Why is it when ever I get a flat on a tubeless tyre its not a nail, it's a bloody great cut, for which, plugs, sticky string or anything else I can think of won't keep me going. I've used a whole pack of string in the past and it still hissed at me like a cobra on red bull! Makes me wonder if it's worth carting the repair kit around.

Am I the only one that can't pick up a nail I just want to be able to plug one and carry on, just 1 nail that's all......... And how is it that the stone cuts always seem happen on tarmac, when there doesn't appear too be any stones around.

Is this common or am I always picking nail free routes?

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Regards Tim

Learning my craft for the big stuff, it won't be long now and it's not that far anyway

Tim,
No doubt weird punctures happen. We all have stories. I've seen screwdrivers in a tire and all sorts of crazy ass road debris. A cut sidewall is pure bad luck but that happens too.

I've been lucky, had mostly nail or screw punctures ... plugs or sticky string plugs have worked a treat. Only had to re-do one in 25 years using them.
Technique is everything.

But riding any sort of longer, more serious trip I carry tubes. Just remember to carefully check inside tire once off is wheel (don't cut yourself). Install new tube, keep speeds low (50 mph) and keep close eye on pressure until tire can be replaced or repaired. A huge split or big hole is hard to repair, best replace tire. ($$$$)

Tube tires handle holes and splits better, and speed ratings are LOW on many dual sport tires (and bikes lighter weight) so less likely to split or come apart when hot.

How many times have I done that Find the hole in the tube and mend it and then run my fingertips around the inside of the tyre to find whatever caused the puncture and bring my fingertips out covered in blood.

Bicycle punctures are equally bad as it's usually a tiny thorn or something that you can't see. There's probably a market for a combined puncture repair outfit and first aid kit.

In more than 80 k kms I have had 3 incidents. One slow leak/puncture which turn out to be near/around the valve stem and two valve failures! Last one was just after riding through the Gibb River Road, near 800 kms of dirt and outback road. Riding through the outback dirtroad I had of course lowered the pressure in the tyres and when reaching sealed roads again I filled more air in the tyres but the rear was difficult to fill. Had to wait some seconds for each pump stroke for the air to get into the tube. But eventually got the right pressure and continued to the next roadhouse where I had a break and catched up with my mate. After a few minutes my mate went outside and came in again and said he got bad news - you have a flat rear tyre. Thought it could be the valve since that have happend once before so decided to check out that first. Luckily he had the tool to remove the valve so just replaced it with a one from the spare tube and voila - it was the valve who had let out all air of the tyre - not a puncture. After the second valve failure I have bought me a valve tool myself.

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In the end everything will be fine. If its not fine its not the end....

Yea, a valve stem tool is a "must carry".
Valve stems don't like dirt, sand, grit and water. If salt water, they can rust up quickly. Important to keep valve stem cap on tight. Keeps crud out.

I've been able to clean and restore a clogged valve stem. Having high pressure air helps a lot.

SLIME (anti flat product) will also clog up your valve stem, but SLIME is water soluble, so easy to clean up and get valve core working fine again.
Good idea to carry spare valve stems (I carry two) and carry a "real" valve core removal tool.


Note Valve core tool just above tube repair box. (at top of pic)

here's one for ya:

buddy and i are riding fire-type roads in nicaragua and we swap bikes for a bit. i get to ride his SAWEET WR450F while he get's on my trusty DR650. 15 minutes later, he's history. i circle back to find him trying to inflate the rear tire with a mini bike pump he carries in his waist pack. of course, he forgot that i carry a small compressor. we are only two miles from a tire spot (vulcanizador) so we pump it up and head off. 100 meters later he stops. tire is dead flat. pump it up again and off we go. this time we don't bother stopping but go slow. the D606's are hard as nails anyway.

get to the tire spot and they have the tube out and in a water bath in minutes. 21 punctures. yes. 21! seems as though some little piece of metal got into the tire and slaughtered the tube.

needless to say we didn't fix it.

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'07 DL1000 '08 DR650

Murphys law guarantees a nail will make the neatest little pluggable pop the day you ditch the kit.

I've been lucky, only one nail since going tubeless and that in an OE fit Deathwing I was looking for any excuse to bin.

Back on tubes I had a nail make a series of holes, each sealed by gloop in the tyre until they all joined up into a tear. I wasn't carrying levers that day, but France on a Wednesday, c'est la gare.

RTW carry a tube as well. Round the country carry a plug kit. Round the shops take your mobile. Ive put this sort of stuff into a grab bag so it only travels when it needs to but isn't a PITA that will get missed on days out.

