preview for How to Fix a Tubeless Tire

Flats happen. Even tubeless tires—which resist some types of punctures better than tires with tubes—are not immune from flatting.

No one likes to deal with a flat in the middle of a ride, especially not in a race. But there is a quick and easy way to fix some would-be flats without taking your wheels off the bike.

If your tubeless tire suffers damage that the sealant inside the tire can’t fill, your next step is to insert a plug. This is the same method used to fix your car’s tubeless tire when you pick up a nail. You find the hole(s), stick in a plug (or two, or three, depending on how big the hole is), and the sealant inside the tire should do the rest.

In this video, I give you a quick look at this simple process and offer a few tips based on my adventures in plugging.


Celebrate Bike to Play Week with Bicycling! Between Monday, June 27, and Sunday, July 3, we are encouraging you to break out of your usual routes and make your rides more fun this week. Whether it is a big adventure, or a day of small pleasures. Solo, with family, with friends, a dog, just you and your social media friends ... the possibilities are endless and completely up to you.

Just don’t forget to document your ride, and share it with us using the hashtag #BIBiketoPlay.

Our Favorite Tubeless Tire Sealants
Stan's NoTubes Tire Sealant
Stan's NoTubes Tire Sealant
$34 at Competitive Cyclist
Credit: Stan's No Tubes
Orange Seal Regular Sealant
Orange Seal Orange Seal Regular Sealant
Muc-Off No Puncture Hassle Tubeless Sealant
Muc-Off No Puncture Hassle Tubeless Sealant
Now 15% Off
Credit: Muc-Off
Black Ox Sealant Tire Sealant
Black Ox Sealant Black Ox Sealant Tire Sealant
Headshot of Matt Phillips
Matt Phillips
Senior Test Editor, Bicycling

A gear editor for his entire career, Matt’s journey to becoming a leading cycling tech journalist started in 1995, and he’s been at it ever since; likely riding more cycling equipment than anyone on the planet along the way. Previous to his time with Bicycling, Matt worked in bike shops as a service manager, mechanic, and sales person. Based in Durango, Colorado, he enjoys riding and testing any and all kinds of bikes, so you’re just as likely to see him on a road bike dressed in Lycra at a Tuesday night worlds ride as you are to find him dressed in a full face helmet and pads riding a bike park on an enduro bike. He doesn’t race often, but he’s game for anything; having entered road races, criteriums, trials competitions, dual slalom, downhill races, enduros, stage races, short track, time trials, and gran fondos. Next up on his to-do list: a multi day bikepacking trip, and an e-bike race.