P U N CT U R E R E PA I R
PLUGGING YOUR TYRE
repair kit
essentials
Remember to isolate those
specifi c to your bike, like the
derailleur hanger, magic link,
brake pads and cleats.
» Mini pump (1 per team)
» CO2 canisters x 3 (1 with
adapter screwed gently on
ready to use, and the rest
strapped to bike)
» Allen key set (including
torque Allen key set and
chain breaker)
» Plug kit (1 ready to use
strapped to bike, and a
strip of extras)
» Small Leatherman for opening
tubeless valves, cutting plugs,
cutting zip ties
» Magic link (chain repair),
secured to your brake cable
with insulation tape, out of
the way and ready to use
» Spare tube with sealant in,
strapped to your bike,
readily available
» Duct tape: roll a good stretch
of tape around your bike
frame to use when needed
» Big and medium zip ties (you
can often fi t these inside your
bottom bracket)
» Gator to repair sidewall tears
» Rear derailleur drop-out
(bike specifi c)
» In small tool box/kit: extra
worms for plug kit, extra bolts
(cleat bolts, stem bolts, bottle
cage bolts). Remember, if the
seat post clamp bolt snaps
you can use the steerer tube
bolt and you can use a disc
brake rotor bolt as a cleat bolt
» Credit card and/or cash in the
event of repairs at tech zones
along the route
» Route profi le sticker stuck
on your top tube so you can
stay orientated
» Cellphone with event
emergency contact number
(1 per team)
» How quickly you respond
is critical
» Look for obvious white sealant
leak, put your fi nger over the
hole to prevent more air loss
» Do not push the plug in at a
straight 90° angle as you may
puncture the tubeless rim
tape; insert it at an angle
» Secure the tyre with a wrap of
duct tape in order to prevent
tyre from tearing further
REPLACING YOUR TUBE
due to sidewall tear or
faulty tubeless valve
to the rim once again
» Ensure you can visibly see that
the beading is even all the way
around the rim
» Remove tyre with tyre levers
» It’s not necessary to empty
tyre sealant
» Loosen the tyre beads all
around and remove from rim
» Feel for any thorns in tyre
» Undo the valve bolt and
remove valve
» Remember, CO2 interferes
» Push the plug so that the
“worm” is more than half way
in but does not risk being
pushed right in, or popping out
» Insert tube, replace tyre and
pump up tyre using CO2
canister and/or pump
» Be sure to keep the removed
tubeless valve somewhere
safe to re-use, when possible
COMMON PROBLEMS
AND SOLUTIONS
» If you don’t have a tyre
» If the plug is repeatedly
touching your frame, it can
damage your frame, so be sure
to trim it down until it is clear
SIDEWALL TEAR
» If the puncture or sidewall
tear is too close to the rim, a
plug may fail and you should
put a tube into the tyre
» If you can plug the sidewall
tear, secure a plug in position
with a strip/wrap of duct tape
» In the event of a long slit in
the tyre (mostly on sidewall),
defl ate tyre, fi t a tube (with
sealant in) and insert a gator
(can also use money note,
Ziploc packet, snack wrapper,
etc. as a gator)
lever, try using your quick
release skewer
» When working with the
defl ated tyre with sealant in,
the tyre may stick to itself –
try to avoid this happening.
When you pump it up again,
it will release. This is often a
sign that the sealant is old and
needs to be replaced
» When using tyre levers,
especially on new wider rims,
remember you’re at risk of
trapping the rim tape and
causing a leak
» If resealing the tyre as a
tubeless system, you may
need an extra pair of hands
to help position the tyre so
that the beading can “stick”
with the consistency of
tyre sealant in some
cases, and sealant may
become ineff ective
» Rather use a mini pump
if there’s a slow leak early in
a stage or if you’re topping
up tyre pressure any time
during a stage
» Rather use a CO2 canister if
it’s the last 10km of a stage or
prologue/time trial. Be sure
to let your mechanics know
to replace sealant when you
have burped your tyre (when
the bead of tyre is detached
temporarily from rim)
IMPORTANT
» If you use a CO2 canister
at any point, for any
reason, ensure your valve
is at the top of the wheel
and clear of any sealant
» In the event of a big
thorn puncture and
the hole does not seal
immediately, position
the hole at the bottom
so that the sealant is
pooled on the area – rub
in the dirt to help form
a barrier so that the
sealant can seal
» You can also add half a
cup full of polystyrene
balls to your sealant as
these can help seal the
bigger puncture holes
tech talk | MTB | 125