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Video: Tech Tuesday - 3 Quick & Easy Ways to Repair a Tubeless Tire

Oct 3, 2023 at 10:44
by Pinkbike Originals  

There is nothing worse than kitting your mountain bike out with a fresh pair of your favorite tires only to get a puncture on the first lap. From tire plugs to patch kits, Henry walks us through everything you need to know to repair a tire puncture and save you money!

Time Stamps
00:00 - Intro
00:22 - Tire Plugs
01:01 - Puncture Repair Kit
01:51 - Mushroom Patch



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Author Info:
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Member since Feb 15, 2012
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83 Comments
  • 36 1
 Welcome back to GMBN.
  • 16 0
 I have had good luck cleaning the inside of the affected area of the tire, scuffing with sandpaper, and applying Shoe Goo. Not quick, but easy and permanent. Both this and a tube patch applied in the same manner are my go to's.
  • 7 0
 I apply goo (e6000) to the bacon strips, insert, then trim flush... if it's going to have contact with the ground I'll put a dollop of goo inside the casing as well. Less work cleaning, haven't had one fail yet..
  • 14 0
 Learn to sew. You can sew tires the same way as with leatherwork, i like to use heavy duty fishing line, and this also works with sidewalls which those other plugs don't do as well for. Then do the inside the tire rubber cement patch over the place you've sewn together the tear or hole. I prefer to use automotive tubeless tire patches as they're larger and stronger and usually have filament strands embedded in them unlike bicycle tube patches. This is also the case with big puncture holes in the tire tread, automotive plug strands are a larger diameter than bicycle ones.
  • 2 3
 It might not be a good long term fix, but it can at least get you back to your car.
  • 4 0
 What's the long-term durability like on sewed sidewall tears?

I got a ~.5cm tear in my sidewall and initially tried patching it from the inside (which didn't work), but didn't move on to sewing because I wans't sure that I'd trust the long-term durability of a fix like that. Could I have saved the tire?
  • 8 3
 @danielfloyd: what? Most people here won't even carry a tube with them... you want sewing kit, car tire patches and a huge tube of rubber cement?
  • 12 0
 @valrock: I don’t believe they are saying to do this trail side. This is at home to salvage a tire for continued use.
  • 8 0
 @atourgates: Hundreds of hours, thousands of kilometers if you do it properly. I sidewall slashed a brand new Schwalbe Evo Skin Racing Ralph 29x2.25 I was using as a rear tire on its second ride, inch long gash Sewed it, patched it, ran it tubeless and never had a problem until I ended up parting the bike out. Its now sitting on a shelf in my basement. I may stick it on something else in the future.
  • 3 0
 I dremeled a groove under the multitool in my Oneup EDC just big enough for a heavy gauge sail needle and put two pieces of Dyneema thread with my bacon strips, bike patches are tucked under my saddle with my urethane tube. Patches and sewing kit add under 11 grams and take up effectively zero space assuming you are already bringing any repair stuff idk why you wouldnt add it.
  • 13 0
 1:12 I think you skipped over an important step there, let the glue sit until its tacky/dry (1-2 minutes) before applying the patch
  • 2 0
 thank you
  • 10 0
 all my boys know that shoe goo and old innertube on the inside and superglue on the outside is best
  • 2 0
 I seem to have really bad luck with maxxis dhr and sidewall puncture right at the bead. Any trick to make a patch hold up?
  • 1 0
 @MarioandKristie: aquaseal has worked for me
  • 1 0
 @MarioandKristie: i usually do 2 coats of goo, one between the patch and tire and one covering all of it
  • 1 0
 FYI shoe goo and aqua seal are both variations of silicone caulk. Aqua seal has more solvent so it’s less viscous it easier to work into fabric. And you can a huge tube of silicone caulk for the price of either.
  • 4 0
 Question for those of you who get punctures often... is the weight penalty of gravity oriented tires that great to offset the headache of a trial side tire repair?

Been riding DD or schwalbe Super Gravity tires for 6 years, never once had a puncture.
  • 1 0
 Depends where you ride. I used to ride DD and SG tires and got sidewall tears all the time. Recently switched to a DH tire in the rear and got a double sidewall tear on the 3rd day riding it. Used the stan's dart in each tear, let it sit overnight (stan's race sealant) and have been riding it for weeks of DH lift access. Doesn't work as an immediate fix, but if you let it sit long enough and allow the sealant to dry it seems to work.

Quebec has sharp rocks, yo
  • 3 0
 Theres a far easier fix not discussed here. Buy a bottle of 'elastic cryanoacrylate' . Its a formulation of superglue but isnt brittle like the original. Its elasticity means that you can use a tyre plug and then use this to make a permanent seal. It also works for tyre cuts that havent made it all the way through. The stuff is a game changer and far less faff than mushroom things and patch faff. You dont need to take the tyre off. There you go Henry, your video could have been two minutes long.
  • 4 0
 PSA and important message that wasn’t mentioned here: Always allow the Rubber Cement to dry prior to applying the patch.

