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Don’t feel bad if you’re afraid of getting a flat tire on your bike. Even experienced
cyclists feel this way. They have the tools and know how to deal with popped tires,
but they still ride the way you probably do, hoping it doesn’t happen, getting anxious
at the sight of glass, suffering that desperate feeling when it seems like a tire
might be going soft.
It shouldn’t be this way because if you’re riding afraid, you’re probably not enjoying
yourself. I hope to remedy these problems with this guide to flat tire repair. I’ll
show you the basic procedure and point you toward an awesome new tool that fits in
your take-along tool kit and that makes tire removal and installation as easy as
tucking in a bed sheet.
Tools You’ll Need
- Seat bag: a small bag that attaches beneath the seat that you can stuff
your tools and parts into; cost about $15.
- Spare tube: bring your bike to the shop, so you get the right size and
valve type; about $6.
- Tire levers or a Crank Brothers Speed Lever: $5 and $8 respectively; these
tools assist in removing the tire, and in the case of the Speed Lever, in installing
the tire too.
- Patch kit: in the unlikely event that you have two flats on the same ride,
a patch kit allows you to fix the punctured tube; about $3.
- Tire boots: 1- x 1- or 2- x 2-inch denim or canvas squares that can be
placed inside the tire in the event of a large tire cut. The boot will keep the tube
from bulging out of the hole so you can pedal home.
How to Fix that Flat
- Step 1: Make It Easy to Remove the Wheel:
What you do: Shift onto the smallest cog and open the brake so the tire can
pass through.
How to do it: Getting the front wheel off is easy. Trouble is, Murphy’s law
says that it’s always the rear that gets popped. No worries. Here are two secrets
that help: Shift onto the smallest sprocket on the rear wheel. Also, open the brake
to provide clearance for the tire to fit past the brake shoes as you remove the wheel.
How you do this depends on the bike. On most mountain bikes, you simply squeeze the
brake arms together so that the pads are against the rim. This creates cable slack,
which allows you to use your other hand to release the cable from its holder. When
you let go of the brake, it’ll open wide. On road bikes, the tire may fit through
fine without opening the brake. If you need to open it, look for a small lever on the
brake near the end of the cable. Swivel this lever upward, and the brake will widen.
No lever? Look for a button on the brake lever that’s pushed to open the brake.
- Step 2: Remove the Wheel
What you do: Lift the bike with your hand, push down on the wheel and shake
the chain off the sprocket.
How to do it: Open the quick-release lever that’s holding the wheel in the
frame. Next, grip the seat with one hand and lift the back of the bike. Gravity
should cause the wheel to drop. If not, give the wheel a good rap with your hand and
it should drop down and almost out. If it hangs up on the chain, don’t touch those
filthy links! Instead grab the wheel and wiggle it around or shake it to get the
chain to fall off the sprockets. Then remove the wheel and lay the bike on its left
side (to keep the chain out of the dirt).
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Terrific Tire Tool |
One of the neatest new tools to come along in years is Crank Brothers’ Speed
Lever, a tire lever that removes bicycle rubber the same way car tire removal
and installing machines do the job. But unlike those garage apparatuses, the
Speed Lever is so small and light and cheap anyone can afford it, carry it and
benefit from it.
The Speed Lever is used pretty much like any tire lever so follow the step-by-step
instructions below. But when it’s time to whip out your Speed Lever, the fun
begins: This trick tool telescopes to three times its initial length. For tire
removal, start with it closed, slip its tip beneath the tire bead and then
extend the Speed Lever and click its end onto the axle. In this position, you
can now hold the head of the tool (by the tire) and slowly swing the lever 360
degrees, which will gently work the tire bead off of the rim (be sure to let
all the air out and work the tire beads to the rim’s center first).
That’s cool. But even better is that you use the same technique to install the
tire, only this time, the tip of the tool is clipped onto the rim differently.
As you swing the tool around, it’ll pop the tire in place.
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- Step 3: Remove the Tire and Tube
What you do: Let all the air out of the tire, slip tire levers or the Speed
Lever (see sidebar) beneath the tire’s edge and work off the tire one side at a time.
How to do it: It’s easiest to get a tire off and on if you can get the edges
(called “beads”) of the tire to sit in the center of the rim first. Do this by
working your hands around the wheel and squeezing the tire to push its edges off the
rim’s sides and into its center. That will create a bit of slack, which eases tire
removal. Next, place a tire lever beneath the edge of the tire at a section directly
across the wheel from the valve stem. Hold it there and place another about four
inches away. You should now be able to slide a lever around the rim to work off one
side of the tire. When it’s off, reach inside and pull out the tube freeing its valve
from the rim to get the last part out. To get the tire off the wheel, make sure it’s
in the center of the rim and pull straight up, then roll it over the side of the rim
by hand. Or, use your tire levers if you feel you need them.
- Step 4: Inspect the Tire
What you do: Determine if that piece of glass or whatever is still in the tire
and get it out!
