[Closed] How do I repair a puncture?

I believe you’re far more likely to pick up a puncture on an off-road bike than any other. I digress, it’s a solution to a problem that didn’t exist.

So, we're really likely to get punctures off road, and yet that's a problem that doesn't exist?. 🤔

Having gone through a stage of puncturing a tube at least once a ride tubeless was a revelation.
Hole might be to big for fluid to seal. If you use stats fluid get some stats darts to seal bigger holes. The weldite anchovie repair kits also work well in the field
If I get it home I'll maybe patch it from the inside using a mushroom plug and top up fluid whilst I'm there.

good luck

So, we’re really likely to get punctures off road, and yet that’s a problem that doesn’t exist?. 🤔

Rather the fannying about with sealant and or plugs, darts and patches.

In the old days you just fired a new tube in...🤔

If you were happy doing that, go back to it. Seriously, it's just not for some people.

I know it's for me every time I change tyres and see all the thorns and other jaggy shit that would otherwise had me whipping tubes out.

And that's before you even consider the other advantages.

Sorry but tubeless is as good as it gets. I've had my share of grief with it but I'd be very upset if I was forced to go back to tubes for actual mountain biking.

it’s a solution to a problem that didn’t exist.

This is just one of those phrases that people like using. Like claiming something you don't like "just leaves me cold".

Merak, I once gave one bike a proper clean, even scrubbed the tyres clean, I counted 21 thorns that had sealed, that's potentially 21 tube changes.

But it sounds like an anchovy, mushroom or patch may be required.

I got three up in Scotland a couple of weeks ago. One sealed with Stans the other two with Dynaplugs.
First thing when we got back was to repair from the inside with mushroom plugs

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21 thorns, are you riding trails or making your own by crashing through the undergrowth 😃

In the old days you just fired a new tube in…🤔

Which cost you a fiver, and then could repair the punctured one when you got home.
Now its a £150 outlay for sealant, plug things and specialist tools like an air chamber pump.

And has it prevented punctures 😕 no it hasn't 😆
.
.
yes yes more supple... ergo softer sidewalls more likely to rip/be cut.

@endomick, no idea how many rides it took to acquire them all. All it takes is an enthusiastic farmer, a hawthorn hedge and a flail.

It's mind boggling to me that people would still want the faff of tubes these days. And the "oh look see you still got a puncture lmao tubeless sux I knew it I'm so much cleverer" stuff is hilarious. Yes I got a puncture what about the 50 I didn't get in the last year.

Having gone through a stage of puncturing a tube at least once a ride tubeless was a revelation.

Indeed. I don't quite understand people who can't see the benefits of tubeless. Perhaps there are people who don't ride as hard and bash into stuff like I do, but even they must encounter thorns and glass occasionally. Actually, maybe also if they have too little sealant. Underdosing sealant (to save weight?) is likely to cost you down the line IMHO.

Now its a £150 outlay for sealant, plug things and specialist tools like an air chamber pump.

You've been ripped off.

There are options to fix punctures on the trail. I'm sure they've been mentioned on multiple threads on here over the years.
I carry a [url= https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dynaplug-Racer-Purple/dp/B07MH9K4NR ]Dynaplug[/url]
Then theres [url= https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/weldtite-tubeless-repair-kit/rp-prod7971 ]"Anchovies"[/url]
And [url= https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-parts/inner-tubes/stans-no-tubes-dart-tubeless-tyre-repair-tool-399798.html ]Stans version[/url]
Or [url= https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/shopping?q=tbn:ANd9GcSZeKrEcoCMvRLPqtTW4iNweVp5r6EkeEamdnqXHqD2xUZdS1-8XA&usqp=CAc ]Lezyne plugger[/url]
Muc off do one now too. Looks good value

In the old days you just fired a new tube in…

I always rode motorbikes with tubes too, and ran crossply tyres on my car.

In fact, let's go back further and use solid rubber tyres...

If you're a bimbler and only ride non-thorny, smooth pebbled trails then tubes are ok.

However, BTT (before tubeless times) I'd pick up either a bramble puncture or snakebite almost every ride.
Yes you can patch or fit a tube, but the amount of time wasted...😡
I still have a box of old tubes in the garage (30+ in various states if repair)

In the last year I've had to use an anchovy twice.
Both times it was a 5 minute job...jab it in and pump up a bit. Then blissfully on with the ride.

I genuinely think you'd need to be a massive masochist to not ride tubeless off-road.

Now its a £150 outlay for sealant, plug things and specialist tools like an air chamber pump.

