
The kit comes with five plugs, which means you have five opportunities to plug any puncture. I’ve also had a lot of luck using them to seal sidewall tears and cuts at the tire bead. And it’s easy to stack multiple plugs so they can handle much larger punctures. They fit into small punctures that are too little for some thick plugs.

But which tire plug is the best? My answer might surprise you. If you’re riding tubeless tires, there’s literally no reason not to carry one. Plugging a tubeless tire is super easy and there are plenty of plug options on the market. That’s why every rider should carry one final line of defense: tire plugs. But even with modern tire tech, there are some punctures that refuse to seal. Run good sealant and tire inserts, and your chances of experiencing a ride-ruining flat are even lower. Fortunately, in the age of tubeless tires, flats have become far less common. That’s the sound every cyclist dreads - a puncture, and your tire rapidly losing air. We meticulously (and independently) pick every product, and if you purchase through our links we may earn a commission.Pssshhh-shhht-shhht-shhht. If so, the lightweight Dynaplug Racer might fit the bill. The Dynaplug kit with multiple tools and brass-tipped plugs is the gold standard, but it’s expensive and might be too heavy for weight weenies. The Stan’s Dart is lightweight and works great, but I’ve found if you’re not careful, you can break the plastic barb off during insertion and lose the plug inside the tire. If you don’t want to faff around with threading a plug through a tool while your tire loses air, the Stan’s Dart and Dynaplug attach the plug to a barb that allows for instant insertion. The Lezyne and Sahmurai plugs are much larger than Bacon Strips and are great for sealing bigger punctures. These kits hide the tire plugs and tool inside your handlebars.

If you want a stealthier option, try the Lezyne Bar-End Mount or Sahmurai SWORD kit. (Yes, I ride tubeless road tires !) I keep the Tubeless Tackle Tire Repair Kit on my mountain and gravel bike because of its handy water-tight container. I’ll keep this in my road bike saddle bag. The basic Genuine Innovations Tire Repair Kit is the least expensive and the lightest.

They come with small brown plugs called “Bacon Strips.” One Bacon Strip will take care of most punctures, but sometimes I have to double up with bigger mountain bike tire punctures. I currently keep a Genuine Innovations kit on each of my bikes. If you want, trim the plug so it looks neater. If the tire plug holds air reliably, you can keep riding a plugged tire until it wears out.

When you remove the tool, it should leave the tire plug in place, but you might need to press a finger against the plug to encourage it to stay behind.Use your best judgment, but if 2-3 plugs don’t take care of a puncture, put in a tube. Large punctures may require more than one plug to seal.Try holding a finger over a leak or have a friend do it while you get the plug ready. If your tire hasn’t gone completely flat, it’s nice to have some air in the tire to push against. It can take some force to get the plug through the tire.
