Tubeless Repair Kit

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Boab
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Tubeless Repair Kit

Post by Boab »

After two rear tyre punctures last week, I've come to the conclusion that one of tools in the Decathlon tubeless repair kit is sub standard. Specifically the pronged, fork, stabby thing, that you're supposed to force the anchovy through the tyre with. As I've now only one anchovy left, and the local Decathlon only sell the kits with more useless tabby fork things in them, I'm after something different.

So, can anyone recommend a decent tubeless repair tool / kit...?
There are theories at the bottom of my jargon.
Lazarus
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Re: Tubeless Repair Kit

Post by Lazarus »

I like the lookof the ones you just poke everything in the two most obvious choices being

The stans one - I have bought this for the commuter but not needed /used it yet.
Claims no trimming needed as it wears away .

https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/maint ... it-review/
£30-25 ish
or the dynaplug - probably a more MTB type one given it has ones for big holes which are unlikely commuting
https://bikepacking.com/gear/dynaplug-review/

£30-35 ish
I dont have this as its quite spendy and both require new darts which are not cheap stans are 5 for a tenner i think dynaplug are the same ish but you cannot get mixed kits iirc. You have to buy a kit for the small and the large basically
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fatbikephil
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Re: Tubeless Repair Kit

Post by fatbikephil »

I've got a 'Genuine innovations' kit but never used the stabby tool in anger. It may in fact be the same as the decathlon one and it crossed my mind its probably too big for those annoying holes that are too big to seal but not that big..... Before I got this I used the narrow screwdriver head on my leatherman to push the anchovy into smaller holes with good effect.
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whitestone
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Re: Tubeless Repair Kit

Post by whitestone »

I have the Sahmurai system. Used it twice in, err, anger.

You don't say if you have done so but it's worth practicing on an old tyre. Part of the Sahmurai system is a reamer to enlarge those awkward slightly smaller holes.
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Boab
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Re: Tubeless Repair Kit

Post by Boab »

whitestone wrote: Mon Sep 21, 2020 10:21 pm I have the Sahmurai system. Used it twice in, err, anger.

You don't say if you have done so but it's worth practicing on an old tyre. Part of the Sahmurai system is a reamer to enlarge those awkward slightly smaller holes.
I stabbed my old Jumbo Jims multiple times, my old Conti Terra Trails multiple times and now my Gravel Kings multiple times. Even after using the needle file, I struggle to get the the doubled over anchovy into the hole. The stabby fork thing in the Decathlon kit doesn't seem to allow the anchovy to sit in between the prongs for easy stabbing; if you do manage to get it into the prongs and into the tyre, it then doesn't come out of the prongs, so you just pull the anchovy back out of the tyre. Obviously it's not helped by trying to force it though the smallest hole you can, for better sealage...
There are theories at the bottom of my jargon.
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AlexGold
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Re: Tubeless Repair Kit

Post by AlexGold »

There's a trick that helps both getting it in and out without disaster - twisting the tool. Also when pulling the tool out, hold the edges of the worm with your thumb.

FWIW I've got the Genuine Innovations kit (small stabby thing, skinny worms) and the Lifeline one for worse problems (larger stabby thing, two sizes of worms)
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Bearlegged
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Re: Tubeless Repair Kit

Post by Bearlegged »

I've always found my problem to be getting the worm into the stabby thing. Anyone got any top tips for that?

Having not got on with cheap stabby things, I got the cheapest Dynaplugs tool. While the tool works fine, the plugs don't seem to like high pressure much (35 psi and up), which can be limiting on the gradventourer. Adding flexible super glue to the fixing process helps greatly.
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whitestone
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Re: Tubeless Repair Kit

Post by whitestone »

Stretch and twist the anchovy to get it into the applicator. There's really not that much difference between the business end of most of them.

Application is a twisting motion as if you were using a screwdriver - you probably only need a quarter to half a turn. Extracting the applicator is a bit like pulling a cork out of a bottle - you need to squeeze the tyre and anchovy whilst pulling.