How to do it: Slide your glove or a rag around inside the tire in both
directions and see if it snags on anything. Yes? Find the little nasty and poke or
pull it out of the tire. No? Look carefully at the tire to see if you can find any
glass or wire or debris in the tread that could have caused the puncture. If not, it
probably fell out already.
- Step 5: Partially Install the Tire and Tube
What you do: Put a little air in the tube, put it inside the tire and put the tire and tube onto the wheel.
How to do it: Put just enough air in your spare tube to round it out and place
the tube inside the tire. With the wheel resting against your shins, valve hole on
top, place the part of the tire/tube combo with the valve stem onto the rim. Work the
bead closest to you onto the rim and insert the valve part way into the valve hole.
Now, push down against the ground as you move your hands in opposite directions down
around the wheel to work the rest of that bottom bead onto the rim.
Lift the wheel off the ground when you get to the last section so you can pop it on.
Now, go around and tuck in the tube so that it’s fully inside the tire and on top of
the rim all the way around. Start installing the second tire bead at the valve stem
by popping it onto the rim there (you may need to push up on the valve). Rest the
wheel on the ground and push down and around again as you did before to push the bead
onto the rim.
- Step 6: Finish Tire Installation
What you do: Let all the air out of the tube and finesse the last portion of
the tire bead into place on the rim.
How to do it: When you get towards the bottom of the wheel, it will begin to
get difficult to install the tire. Don’t panic. Let all the air out of the tube. Go
around with your hands and squeeze the tire to move the tire beads into the center of
the rim. Push up on the valve stem to make sure it’s not stuck beneath the tire beads.
Now pick up the wheel so the tough section is up facing you. Bend down and rest the
rim on your knee, so you can push against it. Now, hold one edge of the bead in place
with your weaker hand while you roll on the final portion of the tire with the heel
of your strong hand. Don’t try to pop the entire section on in one move. Instead,
work it on slowly about one inch at a time. With luck and a little practice, you’ll
be able to pop it in place. Or, you can purchase a Speed Lever (see sidebar), which
can be used to install the tire.
- Step 7: Inflation
What you do: Pump it to the proper pressure and make sure the tire is sitting
properly on the rim.
How to do it: Install the pump on the valve and inflate the tire until it’s
somewhat hard. If you’re using a frame pump, always brace the valve when pumping by
wrapping your thumb over the tire and a finger around the spoke. This will prevent
accidentally breaking the valve while pumping.
Once you’ve got some air in the tire, remove the pump and spin the wheel watching the
tire for blips or dips or any signs that the tire is not correctly sitting on the
rim. If there are any imperfections, fix them. If the tube is visible beneath the
tire edge, get it out by letting all the air out and carefully poking the tube up
into the tire with a tire lever. If the tire dips, pull it up and out by hand. When
the tire looks right, inflate again. Don’t inflate fully until the tire sits
perfectly on the rim. Now you can reinstall the wheel and finish your ride.
Patching a Tube
If your spare holds no air, you’ll need to patch to keep riding. Here’s how: Note that
this is for regular patches not “glueless” patches (which we don’t recommend).
- Find the hole in the tube by pumping it up and listening for the hissing sound or
dunking the tube in water and looking for the bubbles.
- Mark the hole by tearing it slightly larger.
- Use the sandpaper or scuffer in the patch kit to rough up the spot with the hole.
Brush off the rubber dust you make with your hand.
- Apply a thin layer of glue in a spot slightly larger than the patch you plan to
use.
- Wait five minutes for the glue to dry.
- Hold the patch by the cellophane and peel off the foil.
- Apply the patch to the tube (don’t miss the hole).
- Put the tube against something rigid (a knee works) and knead it onto the tube by
rolling the end of your pump on it. Or just press all around the patch with your thumb.
Leave the cellophane in place.
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Tire Tips and Tricks
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- Tire installation and removal is easiest if the tube is slightly smaller than the
tire. Get a 26 x 1.5 tube for a 2.0 tire or a 700 x 20c tube for a 23c tire.
- Using a thin rim strip will decrease the rim’s center diameter, which will help
create slack when putting on and taking off the tire.
- Inspect tires regularly for wear. Road rubber is shot when you can begin to
see the casing thread through the tread. And when the sidewalls crack or blister.
Ditto for mountain bike tire sidewalls. Mountain bike tread usually lasts a long
time. Replace when it approaches being bald or if the knobs have worn so much you
lose control or traction.
- Most people inflate road tires too soft and mountain bike tires too hard. Pressure
ratings are written on the tire sidewalls. A good ballpark range is 100 to 120 psi
for road and 34 to 45 psi for knobbies used off road and 45 to 60 if used on road.
- If you locate your tube valve stem right at the label on the tire, you’ll have
a reference when you’re searching for glass in the tire after a flat. Also, the
pressure is usually on the label so it’ll make it easier to remember what air
pressure to put in when you’re pumping.
- Check your tires when you stop on rides for pieces of glass and shards of rock
that get embedded in the tread. Dig them out and you’ll prevent a flat.
- You can patch tubes many times. A properly applied patch is more durable than
the original tube.
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