Considering a tubeless tire setup for a long international trip? Or just hoping to have flatless bikepacking outings in your own backyard? Here’s our complete field guide to tubeless with a full tubeless tire repair kit, how-to videos for repair and setup, plugger options, and tips from the road…
compose Team Work
time Jun 19, 2020
comment 79
Despite the fact that most of the mainstream mountain bike world has converted, many bikepackers and bike tourers remain cautiously hesitant to transition to a tubeless setup, especially for big long-distance trips. We get it. For folks who haven’t performed their own tubeless conversion, it can seem like a daunting task. To some, it remains a dark art… or at least, a complicated operation that requires special skills, a compressor, and general mechanical savvy to successfully complete.
Tubeless Tire Setup
Tubeless Tire Repair
Tubeless Tire Repair Kit
Pluggers
Tips for Traveling Tubeless
But we’ve put this guide together in hopes of convincing you otherwise. In our opinion, tubes have long been dead. Just go for a long dirt road tour in South Africa. Or spend a few days out on the Arizona Trail. Or bomb down a rocky trail in backcountry Peru. Never having flats rules… period. Combined with the ability to run lower tire pressures for a more compliant ride—especially given the popularity of larger volume tires and wider rims these days—we think everyone should be running tubeless tires at this point. Not only are most rims and tires now optimized for tubeless, many new bikes are ready to convert, or are already tubeless out of the box. In addition, there’s a multitude of great tubeless repair tools and pluggers on the market, making repairs easy once you have the basics down.
To help demystify the whole process, here’s our full field guide with videos, tips, tricks, and a full tubeless repair kit to get you started and keep you rolling. We encourage you to give it a try; experience is more valuable than anything.
Further down the post, you’ll also find two full video guides that we put together. But first, some basics on tires and rims.
Although most modern rims are “tubeless ready” these days, there are still new bikes that get specced rims that are not. The most prevalent feature on a tubeless ready rim is that the rim bed features bead-locks, or small ridges in the flat section of the rim profile that help prevent burping (when the bead momentarily breaks and air is burped out). Meanwhile, a properly designed center channel makes a loosely mounted tire “grab” air and snap over the bead locks. The latter is the key to their ease of tubeless tire installation.
Although you can often use standard tires for a tubeless setup, a tubeless ready (TR) model will likely seal better due to its optimized bead design. You’ll appreciate this all the more when installation conditions aren’t optimal. TR tires also tend to have reinforced sidewalls; given that a tubeless tire is run at lower pressures and can be more susceptible to sidewall cuts, this is especially welcome.
If TR models aren’t available to you, we prefer tires with lower TPI counts for long-distance travel.
Setting up your wheels and tires tubeless isn’t as difficult as you might think. Watch our video setup guide below, along with some tubeless setup tips. Also, scroll to the bottom of the page to find our step-by-step guide to setting up tires tubeless before and after flying with your bike.
Properly taping the rim is crucial to a successful tubeless setup. Start by cleaning the inside of the rim. Use rubbing alcohol or a degreaser to get any residue or factory finish off the rim. This ensures that the tape will stick. Use the widest tape possible to fit in the face of the rim. As for brands, WTB TCS tape works well and comes in several widths. With the disc rotor facing you, tape the rim in a clockwise rotation, which allows the force of the tire sealant liquid to not agitate the tape seam (the clockwise rotation of the wheel will generally allow the liquid to flow over the seal and not against it).
Start the tape on the face opposite the valve stem hole and allow a 1” to 2″ overlap. After taping, carefully cut a smooth hole for the valve stem using a sharp blade.
For a tubeless tape job that lasts, we highly recommend mounting the tire with a tube inside before setting it up with tubeless sealant. Doing so ensures that the tape fully seals to the rim and keeps sealant from penetrating under the tape and causing it to peel up over time. Inflate the tube to the typical maximum pressure recommended for your tires and let it sit overnight. The next day, unseat one side of the tire and remove the tube. This helps the tire create the “memory” of its shape, which aids in the initial setup. Here’s a nice and clear how-to video from WTB for reference.
