Any bicyclist will experience a flat tire at some point during their journey. While it is inconvenient, a flat bicycle tire does not have to be the end of your ride or the source of your day’s frustration. If done correctly and with the proper tools, repairing a flat bicycle tire can be very simple.
However, before you start, you’ll need to get some plastic tire levers from your local bike shop. Because it is your bicycle tube, not the tire, that is flat, these levers will allow you to pry the tire away from the rim. This repair should not be done with a screwdriver! A screwdriver can cause future flats by nicking your rim, or it can tear the tire and tube as you install them.
Put your tire levers aside once you’ve purchased them and figure out how to remove your wheel from your bicycle. A wheel can be fastened to your bike in one of two ways: with two bolts requiring a fifteen millimeter wrench, or with a “quick-release” lever requiring you to simply flip the lever down and turn until the wheel loosens. Remove the wheel from the frame and determine which system your bike uses.
It’s time to change the flat bicycle tire by removing the old, punctured bicycle tube after you’ve removed your wheel from the bicycle. It’s at this point that your tire levers come in handy. Tire levers are typically sold in pairs or threes and resemble plastic screwdriver blades. The lever’s one end is curved like a spoon, while the other end has a hook on it. Work the spoon end of the first lever between the tire’s bead — the hard part of the tire that sits closest to the rim — and the rim itself. Then press the lever down. The tire’s bead will be pulled away from the rim as a result of this.
At this point, try pulling the lever around the rim in either direction to separate the tire from the rim. Some tires are easy to remove, while others are more difficult. If your tire is stubborn, pry the first lever back and hook it to the spokes with the hook end of the lever. Then, about five to six inches away from the first lever, take another tire lever and repeat the process. The tire should now be pulling away from the rim.
Note the position of the tube inside the tire once one side of the tire has been pulled away from the rim. This will help you figure out what caused the flat bicycle tire — if the puncture was caused by a foreign object, keeping track of the tube’s location will help you locate the object and, if it’s lodged inside the tire, pull it out. Remove the tube. To clear any visible debris, gently run your hand around the inside of the tire. Keep an eye out for any sharp objects that may be present!
Once you’ve found the source of the flat bicycle tire, if it’s an object, remove it and replace the tube. Put the new tube inside the tire by placing the tube’s stem through the hole in the rim first, then working the rest of the tube around the rim with a bicycle pump until it takes shape, two to four pumps. Reset the bead of the tire inside the rim with your fingers once the tube is inside the tire. Use the tire lever to work the bead on tougher tires, but be careful not to pinch the tube with the lever, as this could result in another flat bicycle tire.
Replace the wheel in the frame after re-seating the tire and inflating the tube to the recommended pressure written on the sidewall of the tire. You have now completed the process of changing your flat bicycle tire.