8
area around the valve seal or between the tire bead and rim
strip. The leaking air can be detected at the spoke holes, but
the location of the actual leak will not necessarily be close to
the leaking spoke hole. There are two ways to fi nd and elimi-
nate leaks like these:
Partially immerse the wheel into a tub of water. Leave it in
the tub long enough for the portion of the rim that is under-
water to fi ll with water. Then, with your ear close to surface of
the water listen for the sound of bubbles forming as you rotate
the wheel slowly in the water. When a leak is at the water
surface it will cause a bubbling noise and this will allow you to
detect the location of the leak as accurately as possible.
Eliminate the possibility of all other possible leaks. If you
have eliminated all visible sources, replace the rim strip or
valve stem.
Fixing a puncture in a tubeless tire
Using Super Juice sealant in any tubeless tire is a huge advan-
tage; Super Juice will seal small punctures and prevent air
loss.
A puncture can be patched if it is not too severe, but fi rst,
the tire must be cleaned. The inside surface of a tire has
release agents on it left over from the manufacturing process.
Remove the release agents with an abrasive or tire buffer
before installing the patch.
A large hole or fracture in the casing will weaken the tire.
You should replace a severely damaged tire immediately, or as
soon as possible. In an emergency a large patch, called a boot,
can be made up of a fi brous material to cover the hole. The
boot should overlap the hole by at least an inch in all direc-
tions and be bonded fi rmly to the casing. A tire repaired in
this way should only be ridden slowly and used only as long as
it takes to get back from the ride.
You should not try to patch a tubeless tire that is punctured
on the trail. It’s best to install a tube. Remove the tire and
tubeless infl ation valve. Find the cause of the puncture and
remove any sharp objects in the tire so they will not puncture
the tube. Install the tube and reinstall the tire.