Here’s our full video guide to tubeless tire repair. Watch it, then scroll down to find important tips, tools, and other information.
This is a useful skill to acquire, given that some tubeless tires are more prone to sidewall failures than regular ones. This is especially important when planning a desert adventure, where jumbles of razor-sharp rocks often abound. Tire plugs will repair most cuts; use them with the tool provided to blot a tire wound. To fix larger cuts without unseating the tire, carry a heavy, curved needle and a length of dental floss to sew the cut up first. A dab of superglue over the dental floss is recommended. For longer, 2” to 3” gashes, add a section of sidewall cut out from an old tire, using Shoe Goo (REI sells small containers) to glue in the boot after sewing the cut. Let the glue dry overnight with an inflated tube in place to hold pressure on it–it’s rare to have a cut so bad that you can’t wait till night to do this. If your repair won’t hold, make sure you have a couple of inner tubes on hand.
Just be sure to remove all the thorns from the casing before you fit it!
Although one tube is often enough, we’d always recommend carrying at least two spare inner tubes when heading overseas, especially if you’re running an unconventional tire size. Generally speaking, your spare tubes can be ultralight models, as it’s unlikely they’ll be needed. Just make sure you baby them! It’s easy to leave them languishing in the bottom of a frame bag, where they’re prone to abrasion. We wrap one in tape and attach it to the bike, and store another in a thin sock for protection. Some use a ziploc bag with baby powder, as legend has it a little talc allows the tube to move inside the tire, and may help eliminate pinch flats from twisted during installation. If and when they’re needed, be sure to check your tire thoroughly first. Most likely, it will be riddled with thorns or other debris. In a pinch, you can always run conventional 26” tubes on a 29er, or even a fat bike.
We’ve posted a full-blown bikepacking repair kit in the past, but here’s the tire repair kit of the future. Start by thinking less about tubes and more about repairing your tires and keeping them sealed.
Although this may vary depending on tire volume, we recommend carrying 2oz of sealant for small day rides or overnighters, at least 4oz of sealant for trips up to a few weeks, or for extra long trips, make it 8oz. Orange Seal comes in handy 4oz injector bottles. Orange Seal Endurance is a favorite for several of us here.
Always carry at least one tube. To be ultra safe or for longer trips, carry two. And as mentioned above, be sure to take extra care of it by storing it in a Ziploc bag.
Roll a dozen or so winds around your pump. Gorilla tape can be used to help with a tire tear or to re-tape a rim, in addition to a ton of other miscellaneous uses around camp.
Carrying a patch kit is a must.
In the event of having to use a tube, you’ll likely need to patch it down the road, particularly if you are traveling through desert landscapes where thorns or goatherds are prevalent. Pro tip: make sure the cement isn’t dried out and the sandpaper is in good shape. Also, alongside a tube, we’ve used patches to seal small sidewall cuts, much like a tire boot.
Super glue or shoe glue can help aid in the repair of a tire tear in the tread area or sidewall. You can even put glue around a plug for additional support, or on the adhesive side of tape and create an ultra strong bond.
It’s easy to damage a valve, have one clog up, or even loose the core while working on a trailside repair. So, carry an extra. They’re small enough.
These work well for punctures that are too big for the sealant but not so big you need a boot. It should provide a permanent repair for most normal punctures. Find a full list of plugger options below.
Also note that if you are out of plugs, you can wedge in bits of cloth, rope, or other sealant absorbing materials to stop a leak. This can be especially handy if the hole is larger.
A heavy duty curved upholstery needle and nylon thread are useful for fixing larger cuts without unseating the tire. You can also use this to repair a bikepacking bag, if need be. This looks like a suitable option.
For 2-3″ gashes, this can be glued into place.
Although a dedicated valve core removal tool is best, the pliers on a Leatherman work. However, you might risk messing up the threads if you use a pump with a threaded head. The spoke wrench on your multitool may work to remove valve cores, too. If you lose your valve core tool… whittle one from wood! (see photo)
Last but not least, a good pump is a must. One of our favorites is the 100cc OneUp EDC pump ($59).
