Learning How To Change A Tyre....

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Peter Armstrong

Über Member
Weird, All my bike skills were lernt as a child. Used to love turning the bike upside down and giving an M.O.T on the street.
Everyone did it.
 

Mo1959

Legendary Member
I am terrible for often going out without anything. Will get caught out one of these days. Think that's why I like flat pedals and trainers......at least I can walk a decent distance.

Really must get stocked up on spare tubes and get some practice in. At one point on my ride this morning I was about 12 miles from home.......a bit too far to walk :ohmy:
 

Peter Armstrong

Über Member
I am terrible for often going out without anything. Will get caught out one of these days. Think that's why I like flat pedals and trainers......at least I can walk a decent distance.

Really must get stocked up on spare tubes and get some practice in. At one point on my ride this morning I was about 12 miles from home.......a bit too far to walk :ohmy:


Some people go out on here with a full kit of tools, like a serious amount of gear, almost could survive a nuclear war. I go out with just a spare inner tube; small puncture repair kit and them little plastic things that help you get the tire on and off. I think that’s the bare minimum really.
 
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DeepBurn

DeepBurn

Über Member
Location
Scarborough
Weird, All my bike skills were lernt as a child. Used to love turning the bike upside down and giving an M.O.T on the street.
Everyone did it.

I used to do that too, but any knowledge I did have, has now vacated my head.

That said, from what I remember I used to turn it upside down clean it and fanny on with the brakes to make them tighter, which would invariably knack them and my dad would have to sort them out!!!
 

Peter Armstrong

Über Member
I used to do that too, but any knowledge I did have, has now vacated my head.

That said, from what I remember I used to turn it upside down clean it and fanny on with the brakes to make them tighter, which would invariably knack them and my dad would have to sort them out!!!

Followed by sticking a plastic vimpto carton between the frame and wheel..........
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
Couple of tips - talc the tube - stops it sticking. Try and put the tyre on as far as possible with your hands/thumbs only (depends upon tyre). Once fitted, check you haven't pinched the tube under the tyre bead - if it happens it's usually the last most difficult part of fitting the tyre back on - just squeeze the tyre and look into the rim to see if it's been caught.

Plenty of video's on line.

Another tip - rear wheel, put the chain on either the smallers or next smallest sprocket. This just makes it easier getting the wheel in out. Also pull the rear mech backwards as you remove/ refit.

Once practiced, you'll be changing tubes and refitting in less than 10 minutes - 5 if you rush !
 
This (extract from a longer article) might be of interest...

Mending punctures. (There are too many variables in bikes, gear systems and brakes to give a full set of instructions here but) ...In essence there are three separate skills required for the job of mending a puncture;

1. Removing and replacing the wheel.
2. Removing and replacing the tyre and tube.
3. Patching the tube.

Four separate skills if you include unhooking and reattching the brakes.

Five separate skills if there's a chaincase involved...

Learn these skills separately in easy to digest, bite-sized chunks and you'll have them for life. The #1 tip? Always, always find the splinter, sharp, shard or nail that caused the puncture. Because if you don't remove it it'll go straight through your new tube too.

Avoiding punctures. Luckily modern technology is here to save us from the character building indignity of sitting at the side of a road patching a tube. In the dark. In the pouring rain. The first line of defense is the modern puncture resistant tyre. Nearly every manufacturer makes one to fit your bike. There are no performance negatives except initial cost, they are a bit dearer. Under the tread is a tough layer of urethane or Kevlar which prevents foreign bodies penetrating your tyre. Some manufacturers have so much confidence in their tyres that they offer a money back guarantee against punctures.
For the belt and braces approach, install some tube sealant inside your tubes (or you can buy tubes with sealant already inside). If a sharp object does get through the tyre the sealant instantly fills the hole, preventing any air loss (and the long walk home). There is a slight weight penalty, only you can decide if it's a price worth paying. Perfect for a hub-geared city bike, perhaps not for a skinny tyred racer with quick-release wheels.
 
Location
Pontefract
Some people go out on here with a full kit of tools, like a serious amount of gear, almost could survive a nuclear war. I go out with just a spare inner tube; small puncture repair kit and them little plastic things that help you get the tire on and off. I think that’s the bare minimum really.
Thats me, strip the whole bike down and rebuild it (well just about), mind the extra weight helps improve stamina I suppose.
 

RWright

Guru
Location
North Carolina
I had another flat today on a different bike, unreal. I was about a mile out. A small piece of wire in the rear. It took me several tries feeling around the inside of the tire to find it. I had a "good tube" and fixed it promptly but only did a mile and half and came home. I am too snake bit to take a chance any further from home without another tube with me. It is about perfect riding weather around here now too.:angry:
 

Pat "5mph"

A kilogrammicaly challenged woman
Moderator
Location
Glasgow
Months ago I had put sealant (slime) in my tyres, as Mickle suggested on his site.
Was not trusting it, though :rolleyes: so I still carried the usual, spare tube, tools, pump.
For a long time, nothing. Then I got a semi-flat due to a tiny bit of gravel 5 miles from home.
I say semi-flat, because I pumped it up, the air stayed in: when I got home I realized the cause of the puncture was still in the tyre. Slime works, now I only carry a pump and an allen key.
 
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