Everything You Should Have to Fix a Flat Tire

For cyclists, nothing stinks more than getting a dead tire. When you pull your bike out at the end of winter, excited to bike in the beautiful weather and find that one of your tires is sagging, your heart falls. It means you have to get out your equipment and fix the tire, which for a lot of people, is a hard experience. For many, it's not even worth the hassle and they will simply choose not to bike instead of having to battle the busted wheel.

The simple reason for the problems with repairing a flat tire is that the process isn't that simple to figure out. It's not as easy as simply pulling one tire off and putting another one in its spot. Instead, there is a lengthy process that uses a number of tools. Of course, once you understand how to do it, fixing a flat tire is a lot more straightforward process. To help others change their own flat tires, here is a useful reference on what tools you will need to repair your bike.

Tube

The most important part of replacing a tire is the tube. When you get a broken tire, it's not the outer shell that is busted but instead, it is the rubber tube inside of that shell. You will need to pull the one out that is in your bicycle, and place a new tube in that is has greater pressure. Keep in mind that there are a pair of different kinds of tubes, presta, which involve smaller and thinner valves, and shrader, which have bigger, car like valves.

Levers

The best way to think of the lever, is that it is the bottle opener for your bike. In much the same way you can't open a bottle without an opener, you can not get out your tire without a lever. The lever is required to pry out the tire from inside the wheel, so that you can swap it with a clean one. In a similar way, the lever is used to push the new tube back in. It is best to get multiple levers as you will use them regularly.

Bike pump

A bicycle pump is the part needed in order to fill your tube with air. Depending on your preferences, you might use anything from a stationary pump to a smaller convenient hand pump. Each pump has a different level of strength and effectiveness, depending upon the type you get. Be sure to check the type of tubes that the pump supports so you can know that it is compatible with the ones used on your bicycle.


Bicycle patch repair kit

You don't necessarily have to purchase a new tube to repair your broken tire. Rather, you can do some work and block up the damaged holes in your tires. With this done, you will be able to continue using your flat tire. Remember that this type of fix won't last forever and that you will eventually need to replace your tube. Given that, it does serve as a good temporary repair.


While it is a lot to keep track of, this equipment will make fixing flat tires significantly easier for you. The first few tries will require a lot of work, but do not get intimidated by it.