In this, the first installment, of Technical Tuesdays, we'll cover one of the most common mechanicals: the dreaded flat tire! Inside you'll find step by step instructions and a
How-To video to guide you through this 'must know' fix!
Read On...Being able to fix a flat tire, whether it's while you're out on the trail or back at home, is a mandatory piece of bike knowledge. While a lot of readers out there no doubt already know how to go about replacing their tube, those who are new to the sport or have not yet been forced to learn how may not be so adept at it. We're going to keep it simple for this first installment of Technical Tuesdays and show you how to repair your flat. If you haven't had a flat yet and don't think you need to know how, your time is coming!
Watch the video to learn how to easily change a flat tire
Step By Step Flat Tire Instructions Tools needed: Tire levers (
do not use screwdrivers please) and a
pump Tire levers, pump, and a new tube ready for action
Flat tires have to be one of the most common mechanical problems faced by mountain bikers. Nothing kills the day's flow more than popping a tube halfway through a ride, it's just a bummer all around. While fixing a flat is a pretty simple job that should only take a few minutes with practice, it's something that a surprising number of riders struggle with. Even if you already know what to do (
besides call your mom to come get you), there are a few tricks that can make the job quicker and easier. These instructions assume that you've already removed the offending wheel from the bike, and while we're using a standard tire and tube setup, many of these steps still apply if you manage to flat your tubeless setup and simply want to put a tube in to get you out of the bush.
There can be a number of reasons why you no longer have any air in your tube. One of the most common is surely the dreaded pinch flat. A pinch flat is as it sounds, the tube was pinched between the rim sidewalls and the tire hard enough to cut it. The more air pressure you run, the less chance you have of pinch flatting, but you will have less traction at higher pressures. The other common flat tire culprit would be some sort of foreign object. Picture thorns, glass, sharp rocks and you'll get the idea. It is important to figure out why you flatted so that it doesn't happen again due to the same cause.
1. Start by removing the wheel from the bike and letting out any remaining air. This will make unseating the tire bead much easier.
2. When fixing a flat, unless the tire is damaged there is no reason to completely remove it from the wheel. You only need to remove one side of the tire in order to replace the tube. Some tire and rim combos have quite a tight fit which can make starting with a tire lever difficult. To make it easier, start by squeezing the tire bead into the center of the rim all the way around the wheel. This will make getting the tire lever under the bead much simpler.
First lever installed and hooked onto a spoke, freeing up both hands
3. Line up the tire lever with a spoke that comes from the same side of the wheel that you are working on. Hook the spoon end of the lever under the bead and pry it up and over the rim wall, hooking the opposite end of the lever to the closest spoke. You should now be able to let go of the lever and have it be held in place by the spoke and tire bead, giving you two free hands to repeat the process a few inches to the left or right. The key here is not to get greedy and try to pry too much of the tire bead off at one go. Some tires will only require one lever to remove, but some may need two or even three. When putting in multiple levers, start within an inch or two of the lever that is already in place, otherwise it will be very difficult to get the new lever under the bead.
Start the second lever close to the first. If it's too far away you'll have a hard time getting under the bead
4. Once a good portion of the tire bead is up and over the rim wall you should be able to slide one lever completely around the wheel and have one entire side of the tire up and over the rim all the way around. Now you can pull out the punctured tube, but be sure to keep the tube in the same relation to the tire as you remove it. Likewise, make sure that the tire does not rotate on the rim as you're removing the tube. If you're not sure what caused the flat and are worried about a piece of glass or thorn that may still be stuck in the tire waiting to put a hole in the new tube, lining up the hole in the tube with the tire will tell you where you should check.
You only need to remove one side of the tire's bead
5. You should always take the time to figure out what has caused your flat tire. Some pinch flats are obvious, but others can be a bit of a mystery. Locate the hole on the tube by putting some air into it and holding it close to your face so that you can feel or hear the leak. A pinch flat will usually look like two parallel slits across from one another and running lengthwise on the tube, although sometimes there will only be a single cut. If there is a single small hole then it was most likely caused by something that was ran over on the trail like a thorn or sharp stone. If so, you'll need to make sure that is not still stuck in your tire's casing. Run your palm up and over the inside of the casing slowly, being careful not to cut yourself if you drag your hand over something sharp. Remove whatever you find.
