How To Fix A Flat Tire

Inevitably, while riding your bicycle you will end up with a flat tire soon or later. Unfortunately that’s just part of life but don’t despair - if you follow the helpful tips below you can have your flat tire fixed in no time and be off riding your bicycle again!

Now the first thing to do when you find that your bicycle has a flat tire is to make sure that you have everything you need on hand to repair it. If you’re going on a long trip on your bicycle it may be wise to pack these things with you just in case you have any trouble along the way. To fix a flat tire on your bicycle you’re going to need the following:  a pump, a spare tube to replace the one that has a whole in it, and some tire levers to help you take the tire off.

The first step in fixing a flat tire is of course to identify which tire it is that’s flat (if that isn’t already obvious), and then, if you were riding when you discovered the flat, move off to the side of the road to a safe area where you won’t get squished by any cars or other bicyclists and were you have some space to work.

Next you’ll want to open up your brakes which will make it a lot easier for you to get the wheel out. All you have to do is either use the side pool (which will either be a lever or a button) to release the brake upwards. If you have different types of brakes you may simply have to live the brake cable out of it’s holder or take the little brake component out of it’s holder but remember that if you have disc brakes you can skip this step as the wheel will come out just fine without you making any adjustment. It is possible to fix your flat tire without removing the wheel but it’s a big pain to get the wheel back on after so save yourself the frustration and just open up the brakes in the beginning.

The second step is removing the wheel. This consists of just opening the quick release or loosening the axle nuts and separating the bike from the wheel although you may need to pull the derailleur back slightly on the rear wheels to help it clear the axle as it moves off. While you’re doing this be sure that you aren’t getting any dirt in the chain or drivetrain of your bike and that you aren’t putting pressure on the right side of the bike where the important components are. Also - never force a wheel to move. Figure out why it’s stuck and then free it.

Next you’re going to remove the tire from the wheel - this consists of first removing the valve cap and the nut to release all the air in the tire. It’s important that you be sure that all the air is out of your tire otherwise it can still be pretty tight which makes it difficult to remove the tire. Next you’ll need to insert your tire levers on the opposite end of the valve beneath the tires edge and begin to lift the tire away. You’ll probably have to use more than one lever here and many are made to hold onto the spokes and continue lifting while you pry the tire away in another place. Don’t skimp here and only pull part of the tire off because that can make it more difficult to find whatever it was that caused the flat in the first place.

After you’ve done that you’ll want to take a good look at your tire, find whatever caused the flat, and remove it. If you don’t take care when doing this step you may miss the piece of glass, screw, nail, or whatever it was that caused the flat and leave it in the tire which will just pop the new tube you put in, ruining that one, and causing you to have yet another flat. Go slow on this step to avoid any further complications. It’s best to use a rag or a bit of wet paper tower to clean out the inside of the tire and make sure you don’t have any debris hanging around in there. If the hole in your tire is less than 1/4 of an inch you’ll most likely be ok using it again but any larger than that and you’ll need to do some rudimentary patching before you can fix the flat and you’ll need to replace the wheel as soon as possible. Watch out for the rim too when doing this as it can move which can reveal the sharp spoke holes which can puncture the tube as well. Make sure the rim hasn’t moved at all.

The next step is to install the new tube and replace the tire. You first need to inflate the tube just enough that it will round out and wont have any wrinkles but not enough that you have to fight and force it to stay around the wheel. At this point you’ll be ready to stand the wheel up and hold the tire/tube over the wheel with the valve on top. Next you want to put the valve jut partway into the hole while you push the part of the tire that’s at the valve onto the rim and then, moving down and away from the valve, finish working the bottom tire bead onto the wheel all the way around. If it won’t go on be sure that the valve is inside the tire and not trapped beneath the tire bead. Once you have the bead in place tuck the tube all the way inside the tire until the tire begins to resist (usually once you have just a few inches left). At this point let all the air out and work the stubborn part of the tire on the rim inch by inch until it’s fully installed.

Once you’re done there you can inflate the tire by placing your pump on the valve. Inflate the tire just until it’s firm but not fully inflated as you now need to check to make sure that the tire is “seated” correctly which means making sure that it’s sitting on the rim the right way. If the tube is caught between a bead then inflating the tire could blow the tire off the rim and ruin it so be careful here. Once you know that your tire is seated as it should be then you can inflate the tire the rest of the way, reinstall your wheel, close up your brakes and head back out on the road!

Changing a flat doesn't have to be difficult or time consuming and with a little bit of practice you’ll do just fine and soon you’ll be able to repair a flat in no time at all.