VegasJen

I've only been running tubeless for a little over a month now but got a puncture on a training ride today the goo couldn't seal. I did have a plug kit with me but, as it turns out, it was actually two punctures. It kind of looks like a snake bite but I actually believe it was a legitimate puncture.

But anyway, had to phone a friend for a ride back to the car. Got the bike home, put it on the rack and pulled the front tire off. So now I've identified my punctures. Are there patch kits to put inside the tire casing like they do with automotive tire repairs? I've seen the plug kits (have one) but now that I have the tire off, I'd really like to do a quality long term repair.

tFUnK

I would have just used another plug. Taking the tire off and patching the inside means removing all the sealant and ensuring the patch holds - if I patch a tire from the inside I like to put a tube in there to make sure it holds. I've never tried patching from the inside and then still run tubeless with sealant after.

VegasJen

I get that but on the side of the road, there was just too much of a mess for me to accurately see what was going on. And the second puncture was right at the lip of the rim. I didn't even discover it until I actually had the tire off.

jgwilliams

You can use a conventional puncture repair kit if the hole isn't too big. I've used an automotive patch in the past; that was on a tyre with a tube, but I presume it will work with tubeless. The problem is that any trace of sealant will interfere with the action of the adhesive, so you need to make sure the area is very clean and dry. Also, sanding down the area around the hole will help. Annoying as it is, if the hole is very big I'd be inclined replace the tyre. Your safety isn't worth compromising on the cost of a new tyre.

Barry2 

Buy a tubeless patch kit.

Barry

grumpus

This is why even tubeless riders carry spare tubes. For repair as long as the casing isn't distorted just use regular . For larger cuts where the casing may distort use . Preparation is key: wash/scrape away any sealant and thoroughly sand the glue area (careful application of an on a Dremel can make this less tedious) then apply plenty of vulcanising fluid, leave to dry. Apply the patch and press it down thoroughly - a can help here.

jimincalif

I’ve had good luck with DynaPlugs, unless it’s a slice, then they don’t work. That said, I now have a tire with less than 100 miles on it with a round-ish hole that’s a bit too big for a DynaPlug, so I’m going to try one of these Leyzne patches. Similar to what’s used to patch auto tires from inside. Will see how it goes.

https://ride.lezyne.com/products/tubeless-pro-plugs

VegasJen

This is the kind of kit I was looking for. Thanks. As for the procedure, it sounds very similar to how I prepare my tubes for patching. I have a Dremel with a sanding wheel for just this sort of thing.

jgwilliams

I'll be interested to hear how that goes. It's the sort of thing it would be handy to have just in case.

FBinNY 

Note, if both punctures were in line, at rim and higher up, that's a classic snake bite. Be sure to maintain higher pressure to prevent a repeat.

And yes, you can patch from inside, especially since it sounds like you've already pulled the tire. However you must be super diligent about removing the goo and prepping the tire properly to get good adhesion.

VegasJen

It looks like a snake bite as well. However, I'm not convinced it is. I was prepared for this to be a 60 mile ride, longest I've done since converting to tubeless, so I verified pressure before I left the house. Then I stopped about every 10 miles or so just to give the tires a little pinch to see if there was any noticeable loss. I had just done so at my second turn around about 8 miles before and all appeared good. It was just a pinch, so far from being scientific, but it felt pretty much the same as it did when I left and all throughout the ride.

Now, having said that, I don't recall hitting anything with the front wheel that would worry me about a pinch flat. I did hit something on the back wheel that I worried about for a few minutes, but not the front. Also, I suppose it's possible I got a puncture earlier and lost enough air that I did hit something that resulted in a pinch flat.

Lastly, I looked at the wheel just to make sure I didn't damage it as the tire flattened. There is a very small nick in the outside of the lip, but not across the top. It almost looks as if I just caught something on the very edge that went through the tire and nicked the wheel coming out. Seems really odd but that's the best I can describe it.

VegasJen

For reference, this is the nick I was talking about. It's exactly in line with the two punctures in the tire. Again, absolutely looks like a snake bite but I would have expected the nick to be across the width of that lip.

choddo

Unless it was a small rock or you were turning maybe?

FBinNY 

If the holes line up, we can basically rule out two separate incidents.

OTOH I've b seen all kinds of punctures, so a single nail going through and nicking the rim is plausible.

FWIW I once flatted owing to a screw that went clear through tire and tube and into the rim. (tubulars on light rims)

VegasJen

This is my working theory right now.