Tubeless Puncture

When sealant is not enough

Sealant inside a tubeless tyre closes small thorn and glass punctures on its own, often before you notice them. A larger cut lets the sealant spray out without closing. That is when you need a plug: a sticky rubber strip pushed into the hole with an insertion tool, which the sealant then bonds around. Plugs will not fix a torn sidewall or a large gash, so carry a spare tube as a backup on longer rides.

These kits are made for bicycle tyres. Motorcycle and car tubeless tyres need their own, heavier repair kits.

Choosing a plug kit

Basic kits, such as the IceToolz 65C1 or Birzman's repair plugs, give you an insertion tool and a set of plugs. They work, and they fit in a saddle bag.

Compact tools such as the Lezyne Tubeless Pro plugs, the Effetto Mariposa Tappabuco and the WTB TCS Rocket store the plugs ready to use, so a repair takes seconds with gloves on.

Kits with CO2, like the IceToolz A812F with two 16g cartridges, plug and reinflate in one go. Note that CO2 can make some sealants less effective, so let the air out and refill with a pump once you are home.

Whatever you buy, keep spare plugs in two thicknesses if the system offers them: a thin one for small holes and a thick one, or two together, for larger cuts.

Road and MTB tyres

Mountain bike and gravel tyres run at low pressure and take plugs very well. Road tyres run at much higher pressure, so a plug is more likely to work loose. On the road, use a slim plug, ride home at a slightly lower pressure, and treat it as a get-you-home fix. Check the repair before your next long ride and replace the tyre if the hole was large.

Common mistakes

Do not pull the insertion tool out at an angle or twist it, which drags the plug back out. Push it straight in, leave a short tail outside and trim it rather than pulling. Do not let the sealant run dry either: in Indian heat it dries out faster, so check it every couple of months. A valve core tool lets you remove the core to add sealant or clear a clogged valve, and Milkit's syringe kits measure how much sealant is left through the valve, so check which valves they work with.

Not sure which kit suits your tyres? Ask TBA Guide, our chat assistant.