Back when I was first debating the pros and cons of switching to tubeless tires on my mountain bike, one big concern was dealing with punctures. I knew that the Stan’s NoTubes sealant would take care of little leaks and thorn holes, but what if I had a big nail hole or something?

Normally I’d just replace the tube and things would be fine, but that’s not an option with tubeless. With a tubeless system, you have to make sure the tire is perfect or else it won’t hold air very well.

So you have a few basic options. Option #1 is to just replace the tire. That can be pretty expensive though, with most tubeless tires costing about $50 each. Option #2 is to go back to running tubes. That’s totally lame, though, and not really a solution. Option #3 is to patch the tire itself, hoping to make the tire usable and air-tight once again. Patching the tire itself is great for normal tube setups, but with tubeless systems, taking everything apart and doing the cleaning necessary takes a lot of effort. (And even then, you’re riding on a compromised tire.)

You don’t really want to get inside a tubeless system do you? With all that sealant in there? You’ll have to take the tire off, clean things up, patch it, then put it back on again. Not fun, especially if you remember how hard it was to set-up in the first place.

But what if you could patch the tire without even taking it off the rim?

Enter the Genuine Innovations Tubeless Tire Repair Kit.

Boring name aside, this is an interesting product. There is not much to it, just a specialty sewing needle and soft rubber plugs, but it lets you fix a tubeless tire from the outside. No mess!

All you do is wind a rubber strip onto the special needle and stick it into the hole, then pull the needle out, leaving the rubber strip to plug the leak. The process takes only a few seconds.

The problem is, it’s not a miracle cure…

Testing the Tubeless Tire Repair Kit

My tubeless setup consists of regular rims and tires converted to tubeless using the Stan’s NoTubes system (their special rim strips and sealant.) That’s what I’m testing with today…

[Note: Actual UST tires are tougher in the first place and may even be easier to repair, but I like the light weight and low price of regular tires.]

The test involved me riding over a nail, then shoving the nail into the tire and twisting it around to widen the hole some more. (I had to make the hole big enough that the Stan’s sealant alone couldn’t fix it.)

To fix it, I stuck one rubber strip into the tire and pulled the needle out… and the rubber strip came right back out with it.

On my second try, I picked up the technique and got the strip to stick in the tire. However, it wasn’t even close to being airtight. So I inserted a second strip into the hole, and that seemed to help quite a bit. (Sometimes you might have to use 3-5 strips in one hole, if it’s big enough.)

For this repair, the two strips seemed to plug the leak pretty well, and excess Stan’s sealant helped it hold. That’s pretty impressive. (Make sure you have enough sealant in the tire, because that will help make this repair as airtight as possible.)

But it leaves a funny looking brown lump sticking outside your tire! You can’t really cut it off, since it’s sticky rubber. My big worry was, “will it get snagged and rip out while riding??”

But after riding it a few times, the plug seems to stick fairly well, and it squishes down and starts to blend in. Even with the plug sticking up in the tire tread, it didn’t get ripped out from trail riding!

There was a problem though… the tire lost all its air within 24 hours. I could ride just fine if I pumped up the tire before each ride, but I’d rather not have to do that. Because of this, I’d say these plugs are still a temporary solution.

On Video: Genuine Innovations Tubeless Tire Repair Kit

Want to watch me screw around with these things for ten minutes before I get them to work? It’s all on video, right here…

My final verdict is…

For XC racing, I don’t think I’d bother carrying this kit. However, if I was going on an epic ride deep into the forest, I’d definitely carry one of these kits. It won’t take up too much space in your pack, and at $4, it’s worth getting the kit for “just in case.”

It doesn’t seem like the best long-term option, as it’s not totally airtight and you’re still riding a compromised tire, but it would be a good temporary solution to get you home. I wouldn’t head out for a serious ride or race on a tire that was plugged with these, though. That’s just a little too risky!

Official website: www.GenuineInnovations.com (Tire Repair Kit page.)

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[Click here if you would like to get your product reviewed on CoachLevi.com.]

Last winter I picked up a few sets of Hutchinson Flash tires. For $5 each, I couldn’t resist! (I needed them for indoor training.)

But since I quit using a trainer and only use rollers, the tires didn’t wear out that fast. I actually used the same pair of tires for two winter seasons without noticeable wear. So, I decided to use them for some spring training this year to finally wear them out.

And wear them out I did!

Not only did all the seams start to rip, but the tread wore so thin that the tire started to deform! I had to get a picture of this…

It really did look like an “S” curve. Once I removed the tires, I realized the tread was thin enough I could almost puncture it with my fingernail!

Still want the pros and cons?

Pros of $5 tires:

• They are only $5 each.

Cons of $5 tires:

• No traction, especially in wet weather.
• They’re heavy.
• They will rip, deform, and otherwise fall apart when riding on the open road.

The only reason to get them is for indoor training, and for that, they are perfect!

(These Hutchinson Flash tires are sometimes available at Nashbar for a mere $5 each.)