How to repair a puncture on a bike
How to repair a puncture on a bike
How to repair a puncture on a bike
Knowing how to repair a puncture is a key skill. You can repair punctures at the roadside if you have the kit with you, but it is much easier to carry a spare inner tube and replace the punctured one rather than try to patch a punctured tube on the spot.
First try to find the cause of the puncture. If you find the offending item, remove it and mark the place on the tyre so that you can ensure that any other bits of glass or thorn are not still there on the inside.
Release the brake cable and remove the wheel.
Let out any remaining air in the tyre by pressing the pin (inside a Schrader valve) or unscrewing the nut (on a Presta valve) and pressing it lightly.
If you have a Presta valve, remove the knurled nut that locks it to the rim.
Flex the tyre around the rim, pushing the bead to the centre where there is a small dip - this makes removal easier.
Use two tyre levers to lift one tyre bead over the edge of the rim by inserting them about 50 mm from each other and pressing downwards.
Once the tyre has lifted away on a small section you can slip in a third lever to extend the lifted section, then slip the lever sideways to ease the rest of the tyre off
If you have not identified the cause of the puncture, keep the tyre in the same place on the wheel and note the position of the inner tube with respect to the tyre as you remove it, taking care not to damage the valve.
Inflate the tube and put the tyre near to your lips to feel the air coming out. If this doesn't work, you have to put the tyre in a bucket of water and look for the bubbles.
Once you've established where the hole is, mark it with a biro. Then line up the tube with the tyre, and check again for the offending item and make sure it has been removed.
To repair the puncture on the road deflate the tube, roughen the surface where the hole is with sandpaper and cover it with a thin layer of puncture solution, spreading it slightly wider than the patch you are going to use.
Leave the adhesive to dry for 5 minutes, or the time specified on the box. Then peel away the metallic covering on the patch and press the patch (still covered on one side by the light plastic film) over the hole. You can, but don't have to, remove the plastic film by cracking it and peeling from the centre outwards. Don't start peeling from the edge because the patch will come up.
To refit the tube and tyre, place one bead of the tyre onto the rim (you usually leave it in this position).
Inflate the spare or repaired tube slightly and put the valve in the hole, making sure it is straight. Then ease the tube inside the tyre.
Use your fingers to roll the second tyre bead back onto rim, starting at the valve and working away from your chest. The tyre will get tighter as you near the final section and you may need to use a tyre lever to lift it over. Take care not to pinch the tube with the tyre or the lever. Some tyres, especially those on Brompton folders, are more difficult to refit than others. Replace the knurled nut on Presta-valved inner tubes.
Replace the wheel and remember to tighten the nuts or quick-release and to replace the brake cable if you have released it.
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