How to Change a Flat Mountain Bike Tire

How to Change a Flat Mountain Bike Tire

A Manual for Mountain Bike Owners

CASANDRA CARLETON, PATRICK DILGER, CYNTHIA JURU AND KEVIN WILLIAMS

2011

Copyright © 2011 by Carleton Dilger Juru and Williams Publishing Company

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

Printed in the United States of America

ContentsFixing Your Flat Bicycle Tire 1

Common Tools Needed 1

Determine Cause of Flat Tire 2

Check Tire Tread and Casing for Sharp Objects 2

Check the Casing for Holes, Tears, or Rips 3

Check that Tire is Seated Properly on Rim 4

Punctures, Holes and Causes 5

Removing Front Wheel 6

Brake Release 6

V-Brakes 6

Disc Brakes 6

Quick Release 6

Remove Rear Wheel 7

Remove Tire and Tube 8

Patch Tube 9

Replace Tube 10

Remount Front Tire 11

V-Brakes 11

Disc Brakes 11

Remount Rear Tire 12

Inflate Tire 13

Index 15

Figure 1

Sand Paper Patch

1

Fixing Your Flat Bicycle TireOf all the problems you will have with your mountain bike, a flat tire will be the most common and the simplest to fix. While this problem is easy to spot, the cause may be more difficult to determine. If you don’t find what is causing your flat you are likely to face this problem over and over again. Use the checklist on page 3 of the manual to help you determine the cause.

Common Tools Needed The first step is making sure you have the correct tools.

Spare TubeCase

Tire Levers

CO2 Pump

Hand Pump

2

Determine Cause of Flat TireMountain biking can be hard on your bike and many times the cause of your flat can be difficult to determine. By simply following these steps and observing the type of puncture hole you have, if you have one, you can help prevent history from repeating itself.

Check Tire Tread and Casing for Sharp Objects

1. If you locate something stuck in the tire, such as a rock or piece of metal, it is probably the cause of your flat.

2. You must remove this object or it will likely cause another flat.

Figure 1

3

Check the Casing for Holes, Tears, or Rips

1. If you have a hole and your casing is bigger than 1/16th of an inch you will need to replace the tire as soon as possible to prevent a blowout from occurring.

Figure 2

Check that Tire is Seated Properly on Rim

1. A blowout can occur from something as simple as a tire being placed incorrectly on the rim

2. Deflate the tire, remove it, reinstall it correctly, and then re-inflate it.

Figure 3

5

Punctures, Holes and Causes1. The type of puncture in a tube can

indicate the cause.

2. After you’ve removed the tube check it for the following types of punctures

Punctures, Holes and CausesSmall Hole Puncture from a sharp

objectPatch Tube

Star-Shaped Hole Blowout from bent rim or over-inflated tire

Replace Tube

Two Small Holes Puncture from low tire pressure or hard impact

Replace Tube

Removing Front Wheel

Brake Release

V-Brakes 1. Release the V-brake by pulling the end

of the curved-cable guide

Table 1

Disc Brakes1. Open the latch under the caliper that

secures the caliper to the fork

2. Swing the entire caliper up and forward, allowing the wheel to come out

Quick Release1. Pull outward on the quick-release

lever

2. Unscrew the nut on the opposite side end of the skewer’s shaft

3. Pull the wheel off

7

Remove Rear Wheel1. Shift the chain onto the smallest cog

2. Release the Rear brake

3. Push the wheel out of the rear drop outs

Figure 4

Remove Tire and Tube1. Remove the wheel

2. If the tire is not already flat, deflate it

3. Starting adjacent to the valve stem insert a tire lever, scoop side up, between the rim sidewall and the tire until you catch the edge of the tire bead

4. Pry down on lever until the tire bead is pulled out over the rim

5. Place the next lever a few inches away and repeat

6. If needed, place a third level a few inches farther on

7. Once the bead is off on one side, pull out the tube

9

Patch Tube1. Dry the tube thoroughly around the

hole

2. Rough up the surface within a one inch radius of the puncture with a small piece of sandpaper from your patch kit

3. Apply patch cement over an area centered around the hole

4. Let the glue dry, about 5-10 minutes

5. Remove backing from patch

6. Stick patch over hole and push down in place

Figure 5

10

Replace Tube1. Place your patched or new tube back

onto the tire rim

2. Push the valve stem in place

3. By hand, push one side of the tire onto the rim

4. Put a small amount of air into the tube to give it shape

5. Push the tube up and inside the tire all the way around

6. Starting at the side opposite the valve stem, push the tire bead onto the rim with your thumbs

7. Push the tire back onto the rim

11

Remount Front Tire

V-Brakes1. Leave the brakes open and lower the

fork of the bike onto the wheel

2. Tighten the quick release skewer

3. Tighten the nut

Disc Brakes1. Drop the wheel onto the slot over the

rotor

2. Tighten the quick release skewer

3. Reattach the nut

12

Remount Rear Tire1. Shift the derailleur into the highest

gear

2. Slip the wheel in-between the seat and the chain

3. Reconnect the rear drop outs

4. Reconnect the rear brake

Figure 6

13

Inflate Tire 1. Inflate tire with hand pump

2. Use tire gauge to check for proper inflation

TroubleshootingNo Tube or Patch

Have pump and leak is

Inflate the tire to highest pressure possible continue riding and then

Figure 8

Figure 7

slow refill when tire becomes flat againNo pump Remove tube and cut, tie a knot at

one end and fill tube with mud, sand, leaves or grass, packing it full then ride out slowly

No Tire Levers

Broken or missing tire levers

Use quick release lever from wheels or seat as a tire lever

Broken Bead on Tire

Bead is severed or has torn away

Inflate the tire to highest pressure possible continue riding and then refill when tire becomes flat again

Pump Doesn’t Work

Pump wont pump air into tires

Try cleaning the pump head by removing it and checking for debris, then use a tiny bit of lubricant on the plunger

Table 2

Index

CCheck that Tire is Seated

Properly on Rim, 4Check the Casing for Holes,

Tears, or Rips, 3Check Tire Tread and Casing

for Sharp Objects, 3

Common Tools Needed, 2Contents, v

DDetach Wheel Using Quick

Release, 7

15

Determine Cause of Flat Tire, 2

Disc Brakes, 6, 15

FFixing Your Flat Bicycle Tire, 1

MMountain Bike, i

PPatch Tube, 6, 11Punctures, Holes and Causes,

5, 6

RRear Tire, 17

Remount Front Tire, 15Remount Rear Tire, 17Remove Rear Wheel, 8Remove Tire and Tube, 9Replace Tube, 6, 13

SSeated Properly, 4

TTable 1, 6Table 2, 19Troubleshooting, 19

VV-Brakes, 6, 15