Bollocks. £15 for sealant, £7 for valves and use your track pump and soapy water. If the tyres are really stubborn or you cant get it seated with the track pump then you can make an inflator out of a coke bottle or old fire extinguisher.

If you are feeling really flash you can buy a tubeless repair kit for another tenner.

You will save the cost of the stuff above in tubes alone. Similar to the poster above, I change tyres for winter and always pull out more than 10 thorns from a summer of riding.

I'd rather spoon my own eyes out than go back to inner tubes.

I first went tubeless in 2007 with a Giant XTC and some Stans Olympic rims that I bought when I worked at Edinburgh bike co-op. .

Since then I have had less punctures (ie, events that caused me to have to stop and faff in some way at the side of the trail) than I have fingers on my hands. And at least two of those were completely tyre shreddage that would resulted in a long walk, tube or no tube.

I can also run my tyres at 18/23 psi on my trail bike which is fantastic.

I would have had more punctures just this Summer, never mind in the past 15ish years or so.

Pre-tubeless I was that guy that punctured every ride. I doubt I've had not than 5 issues with unexpected flats since going tubeless in the last ten years.

It's probably one of the single biggest advances in cycling.

@breadcrumb me and you are on the same page with this one for sure.

Plus punctures are generally easier to fix tubeless than with tubes - no need to take the wheel off, no need to unseat the tyre, just bung an anchovy in and trim it down.

Tubes?

ring ring....ring ring..... "hello?"

1986 calling.

Out of four bikes two are tubeless but two not, mainly down to me not getting round to it. However I got an annoying snakebite on my gravel bike last week so tubeless is now a priority for the other two, it really is worth it.

yes yes more supple… ergo softer sidewalls more likely to rip/be cut

the 'suppleness' of tubeless systems was something that was marketed as an advantage when they were first promoted, that and weight reduction.

tubed XC tyres had become slash prone because sidewalls had to be nice and thin, 127TPI to retain suppleness and improve grip. Tubeless came along and sealants meant that tyres became super supple, but too fragile for some trails. original UST was low thread count and higher proportion of rubber to allow a no sealant seal. We've seen that happen throughout now, wall thickness increased, tyres lost their suppleness a bit, to compensate folk lowered the pressures being used, tyres roll on the rim, manufacturers combat that by stiffening the sidewalls, suppleness decreases...lower pressures...burping...introduction of tyre inserts to allow even lower pressures and combat this and we're up at 1.1kg+ tyres plus inserts vs 700g tyres and 200g tubes.

madness it is...!
(actually it's progress, riding styles have changed quite a bit since the introduction of tubeless tyres)

I honestly don't understand how this is even still a debate for some people.

Back in the day I used to puncture all the time (DH bikes and regular MTBs. It was a regular occurrence. Virtually every time I went riding I or one of my mates would pinch flat or get something stuck in the tube.

I used to guide in the Alps too and guests were always getting pinch flats.

Now that's a thing of the past. I ride super rocky and rough trails every time I ride (with low PSI) and I cant remember the last time I or any friend had a puncture that sealant couldn't deal with.

EXO+ front and DD rear tyres with no inserts work a treat for what I ride (use Exo+ on the rear too depending on weather/conditions)

Its an absolute no brainer for me....

The only punctures that I have had in recent memory have all been on my road bike which despite being set up for tubeless, I still use tubes in (through sheer laziness of not getting tubeless tyres yet). As soon as they wear out I am making the switch.

I honestly don’t understand how this is even still a debate for some people.

Presumably because those people never get punctures so don't have the problem the solution is fixing.

I guess we are riding bikes very differently then.

In the interest of candour and closure I repaired (crosses fingers) my puncture today.

When I picked it up originally I thought, hold on isn't the sealant meant to sort this? I was 2/3rds of the way round Ae after being round Mabie in 35 degree heat so my capacity to fix it was somewhat diminished.

It was slow enough that I could pump it up a couple of times to get me back. I carry a tube in the event of catastrophe.

Anyway, I didn't have enough/any sealant in the tyre. Where does it go? Anyway as I say live and learn...

I've picked up a kit with sardines in, yet more expense and stuff to carry. Still not convinced about this tubeless carry on mind.🤔😁

With tubes, hawthorns could make a late summer / early autumn ride a miserable exercise in repeated rapid tyre removal. Went tubeless ten years ago, only one puncture since. And it was a length of barbed wire, not a hawthorn!

It appears, like many things, I've not been doing it right.🤦

Sometimes a new tyre can absorb the liquid, I always give it a good dose - two full GT85 caps per tyre.