Also, the Lezyne Micro Floor Drive HV ($65 with gauge) has proven useful and durable. The latter is a bit more powerful, but the screw-on head can be a little annoying, causing the unexpected removal of the core when unscrewing it from the valve. And if you’d rather not have a larger pump, you can also make your own tubeless tire inflator.
With a proper tubeless setup, and generally tough tires, it’s not often that you have to resort to tire plugs. However, they’re an indispensable part of a proper bikepacking repair kit. And since tubeless tires have become ubiquitous with modern mountain bikes, there’s a wealth of tire pluggers on the market. Most are based around the classic tiny screwdriver-esque mini-plugger that’s used to insert small sticky plugs, aka bacon strips. These integrate a similar tonged metal fork into another tool, case, or handle. For most of these types of pluggers you can buy the plugs separately.
Others, such as the Dynaplug, or Stan’s Dart, use proprietary plugs. Find a list of some of the more popular options below. Note that there are a few affiliate links here. We prefer that you buy from and support your local bike shop, but if you must buy online, we get a very small kickback if you purchase via these links.
The Genuine Innovations Tubeless Tire Repair Kit is the most basic and inexpensive plugger on the market. For just over $6, you get the miniature screwdriver-like plugger tool and “Side of Bacon” (five rope repair plugs). It works, it’s cheap, and it’s fairly easy to use. $6.38 on Amazon.
The Dynaplug Micro Pro tubeless repair kit is designed to be a quick and easy puncture tool. The crux of the patented system is a two-piece aluminum body with a hollow stainless steel insertion tube that’s threaded into the handle. The tube is preloaded with a repair plug where it sits in place, ready for action.
The repair plugs are each made of a proprietary rubber-impregnated cord mounted to a pointed, non-abrasive brass tip. The other side of the “pill” features a honeycomb of tools, including an awl for clearing the hole and a small knife for cutting off excess plug material. We’ve used one quite a bit and they are certainly the most user-friendly plugger we’ve ever used. Read our review here or pick one up at Dynaplug’s Amazon store for $59. Dynaplug also makes the Racer, shown above, with the larger blunt-end plug for bigger tears on one side and the smaller plug on the other. $49 on Amazon.
The Wolf Tooth Encase Bar Kit One is a handy toolkit that stashes in your bar ends. One side has a multi-tool and the other has a chain breaker and a threaded cap that reveals a tubeless tire plugger, as well as a hollow chamber containing a five-pack of small tubeless plugs. It works similarly to a standard miniature plugger tool and uses the same plugs. Read our review here.
You can find the Bar Kit One at some bike shops or buy one online for $120.
Similar to the Wolf Tooth Encase, OneUp’s EDC Pump and Tool has a small cylinder with a threaded cap. On the inside of the cap is a tubeless repair tool and the cylinder has enough room to store a dozen plugs. The EDC Pump is one of the best we’ve used and having the tool and tubeless repair kit all inside makes it a no-brainer for day rides or bike trips. Read our review here. The full EDC system isn’t cheap. You have to buy three different components: the pump for $59, the Tool for $59, and the Plug and Pliers Kit for $39. But, we’ve been using one regularly for several years and have zero complaints.
The Lezyne tubeless repair kit features an oversized repair fork and oversized plugs. These are double the size of typical tubeless plugs, so certainly better for larger holes and tears. Lezyne plugger retails for $19.
99.
As part of Granite Designs’ Stash Tool line, the Stash Tire Plug uses an expandable rubber plug and aluminum cap to tuck away in the end of your handlebar. An aluminum sleeve houses a fork-style applicator, reamer, and four tire plugs, providing a sleek and easily accessible home for all of your tire plugging needs. Read our review here.
While other pluggers, such as the Dynaplug or typical “bacon strips,” are designed to wedge sticky rubber strips into a puncture, the DART’s plugs feature a hackle of specially designed material that’s engineered to create a chemical reaction with Stan’s sealant to quickly form a permanent airtight bond. We’ve yet to try the Dart, but will update this if we do. The Dart retails for $25.
