Unwanted Hitchhiker

[darrell]

I’ve never used the type of plugger you used so can’t comment on the system. I use the cheap rope plugs, have plugged many tires for myself (3 rear on the RS alone) and a few others tires never having one fail. I rode with a friend on a trip who had a different system using the all rubber mushroom plug. He picked up a nail. We plugged his tire and 100 miles later it had failed. We plugged again using the ropes I had. Getting back home we pulled his tire to see if we could determine why the failure. In reaming the hole we could feel a steel cord. I believe the steel cord cut the rubber plug off spitting the outer part out as the plug head and a bit of the stem of the rubber plug was loose on the inside of the tire.

When using the rope plugs I clean the hole with reamer. Once in and pull out with no turning as not wanting to remove any rubber, then insert the rope plug, twist the handle 1.5 turns to form a head on the inside of the tire and then yank straight out.

Always a bummer on a brand new tire to pick up a screw/nail. Yours is certainly in a spot where it should present no issues using the full life of that tire.