Last Updated on April 20, 2023 by Emmanuel
You can’t use a mountain bike with flat wheels; you must take it to the repair shop, which can be a hassle if you are in the middle of riding.
Another way is to repair it yourself so you can fix your tire problem immediately, anywhere, at any time.
The only catch is that you need the knowledge and the fitting tool kit. So, let’s break down the 30 things about mountain bike tire repair kits to know.
Table of Contents
Introduction To Mountain Bike Tire Repair Kit
Whether you are running tubeless or tube mountain bike tires, a tire repair kit is necessary. Because if you ride your bike regularly, the chance of you getting a flat tire is higher.
Fortunately, a tire repair kit is small enough to fit your backpack or saddlebag.
Don’t worry! It is so light that you wouldn’t notice you have it on you when riding.
The tool kit usually contains a small wrench, a patch kit, and a pump (more on later).
What Should Be In A Mountain Bike Repair Kit?
If your bike doesn’t feature a quick-release lever, you will need a wrench or a multitool in your tire repair kit to remove the wheels.
Let’s dive deeper into what should be in your tire repair kit.
The next is a patch kit consisting of three main things: patches, glue, and sandpaper.
If you don’t have a patch kit and your riding is imminent, duct tape can be a good alternative.
To help displace the tire from the rim, you need tire levers. Bring an inflation device, a small pump, or a CO2 cartridge.
If somewhat your tire is beyond repair, it is good to have a spare tube to replace the damaged one.
How Do You Use A Bike Patch Kit?
- If you have a flat, remove the tire from the rim first. Deflating the tire and using tire levers would make the process easier. Follow these five simple steps to use a bike patch kit:
- Remove the inner tube from the tire and inflate it to find the leaks. Look for a hissing noise, or submerge the inflated tube into the water and look for bubbles if water is available.
- Clean and rough up the leaks’ surface to help the adhesive stick firmly.
- Spread a thin layer of glue on the hole evenly and wait for it to get tacky.
- Grab your patch, remove its cover, and press the patch onto the tube.
How Do You Use A Tubeless Repair Kit?
If you roll on tubeless tires, you should bring a repair kit that contains tire plugs, a plug tool, and an inflation device. The fixing process is simple as it only needs a few steps to fix a flat tire.
You must first locate the leak source on your tire, remove a tire plug from its packaging, and tread it into the eye of the plug tool.
The next step is to insert the tire plug into the puncture but doesn’t insert it. Leave a small amount of tire plug outside the tire.
You will then pull and twist the tool out. The tire plug should stay, close the puncture, and Inflate the tire with CO2 or pump it up.
Can You Patch A Bike Tire With Duct Tape?
You know what they say: you can never have too much duct tape. In emergencies where you don’t have a patch kit, duct tape can be a temporary solution.
The process is the same as with a tire repair kit, but instead of using patches, use duct tape.
Pay attention to the amount of inflation. Inflate the tire just enough to ride until you can get the tire fixed properly.
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Can You Use Electrical Tape To Patch A Bike Tire?
No, you can’t. Electrical tapes are too stretchy. It could hold a tiny leak on the tube, but it won’t last a day until the tire is flat again.
Electrical tape adhesive is not strong enough to hold the pressure, so the air will push through it as soon as you inflate the tire.
Plus, it can last a long time. You better invest in a patch kit as it is easy to find and cheap.
How Do You Use A Tire Lever On A Mountain Bike?
First and foremost, you must deflate the tire because a small amount of air left in the tube can make removing it off the rim intricate.
- Push one side of the tire bead to the center of the rim. After that, grab your levers to begin the process.
- After the tire bead loosens, plug one end of a lever down under the tire.
- Engage one end of another lever 2 to 3 inches from the first lever.
- Push both ends of the levers towards the spoke to lift the bead off the rim.
- Disengage the first lever and plug it under the tire bead 2 to 3 inches from the second lever.
- Repeat the process until the tire bead is off the rim.
How Often Should You Replace MTB Tire Sealant?
For many riders, you are going tubeless, giving many benefits. Tubeless tires get fewer flats, are lightweight, and offer a better ride.
However, you need to maintain your tubeless tires regularly to make sure the tires stay reliable. For example, you are replacing tire sealant when it is time to.
Generally, you must replace the tire sealant every 3 to 6 months. Although, in some cases, you may want to replace it sooner and more often.
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How Much Is A 29er Tire Sealant?
