronics; a sealant that’s low maintenance is surely a welcome change. Using more structured tyres, like those specific for e-bikes, Végétalex will easily last a full season of riding, so that you can spend less time doing bicycle maintenance and more time riding.

Easy to clean

Végétalex doesn’t contain pigments or quickly solidifying polymers so it is very easy to remove from surfaces. Even when dry, Végétalex can be cleaned with soapy water and a brush.

Size, price, availability

Végétalex will be available starting September 2020, as 1000 ml bottles.
Suggested retail prices: 24.99€ – 29.99 CHF – 24 GBP – 29.99 USD – 59.99 AUD – 45.99 CAD

Additional Tips

It’s important to shake Végétalex bottle well before injecting the sealant into tyres. If extra protection is needed – for example taking a multiple days ride on rocky, thorny terrain – we suggest adding 30 ml of product to the recommended quantity.

Végétalex is made in Italy

Mariposa effect