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A flat bike tire is bad news, but luckily, fixing a flat is simple. Just follow our easy,
step-by-step process, and you'll be back on the road in no time! All you'll need to change
that flat is a replacement tube or a patch kit, and two tire levers.
The first step is to remove the wheel with the flat tire. If it's the rear wheel, shift
your bike into the smallest cog in the back; this will make it easier on you.
To start, open the brake, which will allow the wheel to come out freely. Now flip your
bike over, undo the quick release, and remove the wheel. Again, if you're working with the
rear wheel, pull the derailleur back with your hand to make removal easier.
At this point in the process, grab those tire levers. We recommend using tire levels over
other tools because they're less likely to damage the replacement tube when putting the
tire back on after you repair it. For our next step, let any remaining air out
of the damaged tube. Once the tube is empty, use one of your tire levers to get under the
bead of the tire. Move a couple inches to either side, then use your second tire lever
to lift the bead of the tire over the rim. Slide the second tire lever until one side
of the tire is completely off.
Now that we've taken the tire off, we're going to remove the tube to check for damage and
see if we can find the debris that caused the flat. A tip before we get started: The
valve stem is easier to remove if you bend the tire back as you lift up on it.
For this step, you'll inflate the damaged tube, then look and listen for where the hole
is. Once you've spotted the hole, use the valve stem for reference to begin checking
the tire and make sure you've removed whatever caused the flat in the first place.
After that, carefully double check that the tire is free of any other potential problems
by running your hand along the inside of the tire.
We're now ready to replace the damaged tube with a good one!
Begin by unraveling the tube....this is the fun part! Put air in the tube until it begins
to take shape. Put the valve stem in first, then use your hand to insert the rest of the
tube into the tire. Next, use your hands to roll the bead of the
tire back over the rim. Most of the time, this can be accomplished simply by using your
hands, but you can also use those tire levers if you're working with an especially tricky
tire. With the tire back over the rim, fill the
tire to the recommended pressure and ensure that the bead of the tire stays properly seated
on the rim. Now it's just a matter of putting in the work to get the tire up to the correct
pressure; we're almost done!
The fourth and final step involves replacing the wheel. To accomplish this, first line
the wheel up with the dropouts on the bike. Lift one piece of the chain over the gears,
and pull the derailleur back until the wheel slides into the dropouts on the bike. Make
sure that the wheel is all the way in the dropouts before tightening the quick release
skewer. Close the lever on the quick-release mechanism, flip the bike over, and reconnect
the brakes. Make sure the wheel is centered and the brakes are working properly, and there
you have it! Your tire is fixed and you're ready to get back on the road.