After years without any punctures in my tubeless tyres I've had a few recently and I'm not sure if I'm doing the repairs properly, any help would be gratefully received!
The hole was caused by a fat thorn that doesn't seem to have sealed using a small anchovy (I also managed to push one fully inside the tyre) I tried to use a bigger one but it seemed impossible to get into the hole in the tyre and I was worried I would tear the tyre more or push so hard that I stabbed the rim tape. Do I need an in-between size of anchovy or is there a trick to getting the bigger ones in?
Is the glue supplied in tubeless kits the same glue as you would stick a puncture patch on with? Is the glue actually needed? I did one repair and didn't use the glue because everything was soaking wet and it seems to have held up.
Ream out the hole a little so its easier to put the big one in. I only carry largish ones these days.
They need to be a very tight fit to stay air tight under riding conditions.
So people don't seem to realise that this needs a fair degree or force to get the repair plug in. Twisting at the same time as pushing can help.
Thorn punctures should really be taken care of by tubeless spooge though, so check that - it might have gone a bit thin or dried out or there might be not enough in there.
If I may add an additional question ...I very rarely top up my tubeless tyres and hardly ever get any punctures and this is over several years . I use stans mainly and put plenty in but always wonder if I should "interfere " with them more often /top up or actually remove and clean out then replenish ? If I do anything it's an occasional top up but very rarely indeed. Guess the fact I'm not bothered by performance much the added weight that builds up doesn't bother me too much .
I do clean it off when I switch tyres Ie winter/summer. Though the dry latex weighs next to nothing so you are right - nothing to worry about at all.
Ream out the hole a little so its easier to put the big one in. I only carry largish ones these days.
They need to be a very tight fit to stay air tight under riding conditions.
Thanks, I think I need to start again then, I've pumped the tyre up almost to a normal riding pressure and it's fine but at its max pressure air starts to leak.
It was a big thorn (maybe more of a stick) and air was still coming out after I topped up the sealant but I've topped up both tyres now.
First thing I do is put the puncture to the bottom and let the sealant try to seal it.
If that fails I remove anything that's in there, insert the ream file and then insert the anchovy folded over, twist if possible and remove the tool and snip the excess off and then leave it at the bottom for the sealant to seal any gaps.
I now carry thick and thin anchovies and always have one inserted ready to go.
On longer bikepacking rides I sometimes carry a small bottle of sealant as I'll try really hard to fix it rather than use a inner tube.
Have a look at the rubber mushroom things for tyre repairs.
Whenever i swap tyres out for winter/summer I’ll repair the anchovies with mushrooms.
makes the tyre as good as new.