You’re welcome.
  • 4 0
 How did the inside of his tire get so clean and dry? Did I miss the step where he got all that Stans jizz coating everything washed off and dried?
  • 3 0
 I've had good luck with gorilla/duct taping a small cut piece of plastic on the inside of the tire from a yogurt container if the Dynaplug doesn't work.
  • 1 0
 I've had very successfull repaired with tire plugs. Either the bike ones that are super thin, or veicular ones that are a little bit larger. I cut almost flush so the plug doesn't fall inside the tire. I've repaired lots of punctures that way, even some right in the bead of the tire. If the tire is gashed, then removing the tire to apply a tube patch. And that's all.
  • 2 0
 f you go with gorilla tape, cut the corners off the patch into an octagon. The blunt corners won't dog ear as quickly. Ride it like you stole it
  • 1 0
 Cheap ass patches and shoe goo for the win! Have fixed many ‘a tire this way with a 100% success rate. As for trail side repairs, plugs and tube as a backup…. Rate if success with plugs is much lower.
  • 2 0
 Great job... Now that you've told everyone how to fix their tubeless tires, there will be less in the scrap bin for me to recycle.... I hate you.
  • 3 0
 does anyone know which plug tool he used at the beginning?
  • 3 0
 crankbros cigar tool i think
  • 3 0
 sidewalls anyone have a trick? needle and thread..
  • 2 0
 Speedy sticker Awl is your friend here. As is aquaseal.
  • 1 0
 @spinzillathespacelizard: +1 for aquaseal. Once opened, keep the tube in the freezer and take out to warm up to room temp when you need it again. Put it back in freezer when done and it will keep forever (or until you use it up)
  • 1 0
 Sewing, heavy duty needle and thread (sail needles or ones used for leather work, sail thread or high strength fishing line are best) and then patch over interior of tire where the sewing was done.
  • 2 0
 I normally wear a tire out before I slash or tear it apart. How often are people plugging or patching tires these days?
  • 2 0
 I have Cush Core so very rarely now.
  • 1 0
 Come ride blown out quebec DH tracks
  • 1 0
 @swenzowski: I do, the last time I cut a tire it was because it was 2 seasons old and ready for the bin.
  • 1 0
 @enduroelite: not you lol
  • 1 0
 all my mtb tires have at least one or more tire plugs in them. Usually they are a permanent fix for me. If a plug wont hold then the mushroom plug will.
  • 3 0
 Henry talking about mushrooms again, sus.
  • 3 1
 I've found the best way to repair tires is run DD or DH casing on the rear.
  • 1 0
 30psi in my minions...
  • 5 0
 They say heavy tires are slow, but in my experience nothing is slower than flatting
  • 2 0
 tl;dr: they make tools for this, pick one and use it.
  • 2 0
 Does anyone know where to get hold of those Mushroom Patches?
  • 4 1
 You mean the blue ones that were sitting on top of the Park Tool blue logo?

No idea.
  • 2 0
 amazon
  • 1 0
 @thustlewhumber: I'm guessing they're Park Tool but don't seem to be listed on their website, first place I looked.
  • 1 0
 @Danksi: Definitely not Park. Looks to be a basic commodity sold under a variety of brand names.
  • 2 0
 Henry Quinney hosting Tech Tuesday...it's official, he's replaced levy
  • 7 2
 Does anyone actually know what our Mr. Levy is doing these days? I miss him.
  • 6 6
 bacon strips and patchs are temp fixes to get me home. They get dumpstered and replaced the minute they get to my garage. Lifes too short to deal with nagging tire issues.
  • 1 0
 I seem to have real bad luck with maxxis dhr and sidewall puncture right at the bead. Any tricks to make a patch hold up?
  • 1 0
 I’ve glued (vulcanised?) a bit of inner tube wrapped over the whole bead before, so it covers both sides and is squeezed tight on the bead when the tyre is on. Held on until tyre was fully worn.
  • 1 0
 @froddd: Was that tubeless or with a tube?
  • 1 0
 @barp: tubeless, second maxxis that I puncture the bead. Once the first tire and I think I’m up to 4 puncture on the bead on the new one and 3 on top
  • 1 0
 @MarioandKristie: Wow, I would have expected that the bead wouldn't seal against the rim where the thickness changed at the edge of the patch. Must be some good sealant!
  • 1 0
 @barp: that was tubeless.
  • 1 0
 @barp: I think the pressure squeezes the inner tube quite a bit so there’s not much of a gap, it doesn’t really look raised at all.
  • 1 0
 @barp: and by “inner tube” I obviously mean the bit of inner tube used as a patch. Sorry for lack of conciseness, I must be quite tyred…
  • 1 0
 Does this mean I have to take out all the 5 or 6 plugs that live in my Dissector? Ffs...
  • 2 3
 So done with the mess of tubeless, I now stick the sealant in a tube, gives me a bit more sidewall support if jumping at bike parks, can run low pressures on trails and seals punctures.
  • 1 0
 I have a friend who does this. The only thing is when he goes to take the tire off the tube has bonded to it. In the end it is similar to just using a DH casing as far as weight and protection.
  • 1 0
 What size mushroom patch ?
  • 1 0
 The red caps give the best high...
  • 1 0
 Rtv works best over a patch. Inside or out
  • 3 0
 Silicone? I stay away from that stuff because once its there nothing else will stick.
  • 1 0
 does regular rubber cement work as an adhesive?
  • 4 0
 No. You need a vulcanizing cement.
  • 2 1
 Hit "play", hoping to see Levy's goofy mug...

(no offense Henry)
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