One of the most common bicycle repairs is the flat tire.
- First determine the problem. Check and remove if there any foreign objects protruding from the tire. Check to see if there is an air leakage at the inner tube or valve stem. Inner tubes holes can be patched, but valve stem damage needs the inner tube replaced. Either way, you will have to remove the tire to get to the inner tube.
- Remove the wheel from the bicycle being careful not to strip the nuts. Use an open end, box-In wrench, crescent wrench, or equivalent tool.
- There is a wire bead around the inside of a rubber tire, that's fits tightly around the rim of the bicycle wheel. In order to remove the tire you'll have to pry very hard against the tough wire bead of the tire while trying not to damage the inner tubing. There are appropriate bicycle tools you can buy to help facilitate this ( TOOL TIRE LEVER ACTION METAL SET OF 3 ) or you can make do with household items: screwdrivers, thin shanks of steel, the back ends of sturdy spoons or forks. Start at any point along the tire,(except near the valve stem), force the screwdriver or equivalent tool between the wheel rim and the tire bead and pry the tire bead up over the wheel rim. Leave the tool there and repeat the process two or three inches away, do this one more time and enough pressure will be taken off of the tire that you can slide one of the tools along the rim to break free the rest of the tire.
- Now you can remove and inspect, repair, or replace the inner tube. Replace the tube with the correct size. You can locate holes in the inner tube by pumping up the tube and either hear the leak or visually see them. If not try submerging the inflated inner tube into water and locate the escaping bubbles.
- Repair the hole using a patch repair kit. Like this one Park Tool TR-1 Tire and Tube Repair Kit Generally you would have to clean around the each hole, and cement a rubber patch over it. A good idea is to dust the repair area with talcum powder when done repairing to prevent the tube from sticking the tire. Recheck the leak in water before installing.
- Squeeze all the air out of the inner tube before installing. Begin with the valve stem and be careful that the tube is shoved toward the enclosed top of the tire so that the tube won't get pinched when you pry the tire back over the wheel rim. Pump up the tire to proper air pressure and install the wheel back onto the bike.