No. 13 Baby

Seeing as how I've changed and fixed so many bicycle flat tires since May, I'm going to give my pointers and techniques a shot at being written down to gain worldwide attention (which they'll have to share with everyone else's tire-fixing techniques, which are all about the same).

There is NO need to ever pay someone else to change or fix your bicycle's flat tire. It takes 15 minutes with practice and with the right stuff.

Here's the list of equipment needed:
-Tire levers (little plastic guys, cost a buck each)
-Bicycle pump (If you use compressed air, you're just taking your chances)

If it's a minor puncture, it's worth repairing. You'll need:
-Patch kit (couple bucks for several patches and a file or sandpaper)
-Bucket or sink of water (not necessary, but very helpful)

If the puncture is pretty severe, just buy a new tube, they cost 3-5 bucks for generic tubes. The size of the tube is printed onto the sidewall of the tire, often in inches (ex. 26x2.15 or 20x1.75). Tubes are sold to fit a range, like 26x1.95-2.25. If you have any questions, just ask the guy at your favorite bike store, ours is Mad Dog Cycles in Provo and Orem (which is where some of these pictures came from). They're awesome. Tubes are sold with various features as well, such as puncture resistance. Go for it if you don't mind the extra weight (most people don't mind), they're worth the extra few dollars. (I've used tire liners and they seem to work pretty good)

There's 3 parts to a wheel: The wheel itself (this is the metal part with the spokes, rims, etc), the tire (the tough rubber part with all the tread), and the tube (the soft rubber part inbetween the wheel and tire that goes flat).

Most bikes have quick release levers on the wheels, this means, flip the lever and your wheel loosens from the fork. Unscrew it a little further if you need to. Also, release the brakes if you need to, just to make getting the tire out from in between the pads easier (with pull brakes you squeeze the break pads closer together, then you can pop the cable out of the metal brace that keeps the brakes together). Once the wheel is off, take off the valve cap and let most of the air out of the tube (if there's any left). Using a tire lever, stick the edge in between the rim's wall and the tire's "bead" (the stiff inner edge of the tire). Lever it up and over the wall of the rim. Then slide the lever sideways along the rim wall, pushing the bead up and over the wheel, all the way around. This takes practice and if the tire is especially tight, you might need two levers and lot of strength to get this done. If you watch the guys in the bike shop, they're fast. Slip, pull, whirl, and pop, it's ready.

Once one bead is completely out, it shouldn't be much trouble to get the entire tire off now, just be careful with the valve and push it through the hole in the wheel.

Pull out the inner tube, check the tire for thorns (check the inside by feeling with your fingers) or other objects that will puncture the new tube. If you're going to repair the old tube, find the hole (if there's several, just get a new tube, it'll be worth it). A trick to this is to fill it with air and dunk the tube into water. Look for bubbles and carefully note or mark the spot where the hole is. Dry it off. Use the roughener (often sandpaper or a metal disc with a scratchy side) from the patch kit. Scratch up the area just immediately around the hole. Let the air out of the tube, and place a patch directly over the hole and press firmly for a few seconds. Glueless patches are easy to use and I think they work great.

Put some air back in the tube, just enough to give it some shape, and place it back into the tire. Then slip one bead of the tire into the rim. Line up the valve with its hole and place it through. Push one section of the second bead onto the tire and using your hand/fingers or a lever, push/slide the rest of the bead back into the rim. Work and squeeze the tire all the way around the rim, making sure the tube isn't pinched against the wheel and tire bead anywhere.

That's about it. Inflate the tube as specified, and put the wheel back onto the bike making sure it is really secure on the fork. Don't forget to reattach your brakes!

Happy Riding