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There are lots of good reasons to consider tubeless tyres and one of them is that punctures – those too large to be healed by sealant – can be plugged using a tubeless repair kit, without the need to remove the tyre from the wheel.
Watch our video and read the guide below to learn exactly how to go about fixing a tubeless flat.
First, it’s time to reassess what you need to repair a puncture while out and about. Out goes a tube, levers, and mini-pump (unless you want to keep them for an emergency – you can still remove the valve from the rim and put a normal inner tube in a tubeless tyre).
Instead, if you’re running tubeless, a tubeless tyre repair plug kit of some description is essential. A CO2 inflator and cartridge are also very useful. A standard size for the cartridge is 16 grams, although you may want a bigger one if you’re using larger volume tyres.
Dynaplug offers a range of compact tubeless plug kits. Photo: Matthew Loveridge
Here, we’re using a model from Dynaplug, but all tubeless repair tools work on the same principle. The idea is that if you sustain a hole too big for the sealant to fill by itself, they’ll allow you to deposit a plug into the gap.
This should fill the hole, which in conjunction with the sealant, will close up the rest of the breach. The plug then essentially becomes part of the tyre, and the rider can carry on as if it wasn’t there.
When a puncture strikes, the first thing you’ll need to do is identify where the hole is. The sound of hissing might offer a clue. Alternatively, the sealant spitting out through the hole is often another giveaway of its location.
However you find it, ideally, you’ll do so quickly so they’ll still be some pressure left in the tyre.
Most tubeless repair devices are based around a pronged tool – not unlike a tiny cattle prod – that’s used to pierce the tyre and deposit the rubber plug material before being removed.
By comparison, the Dynaplug tool we’re using here combines the piercing element and plug element into one component – a brass or aluminium bullet tip attached to a rubber cord. The plug is then housed in a hollow stainless steel shaft on the tool itself.
The next bit is very simple regardless of how the system you use is designed. Once located, press the tool holding the plug directly through the hole in the tyre. Sometimes this requires a little bit of force. As the plug goes into the tyre, be sure to leave about a centimetre of it trailing outside.
Once the plug is pushed into the tyre, you’ll need to extract the tool while leaving the plug in place. To do this, carefully prise it away. The Dynaplug system’s integrated head makes this part easy.
More basic systems that press a raw length of material (the plug) through the tyre alongside the tool itself require more care not to accidentally pull the plug back out.
Either way, you should soon be in a situation where the plug is situated within the hole, and little to no air is escaping from the tyre. Give the wheel a quick spin to ensure any sealant can reach your new repair, and you’ll be ready to inflate.
This is where you can use your CO2 canister to save time if you have one. Also, if your tyre has become unseated, a burst of air will help pop it back into place.
The above method assumes your tyre could maintain a degree of pressure and therefore keep its shape. The process of plugging a flat tyre is slightly more challenging, as it can be difficult to get the tool through the carcass of the tyre. In this case, your options are to try and pump a bit of air back in.
Alternatively, you can squeeze the tyre into shape using one hand while the other hand inserts the tool that holds the plug.
You can wait until you get home to do this, but we'd advise trimming the end of the plug at the roadside if there's a danger it'll come into contact with the frame as the wheel rotates – you'd be surprised how much damage a little plug can do to your paintwork.
A small Swiss army knife or pair of scissors works well, or you can use side cutters in the workshop. Any remaining excess should wear flat by itself as you ride.
There you have it. This repair method works equally well for road, gravel and mountain bike tyres.
Confident about fixing your tubeless tyres while out and about? Why not learn how to set them up in the first place? Find out how with our guide on how to fit tubeless tyres
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