Use your hand to check the inside of the tire for foreign objects - be careful!
6. Once you're happy that you've found the cause, it's time to install a new tube. Before you put it in be sure to put a few pumps of air in to the new tube so that it takes shape. This will help keep it from being pinched by the rim, tire bead, or tire lever, when you finish it off. Start by putting the valve through the rim's valve hole and then screwing on the valve cap. Doing this keeps the valve from pulling back out of the rim as you work the tire on. Once the tube is all the way on it is time to reinstall the tire bead. Place the wheel upright on the floor in front of your feet with the valve stem in the highest position and the uninstalled bead facing out. Starting at the valve stem use both hands working away from the valve in opposite directions to push the bead up and over the rim. At the point opposite to where you started you may end up with a 6" section that is too tight to push over the rim's sidewall.
Reinstalling the tire bead
7. This is the important part that will let you finish installing your tire without having to resort to using levers, which can easily puncture your new tube. While still holding the wheel on the floor, start opposite the remaining tight section and squeeze the bead together towards the center of the rim. What you are doing is forcing the bead into the rim's middle section where the total circumference is slightly smaller than out at the sidewall, therefore making the tire a looser fit on the rim. It may take a few tries, but you should be able to push the last tight bit of tire bead up and over the rim wall with a few strong pushes of your thumb. Once that is done you need to make sure that the new tube is not trapped between the tire bead and rim. If it is you'll be rewarded with a loud bang as it explodes at the trapped section once you pump it up. Before you put any air into it squeeze both sides of the tire together and visually check to be sure you can see any part of the tube that may have got caught during installation. Pay special attention to the thicker rubber near the tube's valve stem. Once you're satisfied that you've done it right pump it back up and you're all done!
Check to be sure that no part of the tube has been pinched between the tire and rim
Watch for Technical Tuesdays every week. Down the road we'll be covering nearly everything and anything bicycle repair related, but if there are specific jobs that you'd like to see us tackle be sure to post them below. Was this tutorial helpful for you? If you have any hints or tricks for those who may be struggling with this repair job, share them below!
that said, it's fairly straightforward, but this is the first in a series so why jump to the more advanced stuff? chances are, if you don't know how to change a flat, you'll be miles over your head trying to work on your suspension or the inner workings of your hub. and given that this is the first in a series, that stuff will probably be covered in future installments.
and I think £8-10 is probably still a better estimate for DH tubes... If your really do cost £14 have you considered trying to buy them in bulk (5s or 10s) on the internet as usually you can make a fairly decent saving that way! And plus when you have 10 spare tubes its almost a guarantee that you won't get a puncture for 6 months
I do however see you point that for most riders repairing each tube at least once can save you a lot of money over time! My usual tactic is to replace the tube on the trail and then repair the old one from the comfort of my own home as not to waste any riding time... Then the repaired tube goes back in the Van/Camelback
Clearly you've not spoken to the same users I have
Other things like wheel building, for example, has money on the line; rim, spokes, hub, nipple... That is something anyone would need guidance, but replacing a rubber skin?
Back in my XC daze we use to change flats in under a minute with a quick fill co2 thing.
With some tire/rim combos you need big metal tire levers to get the last bit of bead to snap over the rim.
Stans No Tubes for me. No flats in over 4 years using the stuff.
a) Not everybody has a $2k bike on here
b) (1/2) The people without $2k bikes seem to think that you can get one by swapping a $100 BMX and a PS2, so they probably need instructions to put on there shoes in the morning, never mind do something like change a tube! They're going to struggle though, there's no instructions for the pump!
while i agree about the whole BMX thing (LOL), I still believe that if you DONT know how to change a flat tire on your own bike....you have absolutely NO EFFIN BUSINESS riding a bike or being on a website like this....
its the equivalent of not knowing how to wipe your own arse....
granted, it's the riders responsibility to learn these things, but what is the problem with giving them more resources to do so? i don't understand why people are offended by this.
its really surprising / worrying, how many people do not understand how to resolve a flat tire - especially the younger riders!! (this worries me, as it shows that the bike scene is not teaching new riders basic maintenance skills)
I will have a customer come into the shop, riding a £2,000 full suspension bike, and he does not know how to fix a puncture
its the same problem, as a motorist not knowing how to check the oil levels, or tire pressures on their automobile (car for UK readers..)
this article is actually long overdue, and will help save riders time and money!!