The Sahmurai Sword (named after the creator Stefan ‘Sahmurai’ Sahm) uses a unique twist-to-lock design, replacing your bar end plugs with two impact-resistant rubber tools: one reamer and one fork-style applicator.
The plug itself is held by the applicator within the bar, which means extra plugs must be carried elsewhere. Learn more over at Sahmurai.com.
One roadblock to tubeless for a lot of people is traveling with your bike—particularly travel that involves flying. For the most part, you can set your bike up tubeless beforehand, and simply add a little extra sealant and inflate your tires upon landing. Away from the comforts of your workshop or local bike shop, this might seem challenging, but with the right rims and tires, and a little preparation, it’s actually pretty easy. Here are a few tips we’ve learned over the years.
It’s never a good idea to start a big bikepacking trip on fresh tires, regardless. Tires can sometimes have defects, so giving them a proper test beforehand is always a good idea. This also ensures a proper tubeless seal. Four or five good rides can help get the sealant in all the right places.
For trips that require travel, one method we’ve used in the past is to be conservative with the amount of sealant you use initially. This isn’t necessary, but it saves a mess if your tire seals break in transit. If you choose to go this route, bring extra sealant to add to it once you arrive at your destination. As an example, for two 29+ bikes, we found that one 16oz bottle of Orange Seal, one 4oz injector kit, and a spare empty 4oz bottle did the trick for adding sealant upon arrival and ensuring enough backup sealant for a two-month trip.
If you’re flying with your bike, let most of the air out of the tires, as required by most airlines. Be sure not to completely deflate the tire though, to protect your rims, and minimise the chance of the bead unseating. When you box your bike, rotate the wheels to make sure the wheels are rotated so that the valves are at the top—this will prevent sealant from settling in the valve and clogging the core.
If your bead seals get broken in transit, you’ll have to repeat the set up procedure from the comfort of your hostel or hotel. Inflate with a mini pump (as mentioned above, we highly recommend a high volume pump like the 100cc OneUp EDC, or Lezyne’s Micro-Floor Drive HV). If you’re having a hard time getting the bead to push into place while pumping vigorously, try working the bead against the bead-lock lip. Sometimes it helps to have a friend hold the wheel off the ground, while an extra pair of hands can also help move the bead toward the rim while you’re pumping. If such hands aren’t available, we’ve also found that two Surly Junk Straps to cinch the tire into place can really help. Failing this, a trip down a local mechanic with a compressor should do the trick. When the tire is inflated, check that it’s seated evenly. Extra pressure will generally encourage it to snap into place. If not, deflate, moisten the bead with soapy water, and try again.
Have any tubeless repair tips or tricks to share? Or stories from the road? Leave us a comment below…
Please keep the conversation civil, constructive, and inclusive, or your comment will be removed.
Posted by Jefferson Bryant Know How
Flat tires tend to happen at the worst time in the worst places. If you are on the road or outside of normal business hours when your vehicle has a flat and the spare is missing or no good, you might feel stranded, but there is an option—a tire plug kit. This is something that anybody can do, you just need the right parts.
Liquid tire repair might get you down the road, but it could make your tire repair difficult and possibly damage the TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitor System) unit inside the rim itself depending on the formula.
The best solution for an emergency tire repair is a tire plug. Made from cork and a gooey adhesive that keeps it place and seals the tire, a tire plug repair is an excellent way to get your car back on the road until you can get to a tire shop for a proper internal patch.
Installing a plug in your tire works for pierced tread area only. You cannot fix sidewall damage, compression breaks (from potholes, gravel roads or curbing) or any other type of catastrophic tire damage. The most common road hazards you will find are punctures from nails and screws. Fixing these issues are perfect for the good old fashioned tire plug. If you are wondering how long does it take to plug a tire, then the answer is just a few minutes. Most of the time is spent preparing to perform the plug itself. Here’s how to plug a tire with a plug kit.
These are the tire plug kit tools you need for an emergency tire repair, which you should keep in your vehicle along with a 12-volt compressor.