Did you know that you could add tire sealant to the tubular tire? If you are running 29 inches tubeless tires 2.0 to 2.2 inches wide.
The recommended tire sealant for your tire would be 3 to 4 ounces.
Although, you can adjust the amount of tire sealant based on your tire volume. Add more tire sealant if you think your tire is difficult to seal and permeable.
If your tube has a removable valve core, you can inject tire sealant into it.
What Is The Chalk For In A Puncture Repair Kit?
Sometimes, a tire patch kit includes chalk—the chalk act as dust that prevents the patch from sticking to the inside of the tire.
This will also make the patch last longer as it is not peeled from sticking. Use the chalk after the patching process is completed.
Rub the chalk evenly over the patch and the area surrounding it. After that, you can put the tube back into the tire and slide them back onto the rim.
How Long Does It Take For A Puncture Repair Kit To Dry?
Before pressing the patch onto the applied adhesive solution, it is better to let the glue get tacky for around 5 minutes. This will make the tube and patch glued better.
Although, you should not immediately ride your mountain bike after fixing a flat.
It would help to let at least the tire sit for 10 minutes to ensure that the patch dries and does not move around.
What Should PSI My Tubeless Tires Be?
Mountain bikes recommended PSI would differ from other biking styles like road or gravel bikes.
They run under pressure to add more grip and comfort on trails.
However, if you roll tubeless, you can ride the bike immediately after inserting a tire plug.
For a mountain bike with tubeless tires, the recommended PSI would be 26PSI front and 28PSI rear.
This recommendation is applied to riders with a weight equal to or under 70 Kg. Add one more PSI for every additional 5 Kg above 70 Kg.
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How Many Times Should You Patch A Bike Tire?
Many would suggest that the maximum number of patches a tube should have is three.
Although, in many cases, a tire tube can be patched more than three times.
You can do it as long as the puncture is not too close to one another that their patches overlap. Give a maximum patch number of 8 patches on one tube.
You should consider replacing the tube if you have a tube puncture near the valve area.
How Long Does A Puncture Repair Last On A Bike?
A puncture repair can last long if done perfectly with a good-quality patch.
Tire experts predict that a patch on a tire tube can hold a cavity from seven to ten years.
So, you can say that a patch can last as long as the tire tube last.
If you are a competitive mountain biker, your tires should need replacements after 2 or 3 years because the bumps and jumps impact the tire and inner tube.
Do Glueless Tire Patches Work?
Glueless tire patches have glue. The standard patches don’t use glue but vulcanization fluid. Regardless of that, glueless tire patches work fine for a temporary fix.
You can expect it to seal the puncture until you get a proper patch.
Remove the tube from high air pressure after applying a glueless patch.
Because that can increase the patch failure as high air pressure means more strain on the patch. So, inflate your tire just enough to ride.
How Long Do Glueless Patches Last?
Glueless tire patches are intended to get you home without walking your mountain bike. They are not for a permanent fix.
However, you can expect it to last longer if you ride leisurely. So, do not count on it if you ride aggressively on trails, as glueless patches can slip around.
Many riders have said that glueless patches last longer than anticipated.
But, you are better off with regular patches or replacing the tube for reliability.
Can Gorilla Glue Patch A Tire?
Gorilla Glue is one of the popular glue available on the market. It is part of the polyurethane glue family.
Gorilla Glue can be a good or bad option depending on the surface that needs gluing.
Unfortunately, although the glue works on rubber, it cannot patch punctures on tires or inner tubes.
The Gorilla Glue will be inflexible after drying up; hence not ideal for rubber that stretches around so much when tackling jumps or bumps.
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How Big Of A Hole Can You Match In A Tire?
A tire patch can generally handle a puncture as large as 2 to 3mm. Some people even said they successfully patched a 5mm hole in their inner tube.
A hole larger than 5mm would need special treatment. It is still “patchable” (if you will), but not with a standard patch kit.
You will need to patch it with an old tube that has been cut accordingly to size.
Use the vulcanization fluid to bond the two surfaces as an adhesive solution.
How Do You Fix A Punctured MTB SidewallTtire?
There are several tricks to cope with sidewall puncture. These are not for a permanent fix but to get you home without walking your mountain bike.
You can use a standard patch kit, glueless patch, emergency tire boot, duct tape, or a dollar bill. Among those tricks, the emergency tire boot can hold high air pressure than the other.
The key is to place it inside the tire to cover the puncture from within. Surprisingly, the dollar can also stand the same amount of PSI as the emergency tire boot.
