My last 2 tires, when I had a puncture and used the tubeless plugs to fix it, it was okay for 3-4 rides but then eventually the plug "exploded" like on the picture, and fell out.
Are these supposed to be short-term solutions only and a tire replacement is needed? I'm asking because my last 2 punctures happened on both on 1 month old tires.
by playaz3
25 Comments
they should be. was the puncture really big
If you need to use a plug, you need to replace the tyre.
the plugs haven’t ever failed for me, even after many miles of use. however, if you have a very big puncture, you can patch a tubeless tire, just take the tire off the rim and install a patch. rema makes a patch kit for this use, for example
Manufacturers will tell you not to use them as a long term solution. The official solution is to patch the inside of the tire when you get home or replace it altogether, depending on how bad the hole is.
That said, lots of people just leave them in until they wear down flush with the tire.
A dynaplug Is definitely a permanent solution, a bacon strip or regular plug may not be the most permanent solution
I guess it depends on the kind of plug. I’ve been using Dynaplugs, which are advertised as “lasts the life of the tire”. I recently replaced a well-worn tire, which had been plugged 5 times total.
A thing to consider: I hesitate using tubeless for higher (road-bike) tire pressure. 30mm and up only. Maybe yours is a narrow tire/ high pressure?
my experience on road tyres (higher pressure) is that plugs on their own get pushed out.
The solution is to use plugs with an anchor. Dynaplugs work well but are expensive and cannot be reused. WTB Rocket plugs are almost as good as dynaplugs, and have the big advantage that the anchor can be reused if you decide to patch the hole from the inside, or replace the tyre.
I’ve put thousands of miles on various plugs on my Hookworm tires and I’ve never had one go bad.
I personally use them to get the ride finished. I typically will replace the tire afterwards.
Temporary, to get home without needing a tube. At home you repair or replace the tire or continue with a tube
Above 30-40 psi most of the plugs I’ve used just pop out so fine as a “get me home” fix for gravel or mountain bikes but no use at all for a road bike.
Carry a spare inner tube just in case the sealant can’t close the hole up.
I’ve always been a bit skeptical of Dynaplugs because of the metal tip, if my tyre goes down when I’m riding will that metal tip knacker the inside of my rim?
That looks close to the side wall, which doesn’t plug well. You may need a new tyre.
They’ll work until they don’t. And then you’ve got an even bigger hole.
My experience is that plugs work well long-term on tires with treads, and not so much on slicks like yours.
I had a dynaplug that lasted 1200+ miles until the tire’s and of life. I’ve never replaced a tire because of a failed plug, but I have replaced tires I plugged recently that I hadn’t realized were old until I noticed dry rot and went back and to my records and checked.
ICase by case basis
I’ve ridden 1.5mm bacon strips in road tyres for many thousands of km but these holes were small and it was difficult to insert the strip in the first place
I find dynaplugs last the life of the tyre.
Could you expand on the size of the tyre and the sort of pressure you’re running?
I’ve found with tubeless that I have an increase in the number of problems with sealing above about 60 psi; for my larger weight (85 kg) I roll on 28s at 60-63 psi and 55-58 on a 30 mm. I feel like 30 or 32 mm is ideal for fast road riding and 35 for rougher pavement [paved surfaces] at pressures in the 40-50 psi range.
For contrast in regards to big tyres and low pressures, I used to run 19 mm tubs at 170psi on the TT bike… 😳 Great fun trying to get round the turnaround without skidding 🫣🤣
Supposedly they aren’t but I had used a bacon strip and kept it there for some thousand Kms until I had to change the tyre due to wear, and it kept just fine, not even any weeping from the spot, so YMMV I guess
They’ve worked for me for thousands of kilometres in several cases. Make sure the plugs are fresh (still very sticky) and carefully cut off the part that sticks out the tire.
If it’s an expensive tire and has tons of life, or you rely on the bike for commuting then patch the tire from the inside.
Otherwise just ride the plug until it dies(hopefully not when you are out in the middle of nowhere) and carry a tube as a backup.
Dynaplug last forever
Never had a Dynaplug leak, have used the tyre as normal until replacement. I’ve used bacon strips and they migrate out of the tyre.
I’ve had a few dynapluged gravel tires start to form bubbles between the layers near the plug over time. Just gotta watch it and see
My experience. Plugs last on MTB tired due to lower pressures. On gravel and road, I nearly always blow them out of the tires.
I’ve had a similar experience and ended up using plugs as a temporary solution and then patching the inside of the tyre with the Restrap tyre repair kit. There is some ambiguity between retailers as to whether it is suitable for use with tubeless setups or not, but I’ve found it to hold up flawlessly with no bulging or leaking at the repair site.
[https://restrap.com/products/tyre-boot-kit](https://restrap.com/products/tyre-boot-kit)