Starting from the left are diagonal side-cutters, tire plugs, reamer, tire plug insertion tool, and a knife.You will need the following to make a tire plug repair:
There are all kinds of tire plugging kits, but you want the most complete tire repair kit which comes with the plugs, the installation tool, and the reamer tool. Some flat tire repair kits just come with the plugs and installer, but the reamer tool is a necessary component to a good repair. Some tire plugging kits also come with liquid cement. You can use it or not, but the cement helps make a more permanent repair.
Locate the puncture. If you don’t see or hear the puncture, spray some soapy water on the tire and look for bubbles.
This is a small staple that was dropping tire pressure by 20 psi in about 12 hours.
It needs to go.Remove the offending item. This is usually easy, but sometimes the nail or screw is worn down, making it hard to get a bite on it. This is where the side-cutters come in really handy. You will want to position the tire where you get the most leverage.
Side cutters work best for removing these items, as they can grip small round objects better than regular pliers.Insert the reamer. This will take some effort, as you have to push it through the steel belts. Use a twisting motion and push it into the tire. Once the reamer is through, saw it in and out of the tire a few times to really make a nice hole for the plug. Yes, it is counter-intuitive, but it is necessary.
The reamer requires some effort. You will hear the belts scrubbing the reamer as your break through.Push the reamer all the way and then saw it in and out a few times to make a clean hole.
Prep the plug and installer.
Pull a plug off the strip and push it through the eyelet of the installer tool. The pliers will make this easier. Push a little through, grab it with the pliers and pull the plug halfway through the eyelet.
Threading the sticky cork tire repair plug is not easy, but if you can get it squished into the hole, you should be able to pull it on through. The side cutters might help.
Insert the plug into the tire. If the kit has liquid cement, apply some to the plug before inserting it into the tire. Simply push the installer into the hole in the tire until the plug is about 3/4 of the way in. Twist the installer tool 90-degrees and pull it out. The plug will stay in the tire and the tool will come out nice and easy. You may trim away the excess plug or leave it to wear away as you drive.
Push the tire plug into the hole.
Don’t twist the plug as you push it in, just go straight down and stop when there is about a 1/2-inch exposed.This is what you should see when the tire plug is installed.
Once the tire repair plug is in you can now twist the handle 90-degrees and pull the tool out.
Fill the tire to the proper PSI. If you have a portable air compressor, this will make things easy. However, if you do not, you need to get air very soon.
All done. You can trim the tire plug or leave. You will need air, so don’t go driving until you have the tire aired up.Every automobile you own should have an emergency tire plug repair kit in the tool box, along with a portable air compressor. These emergency repairs are quite good, but for a long term repair, you should take the vehicle to a tire shop for a proper repair as soon as possible. They will know the best way to patch a tire for your type of damage.
Check out all the steering & suspension parts 
For more information on how to use a tire plugging kit, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your local NAPA Auto Parts store.
Categories
Know How
Tags
emergency repair, flat tire, flat tire repair, patch flat tires, sealant, tire maintenance, tire plug kit, tire pressure, tire safety, tire wear, tires, wheels
A life-long gearhead, Jefferson Bryant spends more time in the shop than anywhere else. His career began in the car audio industry as a shop manager, eventually working his way into a position at Rockford Fosgate as a product designer. In 2003, he began writing tech articles for magazines, and has been working as an automotive journalist ever since. His work has been featured in Car Craft, Hot Rod, Rod & Custom, Truckin’, Mopar Muscle, and many more. Jefferson has also written 4 books and produced countless videos. Jefferson operates Red Dirt Rodz, his personal garage studio, where all of his magazine articles and tech videos are produced.
One of the problems that can take the driver by surprise is a flat tire on the road.
Such unpleasant moments can be created by an ordinary small nail or self-tapping screw, which can pierce tires. What to do in this case? Do not immediately look for a service station or buy new tires. You can easily repair your wheel yourself using a tubeless tire repair kit.
