Fixing a Punctured Bike Tire

Introduction:

A punctured bike tire completely ruins a bike, for it makes it unusable. This can totally ruin a kids day because he has no way of going from place to place without a bike. These instructions detail how to repair a punctured bike tire for such a day. Three things you should know before beginning to repair your tire is that the inner tube is a tube within the bike tire that keeps it inflated. secondly, the patch is a rubber seal that blocks the punctured hole in the inner tube that is releasing all the air within it. lastly, the rim strip is a rubber strip that is around the entire rim surface. This rim strip is there because it prevents any damage to the inner tube from the spoke heads or edges in the rim.

Materials and Equipment Needed:

1. A bucket
2. Two flat head screw drivers
3. An air pump
4. A patch
5. A wrench

Note and Caution: Check the damage on your bike first, for if the damage or puncture on the wheel is to great a patch might not work for you. if the damage is to great a patch will not last for it is only made to seal up small punctures.

Remove the bicycle chain so you may be able to remove the wheel completely off. To remove the chain turn the bike upside down so it may be easier to remove. Then with your finger simply push the chain to the side and pedal the bike with your other hand. This will cause the chain to fall out to the side on its own.

After the Chain has been removed then you can remove the entire wheel. To remove the wheel you must use the wrench to remove the bolts on the side of the wheel that are holding it in place and remember the phrase "righty tighty lefty loosy" which reminds you which way the bolts tighten and loosen up. Once the bolts are loose you can remove then along with the wheel.

After Removing the wheel you must remove the inner tube from inside the tire to repair it. To remove the tire you must use two flat headed screw drivers to dig into the side of the wheel in slowly remove it from all around. Once this has been done completely the tire will be easier to remove along with the inner tube.

The rim strip is very important as it protects the inner tube form the rim itself. Some bikes, however, come equipped with cheap rim strips which is why a popped tire may sometimes happen with out warning due to the rim strip being cheap. I f the Rim Strip is good though you may move on to the next step.

After separating the inner tube from the tire fill up a bucket of water. The bucket of water will help tremendously with the next step when your start searching for the puncture in the tire as i t may be a small hole that is difficult for the eye to find.

Once you have filled a bucket of water inflate the punctured inner tube. Then place the punctured tube under the water inside the bucket. Move the tube around until you find air bubbles rising up from the tube. Follow those air bubbles as it will lead you to the punctured hole where all the air is escaping from.

After Locating the hole within the inner tube mark it with a chalk or a piece of tape. This will help just in case you have to put down the tube to locate the patch or something you misplaced. It is basically for safety measures.

After locating the hole you must place the patch on top of the mark you placed that is covering the hole. Some patches may require glue, but most come with there own adhesive. If it requires glue simply place it on top of the hole and then place the patch on top of the glue.

Once you have placed the patch press on it firmly and let sit for a bit to allow the glue or adhesive to really stick to the inner tube where the puncture is located.

Once the patch has fully dried onto the inner tube place it back into the rim. To do this you must first insert the valve into the hole that is located somewhere around the rim. After you have done this you can begin to tuck in the the entire tube within the rim.

After the tucking the tube inside the rim then begin to insert the tire over the tube and the rim. To do this slowly tuck in the tube inside the tire while keeping it in place with the rim. After the tube has been tucked inside the tire then slowly begin to tuck in the tire back inside the rim to keep everything back in place. To do this you must use the flat headed screw drivers to place the tire back in place. start by doing one side first.

Once the wheel has been united again pump the wheel back up gradually to let the tire and tube settle back into place.

After piecing back the pieces of the tire and pumping it back up you might want to check the tire to make sure it is working. Make sure that there is no air escaping, for if there is there must have been more punctures or the patch might have been placed wrongly.

If everything seems alright screw the tire back onto the bike. Also make sure to re hook the chain to its proper place, for without it the bike is useless because you can't pedal. Once this is done make sure to test the pedal to make sure the wheel is hooked on right and that everything is in order.

Once you have hooked the tire back on checked it feel the pressure on the bike and if it seems as good as the first time ride it and test it out. if everything seems alright then you are good to go and all that is left is for you to put the tools away and have fun!