I'm sure there are more "technical" articles due to come in this series
a word to anyone saying this article is dumb, don't assume other riders actually have this knowledge! all knowledge is good / useful!!
PUSH THE TYRE INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE RIM IT WILL COME OFF WAY WAY WAAAAY EASIER. those who don't do it will be surprised how sturdy tyres can come off without the use lever (depending on the rim)
shoulda shown dh tire / dh rim, or tubeless repair / tubeless to using road tube, ect?
and metal levers! (w/out bending rim or ripping tire beads ha)
That's right, you can actually catch AIDS from changing an innertube!!!
i can do 2.3 kenda krads on a rhyno lite rim with a regular 1.9-2.25 tube in about 5 minutes or less with a single tire lever from punctured flat to fully inflated with a floor pump to 70 psi
In the downhill world, changing a flat can be way more pain. When you have, let's say a mavic 729, a 300 grams downhill tube and a 2 ply DH casing 2.5 tires, there is no way you can do that with your hands, or even with some cheap plastic tires levers. (At least I can't)
That'd be interesting to see an article with a burly setup, unlike this xc wheel, xc tube and folding (I guess) single ply tire.
However, this is good to see articles like this, and I hope there will be more!
although it is basic, many do not know how to do it.
more importantly, many do not ask because it is so basic - embarrassed?
either way, keep it up.
1. Article says "lining up the hole in the tube with the tire will tell you where you should check." I do this for my own tyres by lining up the dot in 'maxxis.com' with the valve. This way if I can find the puncture but not the hole, and vice versa, I know roughly where to look.
2. I always wear my 5.10s when wrenching. At about 15-20psi of inflation, wherever I see the bead is not seated properly, I put that part of the tire on the ground with the unseated bead uppermost, put my shoe on the side knobs and lever the wheel towards the ground, this pulls the bead outwards and helps the tire seat. This way you don't have to over-inflate the tire to seat the bead.
also another pain in the ass, untangling bike chains when you dont have a tool :p
I remember once seeing a huge bubble come out of the sidewall and I just yell out "Block your ears!!" and I'm running away from the wheel. We all watched as the bubble got bigger and bigger and gradually pushed the bead off half the rim, and in dooing so released some of the pressure in the tube. These days I'm a lot more careful to check the bead at all stages of inflation.
If you want to know how to do it properly then watch the video below:
www.notubes.com/movieztr.php
It's been many years of tube changing for me since we have 3 bikes (mine, wife's and daughter) and still learned a couple of tricks here.
Thanks again and keep them coming.
this is the most basic thing any bicycle rider should know. a how to video is just silly. a better video would have been to show how to install a DH tire easily
i might do an instructional video on how to spell tyre
I spent three years in the USA having to use American spelling in my communications. Their spelling is more phonetic and often ignores the etymology. Note the following examples with American spelling first:
Tire / Tyre
Specalized / Specialised (talking the word, not the brand)
Theater / Theatre
Color / Colour
Douchebag / Wanker
I pick the spelling depending on my audience.
Nice tutorial, but come on... waste of time. Tons of them already out there for the beginners.
And i really hope the guy is not actually running all the time a tube with that combo (LUST/UST RIM), i got like 20+ holes in my rear 2.35 HR LUST at the moment, "thank god" for sealant.
And there maybe another point to this tutorial (I'm just guessing) but Mike Levy (the author) may have wanted some practice at writing tutorials and "technical" maintenance guides/articles as this is a new feature to the website, before going into something like hub or fork servicing! Any discrepancies or ambiguity will be negligible for changing a tube but vital for bleeding brakes!
1. Peel off your patch.
2. Stick it where the punture is.
3. Your happy to go now.