The Dynaplug Dynaplugger is a brilliant solution that should be in the pocket or toolroll of every tubeless cyclist. It will get you rolling again in far less time than it takes to fix an inner tube, and the repairs should last the life of the tyre.
Dynaplug is a US automotive accessory company with two decades of experience creating fast patch kits for vehicle tyres. Its premise is simple: got a hole in your tyre? Jam a rubberised plug in it to stop the air falling out.
> Find your nearest dealer here
There are other solutions on the market such as the £5.99 Genuine Innovations Tubeless Tyre Repair kit that follow the same thinking, but it's how Dynaplug approaches the practicalities that makes its solution a winner.
The Genuine Innovations kit is a fork onto which you thread a strip of rubberised string, then insert in your tyre. The fork's handle (were the Two Ronnies cyclists?) is small, and it can be tricky to stab into a thick tyre, and the process of preparation means it's quite likely your tyre is flat by the time you insert the strip.
Dynaplug offers a range of variations on the same theme: a handle with a metal pipe protruding, into which a rubberised plug with a metal tip is inserted. The mountain bike world has loved the Dynaplug Pill and Megapill products for years, each carrying multiple plugs in different sizes to effect multiple trailside repairs.
The Dynaplugger comes with two swappable insertion tubes – one standard, one 'mega' for the three-times-fatter Megaplug – so you can have two plugs ready, depending on the size of cut needing fixing (though you only get four standard plugs here, no Megaplug – they are available separately at £10 for three).
Swapping the tubes over is quick and easy, with one stored under the small 'business end' cap, the other inside the handle.
The three included spare plugs are held in a small clear plastic tray that's part of the packaging, so you'll need to store them elsewhere, and there's no way to store them inside the Dynaplugger handle. The Pill and Megapill win in this regard, as they come with multiple insertion tubes and machined cavities to hold them inside the tool.
If you're concerned about having a metal tip inside your tyre, don't worry – you and your tyre won't notice a thing. The only caveat is that if you suffer a sidewall cut so bad it needs a tyre boot and inner tube, be sure to pull the heads off any plugs you might have used in the past. That's to avoid the tip then puncturing your inner tube.
Size-wise, the 12.5cm Dynaplugger fits easily into a seatpack; mine lives inside the rather excellent Silca Seat Roll Grande Americano.
Unscripted emergency
Over the review period I managed one actual unscripted tubeless emergency – a decent cut in the sidewall of the Maxxis Re-Fuse 650B tyre. As it was a sidewall cut, the flexing of the tyre was fighting the sealant, meaning only a plug would do the job.
Having the Dynaplugger only seconds away in the seatroll meant minimal loss of air, and the stabbing into the tyre was easy with the large handle. After a few bubbles and a bit of a shake, face downwards, to get sealant into the gaps, the air held and only a few pumps were needed to get back to normal operation.
> Puncture prevention 101: learn how to swerve flats with these 11 top tricks
I also had to trim the end short to avoid a constant tick-tick-tick on the chainstay (the sharp blade on the Topeak PT-30 mini made short work of it).
Now, about 200 miles and a month on, the repair is still holding and I've no reason to suspect it won't hold indefinitely. I have other Dynaplug repairs on my mountain bike tyres that are a year old, and have had many harsh, rocky miles put on them.
Value and conclusion
It's the speed and ease of use that makes Dynaplugs in general a winner. You can spend nearly twice as much on the Pill or Megapill, but if they are overkill then the Dynaplugger is a great solution, and it's lighter too.
As mentioned, the only alternative is the fork-and-anchovy paradigm, which can be much lighter and cheaper, but compromises speed and effectiveness – and a faff in the cold/wet. You need good eyesight and a steady hand to thread them up, whereas the Dynaplugger could almost be used blind, if you could hear/feel where the cut was.
> 9 things they don’t tell you about tubeless tyres
Dave really liked what is basically the alloy version of the Dynaplugger – the £38 Racer. The critical difference here is that you get two Megaplugs included, and you don't have to swap the insertion tubes over if you need to use a different size in a hurry.
Are the two Megaplugs worth the extra £13 when you can buy three for £10? The Racer weighs about the same and is smaller, so would be a close contender for your money.
Whichever Dynaplug system you choose, you'll likely not be disappointed. At £25, it's a great system for getting you rolling quickly.
Verdict
Simple and fast way to fix a leaking tubeless tyre
If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website
Make and model: Dynaplug Dynaplugger bicycle tubeless repair tool
Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
It's for tubeless people wanting to get rolling again fast.
Dynaplug says:
The DynaPlugger™ is a simple, rugged, rad way to repair your tubeless tire. Just find the puncture, align the tool, push into puncture, pull out and the plug stays in place. Now you're ready to get back to shredding!
Dynaplugger™ is a molded of Glass-Filled Nylon. Even though it weighs only 35 grams, this tool is extremely strong. The push-on silicone end cap can store an extra insertion tube and seals the interior storage compartment.
What's our favorite thing about this kit? We collaborated with our friend NOTCHAS to create its awesome packaging! "This is the first packaging I have ever designed. It's even cooler because it's for a product that I LOVE and carry with me on every ride." - Chas
Limited Lifetime Warranty - Made in USA - PAT 8,707,829 - ONLY FOR USE WITH TUBELESS BICYCLE TIRES
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
From Dynaplug:
General Specifications
Tool Body Construction Glass Filled Nylon Body and Cap / 6061 Aluminum Insert / Silicone End Cap
Dimensions 4.875' x .875'
Weight
35g
Insertion Tube Hardened 303 Stainless Steel
Plug Material Viscoelastic Impregnated Rubber
Plug Tip Nonabrasive Brass/ 6061 Aluminum
Warranty Limited Lifetime
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
9/10
As a tyre sealer, it's great. But could do with storage options.
Rate the product for durability:
9/10
It feels solid in the hand.
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
8/10
Rate the product for value:
6/10
Not cheap, but worth the money.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Worked just fine sealing a large cut.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Speed.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
No Megaplug included. Boo.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
More expensive than the Genuine Innovations solution, but they're different approaches. As the cheapest Dynaplug product, it holds its own against the more expensive models, but storage is missing.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
The lack of any Megaplugs, or a way to store spare plugs, are the only things that let the Dynaplugger down, but only compared to other Dynaplug products that cost/weigh more. Otherwise, it's great.
Age: 47 Height: 183cm Weight: 77kg
I usually ride: Sonder Camino Gravelaxe My best bike is: Nah bro that's it
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: A few times a week I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, general fitness riding, mtb, G-R-A-V-E-L
more than one blamed Mikey for "forcing" drivers to mount the kerb, or "making hundreds of drivers lives hell" while they waited because an...
It really does. I thought it looked bad when I saw the fork, then I noticed the rest of the bike. I think the down tube is the only one that I...
If you want an *actual* review of this POS, pop along here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUcStFN--VA
i got an amazingly fast Argon Gallium Pro from a friend on the very cheap, which is my shiny outside bike. My old Specialized which got me started...
That's the time to sit down with diagrams of traffic flows and the problems associated with trying to pull away from traffic lights whilst pursued...
Since they're not riding bikes, though, I wonder if they also go home and grumble about bl00dy cyclists?
Because of the software, I genuinley don't understand why the things are so popular.
Apologies - I did understand and meant to replace "no data" with "not conclusive" but missed it. I still think that cost - if not irrelevant - is...
There's a very good documentary from 2016 with her at home reminiscing on her travels. It was shown here on RTE (Irish state broadcaster) a few...
Depends how big his feet are I guess