It is not uncommon for a car's wheels to be pierced by a nail you hit on the road. What to do? First of all, it is necessary to get a piercing object from the puncture site. But to do this is not so easy. If you pull out a nail, for example, with ordinary wire cutters, then a hole will remain in its place, through which air will escape from the chamber, and you will not be able to use your vehicle.
Do-it-yourself tubeless tire repairs are easy if you use a repair kit. The tire repair kit is a set of tools and accessories, among which you can find everything you need:
A special tool whose main task is to create a smooth round hole at the site of a wheel puncture. The use of this device will simplify the subsequent repair and patching of a hole in the tire. This simple tool kit allows you to quickly make minor repairs to your wheel after a puncture. You will spend about 10-15 minutes on the whole job. The repair kit, which includes a set of tools, harnesses and glue, is inexpensive. You will be able to repair a car tire yourself, without resorting to the help of a tow truck.
Do-it-yourself tubeless tire repair will save you money on services. Removing the nail from the wheel and sealing the resulting fistula is easy. It is advisable to watch a video of the work being done, which will allow you to get an idea of all stages of the repair.
What are the steps for self-repairing a tire?
One of the first tasks is to completely remove the sharp object from the tire rubber. This can be done with ordinary nippers. The repair kit does not have such a tool, but every driver in the garage can definitely find it. Why pull out the nail? Performing this stage of work will allow you to simplify the subsequent repair with a rasp and the application of a tourniquet to the puncture site.
To repair the puncture site, insert a tourniquet coated with adhesive. To do this, you need to prepare a hole in the rubber. Before removing a metal object from the tire, prepare a rasp. Apply glue from a tube to the metal pin of the tool. Only after that you can proceed to remove the nail or self-tapping screw.
One of the important points is the sequence of actions. As soon as you pulled out the nail, you must immediately insert the rasp, which is included in the repair kit, into the resulting hole. This is necessary in order for the wheel to flatten.
After installing the tool on which the adhesive has been applied, a hole must be drilled. After watching a few videos, you can understand how best to do this. The ribbed surface of the metal base of the tool smoothes the edges of the hole in the rubber. How is the integrity of the tire restored? The harness, on which the glue is applied, is securely fixed to the rubber of the wheel, which leads to sealing of the breakdown. The video will allow you to visually consider the process of sealing a tire puncture with a tourniquet.
To seal your rubber, you need to:
It is desirable for every driver to have in his arsenal a special kit for repairing rubber in case of a puncture. Due to the ease of use and low price, these kits have proven themselves in the market. The kit is designed to work in various conditions.
The advantage of using this kit is a quick and high-quality do-it-yourself rubber repair. You can use such a kit both in the garage and in emergency situations when a wheel is punctured on the way. Practical use of this method has shown that it takes about 10–15 minutes to complete the entire job. After that, the wheel can be inflated with air to the desired pressure.
Bezuhik
Author:
Bezuhik
September 14, 2017 01:22
Tags: auto wheel repair tire repair on the road do-it-yourself tires
4794
7
1
Everything is banal: they punctured the wheel, and it’s far from the tire fitting, laziness, or fundamental convictions do not allow.
:) The way out is simple, like everything ingenious - repair kits are sold in any car tent for a penny, and even a girl can use it in an emergency.
Source:
1. We wash the wheel and look for a puncture site.
2. We take out a nail / screw / other iron nonsense.
3. We take a similar kit for repairing tubeless tires.
Such a set looks standard: tourniquet, awl-rasp, awl-needle and glue (never used).
4. We take an awl-rasp. We insert it into the puncture site (it will be very tight to enter), expanding it and cleaning it at the same time. Glue is completely optional.
5. We take an awl-needle, insert a tourniquet into it so that its ends protrude from the "ear" by approximately the same length. No glue needed.
6. Insert the needle with the tourniquet into the puncture site. First, completely down (it will go very tight - press more boldly, you can twist a little, but do not overdo it), and then we pull it out on ourselves. We leave the tails of the tourniquet sticking out for a centimeter and a half.
7. Cut off the rest with a knife. Ready!
ANTIFISHKI
All about politics in the world
Related links:
