Trailside repair anxiety

carvegybe

carvegybe

Well-Known Member
With the temps dropping I've had some anxiety over dealing with a possible puncture on the trails. I've got bacon strips and tubeless and a spare tube, but the prospect of not moving for what might be a while (and with a wet wool base layer) makes me a bit nervous. I am not a fast user of tire levers. Any thoughts on best practice in terms of winter preparation? Been thinking about Stans Dart, but reviews are mixed about reliability.
 
I think about this a lot. I have no problem riding down to single digits but that is always something in my mind, especially riding alone. I added some hand warmers to my pack for emergency’s but that’s as far as I’ve got...
 
Can always abandon the bike off the trail and jog out of the woods if it is so cold that you feel at-risk.
 
stb222 said:
With the places you ride, you can just run with bike back to car. Also, you only have a bout a month left for it to be a concern. Otherwise, what they said above.
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Would probably have ridden Batsto without the anxiety a few more times. I think about this at the northern tip of that loop...
 
I agree with the changing them at home until you're confident. Do not rely on plugs to work when the shit hits the fan, or you'll be very cold/miserable; be confident with pulling a tire, installing a boot/tube, and get moving. [incidentally, this is also a good time to go over your tires and see if you've got anything stuck in them, since you'll immediately give yourself a flat if you put a tube in]

I also am a fan of Dynaplug over regular strips. The Darts are fine, but they rely on sealant to work (ie: they aren't going to fix a hole/tear without it). Plugs make a permanent repair if that is important to you. Also, Dunaplugs come in 3 different tip types/2 plug sizes. I stay away from the sharp pointed ones (they make rounded points, but these are easy to modify yourself if you already have/can't get them), but danger from getting a catastrophic flat and damaging the rim is over-rated, imo.

In the cold times, I carry a couple of packs of warmers with me. I'll still be cold, but whatevs. I usually figure on ~5 minutes to change stuff, and that's usually the amount of time you get from high intensity work to standing still before you start getting cold.
 
I have no experience with Dynaplug, but I have seen a tire hold up to a full day of abuse at Mountain Creek with THREE Darts in it, at least one being sidewall. I’m pretty sure she rode like three months on it 😂
 
carvegybe said:
Anyone with experience with both Dynaplug and Stans Dart for tubeless MTB application care to make a casting vote?
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They have a newer version of the Racer design, seen on their social media posts, that has 4 plugs loaded in it as opposed to 2. Just retired a tire that's had a plug in it for at least a year. As has been stated, doesn't require sealant to work.
 
Soundguy said:
If you’re using plugs isn’t it assumed there is sealant in the tire anyways? Who runs tubeless without sealant?
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As @Patrick noted, it's more for the case of tubeless flats being more likely when sealant has dried up, and you didn't add any.

Presumably, someone who was on top of sealant levels wouldn't be terribly concerned about repairing their stuff trailside. Just my own $0.02.
 
I hear you all re learning at home to put in a flat tube fast, but on the trail I'd like the ability to try to plug and get moving quickly and only resort to messing with the tube if the plug fails. Does anyone have any experience with the air version of the dynaplug? http://www.dynaplug.com/air.html

Looks quite convenient...but pricey.
 
I’ve never used dynaplug but have had a dart in a tire for months and never had to worry about it
 
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