How To Repair A Flat Bike Tire Rei

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We've all been there before: It'southward over halfway through your long ride, yous're out of cell service, and you go a flat. It's raining (it'due south always raining when you lot get a flat, correct?), you become your kit and hands filthy, merely you lot utilize your spare to finally get rolling once more. A minute later, information technology feels like you're hitting a wall every bit your speed crawls lower, and you suddenly feel like you've got front or rear suspension on your often-too-strong route bike. It's another flat, it's on the aforementioned wheel you just finished fixing, and you're out of spare tubes. Yup, your tire keeps going apartment. Yous could hitchhike and finish up in a scary movie plotline, only hopefully the story goes some other way.

There's nothing more frustrating than multiple flats on a ride, and nothing more horrifying (hopefully not literally) than finding yourself stuck without whatever recourse but to walk or ride our your rim. Fortunately, there are ways you can help prevent that dreaded second (or third or fourth) flat. We tin can assist with communication and a few products you should always have:

Tire Keeps Going Flat: Something sharp is stuck in the tire.

The problem:

If yous don't remove the object that poked the hole in your commencement tube, information technology will probably poke through the replacement tube every bit well.

The fix:

After getting a flat, audit the exterior of the tire for the offending object. Pull out any shards of glass or other sharp things that are stuck in the tire. Next, run your hand along the inside of the tire to bank check for pocket-size items that are poking through. The tire is ready for a new tube once you have removed all the sharp things from it. Check out below for a few products that tin can assistance.

Tire Keeps Going Flat: Your tire is worn out.

The problem:

If the tire safe is extremely overused, the threads—fibers that make the backbone of the tire—tin be exposed. When that happens, the tire is much more than susceptible to fierce and puncture. If the casing does tear, flat protection is reduced and the tube can stretch beyond its usual dimensions. Both of these cases can lead to flats.

The set:

A tire is dead once the threads are exposed. Switch information technology. You will be ameliorate off changing the tire well before it gets to that signal. Swap your tires when the rubber at the crest starts to crown and loses its circular shape. Your rear tire will ever wear faster than the front end, but swapping them both at the same time is the best practice. Scroll down for some advice on new tires and our favorite option.

Tire Keeps Going Flat: The tube is getting pinched while it is being changed.

The problem:

If the tire gets poked with the lever or caught betwixt the tire and the brake track, it can puncture before it is even inflated.

The fix:

Inflate the new tube a tiny bit so it holds its round shape before you lot put it on the wheel. Pass the valve through the valve hole and and so press the tube in between the brake rails walls so it sits in the cycle. Practice not allow any part of the tube to rest outside the brake runway while reinstalling the tire. One time the tube is seated in the wheel, use your easily, not a lever, to snap the tire back on the bike. If yous use a lever to elevator the tire onto the bicycle, the lever itself can swing around and poke a hole in the tube by pinching it against the metal sidewall. Reseating the tire with your hands eliminates that possibility. If you can't reseat the tire with your easily, scroll down for a cool tool solution.

Tire Keeps Going Apartment: Riding with low tire pressure or hitting an object in the road.

The problem:

Compression flats. If your tire is under-inflated and you lot slam into a pothole or other object in the road, the tire volition bottom out confronting the rim and puncture from the impact between the bicycle and the road.

The prepare:

Inflate your tires regularly. Wide wheels and broad tires tin can run a lower pressure–downwardly to 80PSI or so depending on rider weight–simply standard narrow wheels with 23c tires (check the label) demand to be inflated higher, typically 100PSI or more than. And proceed an centre on the route. Avoiding potholes and other obstacles is the best way to prevent pinch flats. If an object is unavoidable, lift the front end bicycle off the route slightly to hop over the object or stand on the pedals and elevator your weight off the saddle to employ your joints as suspension to absorb the accident. All the same desire to run low pressure? Coil down for more on a tubeless solution.

Tire Keeps Going Flat: Rim tape isn't covering the spoke holes.

The problem:

The spoke holes' sharp metal corners jab confronting the tube and can cause a puncture if they aren't completely covered with rim tape. Old rim tape tin depress into the spoke holes even if they are completely covered, again creating a precipitous edge that tin can puncture the tube.

The fix:

Become two new rolls that are wide enough to stretch across the entire tire bed. Lay it flat in the bike and make sure it covers the spoke holes entirely. Bank check out our pick below.

Tire Keeps Going Flat: Products to Help Reduce Your Chances

To help reduce the potential for that first flat and to help y'all if it does happen, we've compiled a few of our favorite flat-solution products:

Orangish Seal Route Tube Kit

Starting at $35, orangeseal.com

Bike tire keeps going flat? This product will help.

If you don't accept tubeless-fix wheels or aren't ready yourself to go tubeless, you can nonetheless get the peace-of-mind that liquid sealant provides without the tubeless commitment. Orange Seal's kit provides y'all with everything you lot demand to basically bombproof your tire setup. While you'll still need to be wary of pinch flats, small punctures and cuts won't be an issue anymore.

Continental Grand Prix 5000

$50, rei.com

Replacing a worn-out tire (or tires) tin can be nerve-wracking. Do y'all become with what you're used to? Follow the car prototype and make sure they match? In cycling, matching tires is much more of an artful choice, and you don't necessarily demand to replace both tires if simply one is worn out (usually the rear, particularly if you lot use a wheel-on trainer often). Only for sure it'southward a good idea to buy the newest model of tire you tin can, every bit tire tech actually changes at a pretty quick pace. Unlike running shoes where you lot might want to stick with an old legacy favorite, but go with the newest and latest/greatest. Better still, merely go with Conti'due south GP 5000s if yous want something that hits the sugariness spot of puncture protection, rolling resistance, and grip.

CrankBrothers Speedier Tire Levers

$6, rei.com

For those who recollect tire levers are tire levers, they've never seen anything similar this set. With a unique shape that not but protects your easily when removing stubborn tires, merely also prevents pinch flats, the Speedier tire levers even have written-on instructions on which side to use for removal or installation. Ensure you don't pinch your concluding spare tube when out on the route with this unique tool.

Muc-Off Ultimate Tubeless Setup Kit

$threescore, amazon.com

If you really really really want to brand sure y'all don't go a apartment the first (or second) time, and so use this kit to convert to a tubeless setup that will apply liquid within the tire to seal up minor cuts and punctures—and it'll allow y'all to run a lower pressure and completely eliminate the possibility of pinch flats. Check out this story to meet if a tubeless setup is right for you, and and then say goodbye to flats pretty much forever. You'll also demand tubeless tires alongside this kit, and check to be sure your wheels are tubeless prepare.

Velox Rim Record

$half dozen, amazon.com

A tried-and-true rim tape that's been effectually for near a century, Velox'due south material rim tape is a standard for nearly shops who desire to ensure that their customers don't get flats. With an adhesive backing and a fairly thick cloth surface, this rim tape isn't quite as calorie-free as another options, but it's impressive when information technology comes to puncture protection.

Portions of this article are by Aaron Hersh, who wrote on this topic back in 2022.