Can You Repair A Tubeless Sidewall?
For a tubeless tire, a sidewall puncture can be a nightmare. You can seal the size with a tire plug if it is small. Although, you can’t rely on it long-term as the tire has too much flex.
A long-term fix trick is using a tire patch after sewing the tire. So, first, clean the puncture from any dirt and dust.
Sew the hole with a fishing line until it closes. Apply a tire patch on top of the fishing line inside the tire.
Let it sit for 24 hours before inflating the tire. After that, you can ride it fearlessly!
Can You Patch The Inside Of A Bike Tire?
Yes, you can. Sometimes patching the inner tube is not enough for a flat tire.
Because the tire might also suffer from the puncture, and the inner tube is visible from the outside.
This can make the inner tube vulnerable to sharp objects and the tire. The best way to avoid this problem is to patch the tire from the inside.
The important thing is to always clean and rough up the surface before applying glue to strengthen the bond.
Is It Worth Matching A Bicycle Tube?
As long as the tube can still be patched, patching a bicycle tube is always worth it.
Firstly, patching an inner tube is better for the environment than installing a new one.
Secondly, it is so much cheaper and also reliable. It is reliable because the patch adds thicker skin to the inner tube.
This makes the inner tube even stronger. So, when you get a flat in the future, the patch is not the cause.
How Often Should Bike Tire Tubes Be Replaced?
When a tire tube has too many patches or a hole too close to the valve, you know you should invest in a new tire tube.
What if you never get a flat tire? How would you decide when to replace the tire tube? Ideally, you would want to replace the tire tube every time you replace the tire.
However, if you don’t want to do that, the recommendation is to replace the tire tube after 2 to 4 years of hard riding.
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How Often Should You Replace MTB Tires?
On average, mountain bike tires last 3200 to 8000 miles, but if you like to ride aggressively on challenging terrains, you should replace your tires after showing signs of wear or losing traction.
How Do I Know If I Need A New Bike Tire or Tube?
When your tires or inner tubes show these indications, that is the time you need to replace them.
The easiest one is when the tire tread is worn off, reducing the traction on trails.
If you don’t ride your bike long, the tires could be brittle with age and show cracks on the sidewall.
Consider replacing the tire and the inner tube if you get constant flats.
Where Should Inner Tubes Be Stored?
Having an inner tube or two as a spare is good. You will get the feeling of safety when you ride on rough terrain.
Don’t let that feeling become a nightmare because you don’t store the inner tube.
If you bring it on a ride, place it inside a saddlebag with enough space. Leave the valve cap on to avoid the metal puncturing the rubber, and don’t leave it squeezed in a small area.
After every riding session, remove the inner tube from the saddlebag and store it in a room without direct sunlight.
How Do You Fix A Bike Tire Without A Repair Kit?
A flat tire can happen anytime and anywhere. If you get a flat when you don’t bring a repair kit, you can fix it with a thin rope and leaves.
Separate the tire from the rim and take out the inner tube. After that, locate the leak source on the inner tube. Wrap the thin rope on both sides of the hole.
If you don’t have a thin rope, fill the tire with as many leaves as possible. Fill the tire completely and evenly with leaves or grass.
Finally, return the tire to the rim and go home for a proper repair. This hack will only take you about a kilometer or two, but any port in a storm, right?
What Household Items Can I Use To Patch A Bike Tire?
When you are at home and run out of patch kits, you can use items around your house to fix a flat tire. Use deodorant and packaging tape.
Rub the deodorant onto the cavity and apply packaging tape over it. Make a homemade tire sealant from a mixture of 1 part water-based glue, five parts water, and rubber dust or glitter.
Mix it, apply it to the tube puncture, and let it sit for a few minutes before putting it back to the rim.
If you can’t locate your tire levers, use spoons as an alternative to removing a tire off the tire rim. Just remember that these are meant to be a temporary fix.
Final Thoughts.
For a mountain biker, getting a flat tire is inevitable. So, a flat tire would not be a huge concern anymore. Although, you can fix that with a tire repair kit.
If you don’t have a tire patch kit, use duct tape for a temporary fix.
Alternatively, household items like packaging tape, water-based glue, and rubber dust can be used.
It is good to know how much you should use tire sealant or how to use a patch kit and tire plug.
So, you can enjoy mountain biking without worrying too much about your tire.
Thank you for reading this article about the mountain bike tire repair kit.
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