Andy

I've seen similar multi holes with tubes ... and that is probably one of the biggest downsides on tubes.

If you're in remote areas (like S. America or Mongolia) where tubes may not be for sale .... saving your tube is critical. Riding your tire flat is what I do too .... but you can just about guarantee you will chew up your tube, making it impossible to repair.

So, with a tube, if you get a flat, stop immediately to try to save the tube. A good Llantero (tire tech) can often bring a holed tube back to life, but if it's torn ... it's DONE.

The above illustrates why I carry 3 tubes on long rides. Once I destroy one, I've still got two more ... and from then on I'm on the look out to buy a new tube to replace the one I lost. Even a 21" is suitable. (easier to find than a 17" or 18")

I also recommend SLIME or Ride On. This goop will either stop or slow down air loss. SLIME can turn a flat into a slow leak, giving you time to get somewhere nice to do the repair. (tire shop!) Works very well on things like Cactus spines, small nails or screws or staples.

NOTE, you can't easily patch a tire or tube with SLIME in it. On tubeless tire, a plug or string will NOT stay put. Only solution is to remove tire, throughly wash with water, now plug hole. All good.

Tubes are tougher. No patch will stick to SLIME. I've tried washing all round the puncture but the SLIME works it way to hole and loosens patch from inside out ... and ruining your day. Best to replace tube and later, when you've got time, fill tube with water and flush out multiple times to clean out all SLIME. Now it can be patched.

I've done this for a friend in Baja, where we had NO CHOICE. It works but it takes time. Spare tubes A MUST!

Mollydog wrote:

Youre 100% right. I do learn things as I ride.

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In the end everything will be fine. If its not fine its not the end....

Life is full of well known "facts" that aren't.

In over 100,000 miles I have had one puncture and several flats. All of the flats have been in the last 18,000 miles on modern rubber. the first and only puncture was in 1962 on the back wheel of my tiger cub. straightforward puncture, remove tube, fix and go. for the next 80,000 miles nothing, no flats, punctures or any other problem until i went "modern"
BMW r80rt, several flats with air seepage from bead to aluminium rim, tubeles tyre. only fixed when i fitted a tube.
Enfield, 12,000 miles and new tube perished?? installed another new tube.
Triumph, 1,000 miles, split in tyre along the outer rim. Fitted new tyre and tube.

One really big difference is, it is so easy to remove the back wheel on older bikes (including the Enfield) leaving the chain wheel undisturbed. Just undo the central spindle, and run the wheel out the back. Less than a minute if rushing, two if your making a pot of tea as well.

Here is what happened, we rode through a small pueblo in Bolivia, - One tire repair shop - one store, a school/clinic and a few adobe/concrete block houses.

Four photos tell the story:
Photo #2069 is the sharpened and bent rebar that we removed from rear tire of my NX400.

Note in photo #2076 is the sharpened and bent rebar atop the fence surrounding the tire repair shop in the small pueblo.

Photo #2080 is of my NX400 with rear wheel removed for repair. Note the ingenious balancing system holding the bike upright.

Photo #2077 is tongue in cheek Bolivian tire repair guy.

xfiltrate eat, drink and be careful

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My last puncture happened the day after I had removed all of the repair kit from the bike I was riding and put on the bike I was setting off on a trip on in a few days time. To top it off it was after a 12hr night shift as well. Sods law in action.

we had 2 punctures in the last 10 km, both I believe were picked up in a road construction zones, both caught while stationary, the last while getting the sport bar swapped out for some protapers, each 75-100 mm long, they do a nice job cheaply here in asia.

Older racing rules were that the tyre valve had to have a metal valve cap ... that would keep the air in if the valve failed. The better valve caps have an extension that is a tool for valve core removal.
On my bikes I use these metal valve caps with the built in tool. I have had many flats, some valve failures. As the tubes I carry have new valves I don't see much point in carrying a tool for there repair, I just replace the tube and valve. The new tubes come with the decorative plastic caps ... get the metal ones - they keep out much more dirt, and much more air in it Murphy strikes.

I have never had a tyre case fail, but I have come close - the side wall was cut for some 5 cm and you could see the tyre case threads. That was the worst I have had - from limestone rocks poking up through the ground for many days of riding. I have had nails, wooden stakes, and the usual mysteries that were left behind to ruin someone else's day. There are patches for the tyre cases - rather large and heavy compared to a tube patch.