I ride a tubeless setup on a road bike for about year now. Very happy with it but occasionally the puncture doesn’t seal or the plug doesn’t hold properly. Therefore I carry inner tubes on bike packing trips as a last resort.
I wonder if it’s worth it though. They take up space in a bag that’s already bursting. Am I better off carrying 60ml of sealant and an injector? They pack smaller and weigh about the same.
What’s your experience?
I just carry the Dynaplug Racer Pro which has 4 plugs loaded plus another tiny pack of spare plugs (not much more space than a coin). I’ve had punctures that require multiple dynaplugs but have never been stranded. My emergency backup tho would be an Uber or taxi but I’ve never had to call one. You can significantly reduce risk by having the right set up - Conti GP5000, Silca Ultimate sealant topped up every 3 months, and Dynaplugs.
I carry plugs and will always try them first, but also do carry a spare tube just in case. If I was bike packing I think I would take a tube or two, maybe TPU ones.
Yes, if you get a bigger gash on your tyre the plugs and sealant might not work. I also carry a tyre boot, £5 note to be precise, to prevent a tube hernia if it’s really that bad a gash. I don’t trust sealant enough to go without tubes. But having replaced tyres and seen the small sealant plugs that have formed inside the tyre, I’m glad I changed over.
Yes, and I’ve had to use them in the past. Also, many of my rides are places where there are no reasonable roadside pickup options if I can’t get riding again. I now carry TPU tubes to save space.
Here in Vancouver, we have widely distributed car share cars with bike racks, so if I’m riding in the city, I don’t normally carry anything, and in 8+ years of tubeless usage, I’ve only had to abandon a ride once or twice.
Long time Stans Race user, now testing Silca Ultimate Sealant.
If I’m riding out of the city, I carry a TPU tube, originally Tubolito, now Silca, Spurcycle Tool, Dynaplug Racer Pro or Stans Dart, and a CYCPLUS AS2 Ultra inflator, which has replaced a Silca EOLO IV CO2 & Silca Pocket Impero.
I carry a spare tube and Dynaplugs. If I were going on an extended bikepacking trip, I’d likely carry a small bottle of sealant as well.
I use a Silica Mattone Grande that I swap between my road bike and gravel bike. I keep two road TPU tubes and one gravel TPU tube. I also keep a few plugs in there too.
I carry a TPU tube and a tire boot on my MTB just in case I get a cut in the tire a plug won’t fill.
I carry one backup TPU tube for my road bike in the saddle bag. On my gravel bike, I have two TPU tubes in the downtime storage.
Even though I haven’t yet had to use any spare tube after switching to tubeless 7 years ago - most of the punctures were fixed by sealant and for the few that wouldn’t, Dynaplug - I have given my spare TPU tubes to strangers on a number of occasions.
No tubes anymore. Like others, Silca sealant, Dynaplugs plus I have had good luck with Vittoria Airliner or Tubolight EVO Road inserts for some run flat if really stuck. They give you enough to get you out of a jam without ruining a rim if you can’t catch a ride.
Boy Scout here. Dyna plug plus TPU tube.
Also always carring one tubolito tube wrapped in plastic food wrap (to make it even more compact)
I don’t ride road tubeless but after a couple of Uber and matrimonial Uber recovery lifts, I’ve learned to carry spares - tubes, tyre boots (margarine tin foil cut off), plugs, spare chain quick links, shifter cable for mech bikes. The only time I’ll consider ditching spares is for a race.
All I carry now (for the road) is an electric mini inflator, Dynaplug tool and mini tool. I started carrying tubes when I first rode with tubeless, but never used one so ditched it. It is so quick to put in a Dynaplug and reinflate (if necessary) I can’t imagine why you would want to faff about installing a tube in to a sealant covered tyre. One warning though, carry a few spare plugs with you as sometimes it can take more than one plug for a good seal if the hole is bigger than a few mm. And check your sealant levels and top up every few months so you can be sure there is sufficient sealant to work with a plug. If I was doing a gravel trip where it’s a bit remote I would take a tube as a backup plan however.
There are no ubers on any of my bikepacking routes so I run tubeless with 2 spare tubes, often a 29er and a 26er, butyl. At the end of a recent 5 day bikepack the tpu tubes in my kit had completely shat themselves. I also carry bacon strips, tire boots, Needle and floss, and a puncture repair kit. No spare gizz. When I commute I only take one tube and no needle and floss. Obviously a pump too.
Not sure if it’s relevant, but I ride regularly overseas. My setup differs though, in that I use TPUs because they’re just less messier, when the sealant doesn’t seal. They’re also hardly take up space.
I do carry 2x storage tubes in the panniers and a bunch of TPU patches and have never been caught out so far. There was one time when I had 3 simultaneous punctures on the same wheel, but in different locations in the tread. Still survived unscathed.
I only ride tubeless on gravel / MTB (still TPU-tubed) on the road - and ride those on very isolated single-track / fire roads etc… so the degree of geographic isolation influences my decision, but YES!. Dynaplugs, can of sealant, pump, replacement tubeless valves, a tyre boot ($AUD5 note), and 2 x size appropriate spare tubes on each bike. Never had to use any of them beyond a Dynaplug in 6+ years and 10K+ km total, but not willing to be stranded on car-inaccessible roads and have a 4+ hour walk out …
I’ve ridden the last 30,000mi without a tube. I carry 1 hand pump, 1 dynaplug racer pro. Never had a problem. I also do this overseas on unfamiliar roads where I don’t speak the language. I’m confident I can make it without an inner tube bail out.
The big asterisk… is that I’m hyperaware of road debris. Am always scanning so the tires don’t touch glass or shards. Those pins and needles will glimmer for a flash, and I micro adjust. Second big asterisk, is I make sure my sealant is topped. If it’s dry, you have no outs. Even with a pump.
The third – and this is where I am wired wrong and I know I’m hard to relate with— the risk is what makes it fun.
Good luck.