Flexible superglue (about £5 for three tubes) is useful to hold things in place long term but obviously things need to be clean and dry so I tend to do this once I've stopped for the day.
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stevewaters
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Re: Tubeless Repair Kit

Post by stevewaters »

I thoroughly recommend the Stans Darts - I bought some after Alex Berry raved about them and then saw him use one. Not cheap but very effective.
You pre-load them and then insert and remove the applicator. I have had to use it once. I keep the handy loaded applicator in my jacket pocket. If you can find the leak and get your thumb over the leak quickly and then apply the dart it is really quick and satisfying and then only a few pumps and off you go.
The remnants of the tufty tail of it is still visible in my front tyre many hundreds of miles since.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3n8lMgQmFo

I carry a couple of different sized sets of anchovies too.
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Shewie
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Re: Tubeless Repair Kit

Post by Shewie »

I've not gone tubeless yet but had a thought, can you still get the anchovies in if the tyre is completely flat?
jameso
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Re: Tubeless Repair Kit

Post by jameso »

As I've now only one anchovy left,
I just cut inner tubes into 30mm strips of of various widths, maybe 3-4mm mostly. Since most tyre flats are cuts rather than holes they work well. Easier to fit to the fork tool also. That and those mini tubes of Superglue Powerflex fix pretty much any tyre cut that doesn't need booting and sewing up.
can you still get the anchovies in if the tyre is completely flat?
As long as you find the hole, yes. It is easier to do it before it goes flat though.
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Alpinum
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Re: Tubeless Repair Kit

Post by Alpinum »

I used to use the regular Maxalami kit:

https://www.maxalami.de/MaXalami-Tube-P ... aratur-Set

I did sharpen the otherwise blunt tool to facilitate driving the sausage into the rubber ( did I just write that..? ), this always without any prior treatment of the damaged tyre, yet it did take a fair amount of elbow grease.
It very, very rarely happened, that the plug came out when retracting the tool.

Since I've been doing this regularly, especially with my newish short travel trail bike by which I thought I could get away with tyres like Maxxis Ikon 2.35" which I constantly damaged, I though it's time to change to a "proper" system and got a full set of Oko stuff:

https://www.oko.com/products/bicycle-pr ... agic-milk/

https://www.transa.ch/p/oko-tubeless-re ... gJ1DvD_BwE
(sorry, I just linked what came up first)

Now on the Oko High Fibre stuff and their tool, which is quite a bit easier to work with and won't corrode after a few years of use and living a life in the outside pockets to have it redily available in case of a puncture/pinch flat, this way I can puncture and still get a KOM on Strava :wink: - seriously, it's a job of seconds not minutes with two punctures (usually close to the rim and one close to the tyre centre) and another bunch of seconds for re-inflating the tyre with a small pump, make that 5 sec when stressed out (need to catch that KOM/train/bus for home etc.) and using a CO2 cartridge.

Still quite new to me, the Oko High Fibre stuff (I diluted it with water a litte) has so far been like magic compared to Conti Revo (which I thought was good) and Stans (which I thought was okay).

My recommendation:

- get Oko High Fibre sealant
- get a tool with a reamer of some sorts. Try it at home on an old, damaged tyre and see how it works. If it doesn't work well, make it work well. Get a tool where reamer and applicator are in one, with sealed caps and a big enough handle to ba able to work with gloves, in the cold, quick etc. The faster you fix the hole, the less you have to inflate the tyre, the less hassle and less time lost.
- have the sausage/plug and reamer/applicator tool at hand, not in the bottom of a bag. outside rucksack pockets, hipbelt, top of framebag, strapped to the frame etc. The faster you can respond, the more fun.
- if you don't wear through the tyres fast, check the inside every 4 - 6 months, you may want to pour 40 - 60 mL water inside to revive the Oko fluid.

edit:
blimey, it's an English company...
and you can get it on Planet-X.

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/WSOKOMMHF ... re-sealant
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AlexGold
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Re: Tubeless Repair Kit

Post by AlexGold »

Glad to hear a glowing review of the Oko Hi Fibre, I am currently experimenting with new sealants and just got the Oko and the Barbieri from PX to give them a shot. I've got as far as pouring both on the floor to see consistency/drying time so far and the Oko seems more promising in that test! It was a little thick though, so maybe adding water is the key. Good to hear you can add water to revive it too, I seem to be forever pouring sealant/money into my tyres with other brands...
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Alpinum
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Re: Tubeless Repair Kit

Post by Alpinum »

AlexGold wrote: Wed Sep 23, 2020 9:47 am It was a little thick though
I find it too thick as it Comes.
I add 25 % water. Give or take, weight per weight or volume per volume :geek:
AndreR
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Re: Tubeless Repair Kit

Post by AndreR »

Another endorsement for the Stans Darts. Had WTB Resolutes on my Cyclogravel bike and they were a nightmare for thorn punctures. OK success with the "anchovie" style repair but had 2 start to leak again. Pulled the thing out and put a Stans in and job done. I'd rather pay a bit more and get it sorted than faffing about in the mud with iffy repairs.
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