fixing a flat tire on your bike
fixing a flat tire on your bike
there's
nothing difficult about fixing a flat tire on your bike. yet many riders,
especially in urban areas, turn over this simple repair to a bike shop. print
out this page -- and gain a new level of biking independence.
fixing a flat
this
page is sponsored by alyson adventures, which offers
bike trips in several locations around the world for gay men, lesbians, and
friends.
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interest:
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other gay holiday
destinations
the best way to learn to fix a flat tire on
your bike is by doing it with verbal assistance from someone with experience.
but it's a simple process, and can be learned by anyone who spends time on a
bicycle simply by doing it.
because we've tried to explain
each step in detail, taking into account variations that may occur, the
process as described below may seem long. after you've done it a few times,
you'll change a flat tire almost as fast as you can read this description.
ask our guide to arrange a group lesson some evening if you’re interested.
practice before your next ride,
if you can. or just print out these instructions and take them with you,
along with tire irons (usually made of plastic), a pump, and a spare tube or
patch kit.
1. prep the bike.
disconnect the brake; the brake
pads may prevent the tire (when it’s inflated) from passing through. squeeze
the brake pads together, then slip out the wire that has a knob at the end,
so that the brakes can open fully. (if it's difficult to get the brake wire
disconnected, you can skip this step. in that case, you may need to empty air
from the tire before you re-mount it, if the inflated tube is too fat to go
through the brakes.)
it’s easiest to change a flat
when the bike is upside down, or with someone holding it up.
if your flat is on the back tire,
also put the chain on the smallest gears, both front and back, to reduce
tension on the chain. (remember that you should only change gears while
pedaling. in this situation, you can shift one gear at a time, raise the back
tire and rotate the pedals forward until the change moves over, and continue,
gear by gear, till you're done.)
2. remove the tire. open the quick
release lever. (if your bike doesn't have quick-release tires, you'll need a
wrench to turn the nuts that hold it in place.) if necessary, also loosen the
thumb nut on the other side from the quick release, so the wheel will come
off. front tires come off easily.
back tires are slightly trickier,
but there's no need to get your hands greasy. note the two small gears in the
derailleur that the chain passes through. push the one that's toward the back
of the bike towards the front, and the other one toward the back, so that
they roughly form a line from the wheel hub. (you'll be making the chain
follow a straight line, rather than an "s" shape.) before
removing the back tire, mentally note how it sits in relationship to the back
derailleur gears. now lift the wheel out. (if you were not able to turn
the bike upside-down, do not rest it on the bare derailleur; lay in on its
left side.)
3. remove the tire from the rim.
start opposite the valve. slip the cupped end of one tire iron between the
metal rim and the tire. catch the lip of the tire, then lever down, pulling
the tire out of the rim. try not to pinch the tube inside as you do this
(easier said than done, since you can’t see what’s happening inside.) hold
this tire iron in place by hand, or use the hook at the other end to attach
it to a spoke. now repeat the process about two spokes over to the right, and
again two spokes to the left. this should loosen the tire enough that you can
remove it by hand. make a note of which part of the tire was at the valve,
before removing it entirely, to help you find the source of the problem..
4. look for the source of the problem.
run a finger all through the inside of the tire, trying to find what caused
the leak. often you won’t find anything, but if you do, remove it. (you can
also try to locate the hole in the tube. the distance between the hole and
valve will tell you where to look in the tire. you did note which part of the
tire was at the valve, didn't you?)
5. patch the tube. (or pull out your
spare.) to patch a tube, first find the hole. put some air in the tube then
listen or feel for the leak. (you’ll most readily feel it against your face.)
be sure the tube is clean, roughen it with sandpaper in the patch kit, then
brush on a thin layer of rubber cement. let it dry 5 minutes, then peel the
foil backing from a patch, and press it firmly in place. inflate the tube to
be sure it’s fixed.
6. slightly inflate the tube. whether
using a new or patched tube, you want just enough air in it to give the tube
shape, but not enough to make it bigger than the tire. put one edge of the
tire back on the wheel.
7. insert tube inside the tire. put
the tube inside the tire, working from the side of the tire that hangs over
the rim. start by pulling the valve through the hole, then work evenly from
both sides of the valve. be sure the valve is always coming straight through
the hole, not at an angle. continue around, working the tube in so that it’s
completely inside the tire, and so that all of the tube is between the metal
rims of the wheel. you should end up with the tube fully inside the tire. one
side of the tire will be inside the rim, the other side will be just hanging
over the rim.
8. reseat the tire within the rim.
start at the valve again, and push the loose edge of the tire down inside the
rim. work evenly from both sides of the valve, again watching that the valve
doesn’t get crooked. as you finish (opposite the valve), it will get harder.
continue until the tire is fully inside the rim, and seems equally seated all
the way around. do this by hand; using the tire irons could pinch the tube
and create a new leak.
9. work out any kinks. pump a little
more air into the tube, then work your way round the tire, kneading it a bit,
peeking inside if possible to be sure the tube isn't pinched anywhere. your
goal is to work out any twists or kinks that might have developed in the
tube, which would lead to another flat.
10. inflate. fully inflate the tire,
and pause to be sure it’s fixed.
11. put the tire back on the bike. for
a back tire, twist back the derailleur, as you did when removing the wheel.
be sure the axle is all the way back in the slot.
12. tighten. tighten the thumb nut, if
you loosened it when removing the wheel. then tighten the quick release
lever. it should be quite snug when it’s parallel to the bike. spin the wheel
to see that it moves smoothly and evenly.
13. reconnect the brake. check for
rubbing. if the brake or frame rubs the tire, chances are the axle is not
fully seated and all the way back. you don’t need to remove the wheel to do
this; just loosen the quick release lever and try again.
if you put the chain onto the
smallest gears (to fix a back tire), you don't want to bike like that. put it
into the middle gears.
congratulations!
you never again need to
worry that a flat tire will ruin a day of biking.
join a lively gay and
lesbian group for an exciting biking vacation.
our home page gives a full list of the
trips we offer.
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