How To Fix A Puncture In A Tubeless Tyre
Fixing Tubeless Tyres is Easy
While tubeless tyres drastically reduce the number of flat tyres you get, they are not immune to punctures. Fixing them is easy though, we will show how to repair both small and large punctures with a simple tubeless repair kit. We demonstrate this on a mountain bike tyre in the workshop, but it is almost as easy to do this out on the trail.
What do you need?
- Tubeless tyre sealant in your tyres
- Tubeless valves
- Tubeless Puncture Repair Kit
- Hand Pump
- CO2 inflator
Small Punctures
If you put tubeless tyre sealant in your tyre, then small punctures will fix themselves. The tubeless sealant remains liquid while it is in the tyre but when the wheel spins it will force some sealant out through the puncture hole. As soon as the sealant comes out of the puncture hole it solidifies to block the hole almost immediately.
You probably won’t even notice small punctures although you may get loose a little tyre pressure. For this reason, it is a good idea to check your tubeless tyre pressures regularly.
Large Punctures
1Locate the Puncture:
Locate the puncture. This is usually fairly obvious as you will see tubeless sealant around the hole. If the sealant in your tyre has dried up then pump up your tyre a little bit and see where the air is leaking from.
Once you have found the hole roughen the edges with the applicator. Some tubeless repair kits include a special tool for doing this.
2Push in the plug
Thread the plug through the applicator with equal amounts sticking out from each side
Push the applicator through the hole in your tyre. Push far enough through so that about half the plug is inside the tyre and half is sticking out.
3Remove the Applicator
Pull out the applicator leaving the plug in place.
Trim the ends of the plug, reinflate your tyre and carry on with your ride.
Note: sometimes a puncture on a tubeless tyre will unseat the tyre from the rim so it is a good idea to carry a CO2 inflator with your kit when you ride. This will enable you to re-seat the tyre if your hand pump isn't up to the job
How To Convert To Tubeless
We show you how to quickly and confidently convert your MTB to tubeless and bring a list of advantages to your mountain bike.
How To Fix a Puncture
A vital skill for all cyclists, fixing a puncture is both easy and is something that will come in handy to keep you riding.
How To Get The Right Tyre Pressure
Running tyres at too high a pressure can be uncomfortable to ride, while too low is inefficient and can increase the chance of getting a puncture.