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Stop Air Leaks In Tubeless Bike Tyres – Easy Solutions
Sep 16, 2025
Tubeless tires are now common place with road cyclists, however, there's one issue which can still be rather annoying to deal with, and that's when they leak! In this video Sam Gupta explains and demonstrates the full diagnosis procedure for locating and fixing a tubeless leak. If you follow this step-by-step process, you'll most likely be able to find and fix any leaky tubeless set up you come across.
View Video Transcript
0:00
If your tubeless tires are leaking air then watch on because in this video I'm going to share my
0:05
full diagnosis routine for hunting down and fixing those pesky leaks. We first want to start with the obvious. Check there are no punctures that your sealant hasn't
0:18
been able to fill and may require a plug to seal. If you do find one and manage to successfully plug
0:25
it then be sure to top your sealant back up before you carry on riding. The next important thing to
0:31
check is that your tyres are actually tubeless compatible. Sometimes you can see a logo on the
0:37
sidewall of the tyre which will let you know or alternatively you can look at your tyre's
0:42
information online to see if they are or not. If you're unsure then just head to your local bike
0:48
shop for more advice. Next check for rim damage. If your wheels have come into contact with something
0:54
be that out on the road or just at home, you may have a dent or ding which is keeping the rim and
1:00
tyre from making a clean contact and creating a gap which is allowing air to escape. A visual
1:07
inspection while feeling the edge of the rim's surface will suffice, but be sure to use gloves
1:12
because if there is any damage, you won't want any carbon or metal piercing your skin
1:18
If your tyres are in good health, they're tubeless compatible and your rims are undamaged
1:24
then ensure your tyres have a tight fit on the wheel when deflated In some cases you will still be able to successfully mount looser tyres but we want to eradicate any chance for failure If you feel they loose then add
1:39
another wrap or two of rim tape to help make everything fit that little bit more snug
1:45
Ensure the rim tape is fitted correctly, doesn't have wrinkles, and is straight and is sealing
1:50
those spoke holes. Sometimes tubeless rim tape can be dislodged during fitting or changing of
1:57
tyres, typically when tyre levers are overused in the process. So if your tyres are leaking air
2:04
then check the tape hasn't been damaged. When you inflate your tyres, you have to ensure the
2:09
bead of the tyre has popped in all the way around the rim. This plays a huge part in creating that
2:16
airtight seal. So if you haven't heard them into place, then it's unlikely this is why they're
2:23
leaking. Using a high volume track pump, compressor, or even something like an air shot can be a really
2:29
good way to deliver the amount of air volume needed quickly enough to get the tyre to seat
2:35
If you're replacing tyres, then there's a good chance there's going to be a build-up of old
2:40
sealant gunge stuck to the inside of the rim. So before fitting your new ones, take the time
2:47
to clean all of this off. It can be a bit arduous, but time spent here is time saved
2:54
in the future Plus who wants to be carrying around all that extra weight It can be wise to refresh your rim tape at this point too If you notice any damage or sealant making its way underneath the tape then now is the best time to replace it The key thing is
3:10
you don't want any old sealant left on the inside or on the top of the rim. You need that interface
3:17
to be clean. A common place to lose air, especially on a new tubeless setup, can be the valve hole
3:25
Be sure to use a tubeless valve which makes good contact with the inside of the rim bed
3:31
Since rim beds can come in all different shapes and sizes, you want to try and find one which
3:36
has a shape which gives you the best chance possible of making a good seal. Personally
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I'm a fan of the muck off tubeless valves. I've not had a pair of wheels where they haven't worked
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But if you find that the valve is still leaking air, then try tightening up the valve retention
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nut to create a better seal with the rim bed. What you want to avoid is using a rubber o-ring
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at the valve with the intention of plugging a leak. The deep section part of many road wheels
4:05
isn't designed to hold pressure and by using an o-ring here you may be forcing air into this
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cavity. You want to keep the pressure in the tyre cavity and the tyre cavity alone
4:17
At this point, hopefully you have clean rims, correctly fitted rim tape and valves and a
4:23
tyre which has been inflated and has popped onto the rim the whole way round
4:29
Hopefully you added the right amount of sealant for the size of tyre you are using So now is the time to give your wheel a shake with the objective of coating the inside of your rim and tyre with sealant So if
4:42
there are any tiny leaks the sealant can do its thing and seal up those holes. Simply spinning the
4:49
wheels isn't good enough as it will just send the sealant into the outermost edge of the tyre. What
4:55
we want to focus on is where the tyre meets the rim. So hold the wheel level with one side slightly
5:01
dropped and slowly work your way around shaking the wheel to ensure the sealant is getting nicely
5:06
sloshed up inside the tyre. At this point if you are still experiencing leaks then consider using a
5:13
different sealant. Some sealants are thicker and can plug bigger holes and faster. Personally I've
5:20
always had luck with silker sealant, stands race sealant and orange seal. If you find your tyres are
5:26
leaking air after they've been fine for a while then do ask yourself if the sealant itself needs
5:32
topping up or replacing. If you've had a puncture and lost a lot of sealant then this will need to
5:37
be topped back up or if left for too long sealant will naturally dry up inside the tyre. You can read
5:45
the side of the sealant bottle how often each manufacturer recommends you replace it lastly if
5:50
you don't believe the sealant is the issue then it could just be worth trying a different set of
5:56
tires let me know down below though if you have any other smart ways to stop leaky tires and if
6:02
you have any questions then drop them down below and i'll do my best to answer them
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