HOW TO FIX A FLAT TIRE ON THE ROAD

By Steve Bowen

There are a lot of mechanically-related issues that concern cyclists out on rides. Perhaps the number one concern, and certainly the one that worries a large number of cyclists is getting a flat tire while riding. There are as many ideas about how to fix a flat on the road as there are cyclists, so you may already have one you’re comfortable with. If not, here is my method for changing a flat. I’ll assume a rear flat, since this scares cyclists the most:

1. Put the rear derailleur in its highest gear (smallest cog)
   
   
2. Put the front derailleur in its lowest gear (smallest chainring)
   
   
3. Release the brake on the wheel with the flat (for Shimano on the brake caliper, for Campagnolo at the shifter/brake lever)
   
   
4. Remove your pump, spare tube (you do carry one, right?), and tire levers from the bike and/or seat bag.
   
   
5. Take off your water bottles and computer head (put the computer in your pocket)
   
   
6. Find a grassy spot if possible, or at least a clean section of pavement, and flip the bike upside down.
   
   
7. Open the quick release lever
   
   
8. Find the tab on the outer section of the rear derailleur cage, in the area that holds the lower derailleur pulley. Pull up and towards the rear of the bike as far as you can with one hand.
   
   
9. With the other hand, pull the rear wheel up and back, past the rear derailleur. Practice this until you can do it smoothly, without touching the chain.
   
   
10. Using your tire iron, take the tire completely off the rim.
    
    
11. Remove the tube; pump some air in the tube to see if you can locate the hole.
    
    
12. Check the corresponding section of tire to see if something sharp is still stuck in the rubber. Check carefully all the way around the inside of the tire. Visually inspect the outside of the tire and the cloth or rubber strip in the rim bed for any tears, etc.
    
    
13. If instead of one hole in the tube you have two, side by side, this is a pinch flat caused by a sharp impact to the tire (pothole, curb, etc.) and your tire probably wasn’t fully inflated to start with.
    
    
14. Put a little air in the new tube, just enough to give it shape. Line up the air valve with the middle of the label on the tire (so next time you find a hole in the tube, you know where to look on the tire for the cause) and work the tire and tube over the rim. The bead of the tire should be on the outside of the rim on both sides.
    
    
15. Starting on one side of the wheel, opposite the valve stem, work the tire bead onto the rim, being careful that the tube doesn’t get pinched between the wheel and the tire bead.
    
    
16. After you have one side completely on, flip the wheel and work the other side on, again starting opposite the stem. When you get to the last few inches, it may get very hard to get the last part of the tire over the rim wall. Resist the temptation to use your tire iron as a lever, as you will probably pinch the tube and have to start all over. Use your palms in a rolling motion to get the last part of the tire on.
    
    
17. Put a little more air in the tube. Then check to make sure the tire is evenly seated all the way around on both sides. When you are satisfied the tire is on straight, fill up the rest of the way. (With a frame pump, it may be easier to put the wheel back on the bike and finish pumping it up, since you can push against the frame to get more leverage.)
    
    
18. To reinsert the wheel, reverse the above process: pull the derailleur up and out as before, line the smallest cog up with the chain, and roll downward around the derailleur pulley until the wheel slips back into the rear dropouts. Tighten the quick release lever.
    
    
19. Turn the bike right side up; put the brake back on and spin the wheel to make sure it’s straight and doesn’t rub on the brakes. Put the bike back in a rideable gear, replace your computer, water bottles, pump and tools and you’re ready to ride. And PLEASE don’t leave your old tube by the side of the road as litter. Stuff it in your pocket or seat bag, and when you get home you can patch it and keep as a spare.