Patch or Replace Inner Tube Using Tire Levers

Description

This is the standard method for fixing a flat on most bicycles, involving removing the tube, finding the leak, and either patching it or installing a new tube.

Recipe/Instructions

1. Remove Wheel: Release the brake (if necessary) and open the quick-release lever or loosen axle nuts to remove the wheel with the flat tire from the bicycle frame/fork.
2. Deflate Fully: Ensure any remaining air is let out of the tube by pressing the valve core.
3. Unseat Tire Bead: Insert one tire lever under the edge (bead) of the tire, opposite the valve. Hook the other end of the lever onto a spoke (if possible). Insert a second tire lever a few inches away and pry the tire bead up and over the rim edge. Slide the second lever around the rim to unseat one side of the tire completely.
4. Remove Tube: Reach inside the tire and pull out the deflated inner tube, starting opposite the valve and carefully pulling the valve stem out last.
5. Find Leak: Inflate the removed tube slightly with a pump. Listen for hissing air, feel for escaping air, or submerge the tube in water and look for bubbles to locate the puncture.
6. Option A: Patch Tube:
   • Mark the hole.
   • Clean and roughen the area around the hole using the sandpaper/scraper from a patch kit.
   • Apply rubber cement (vulcanizing fluid) thinly around the hole and let it become tacky (follow kit instructions).
   • Peel the backing off a patch and press it firmly over the cemented area, holding for a minute.
7. Option B: Replace Tube: Discard the punctured tube and use a new inner tube of the correct size.
8. Inspect Tire: Carefully run your fingers along the inside of the tire casing to feel for any sharp objects (glass, thorns, wire) that caused the flat. Remove any found objects.
9. Reinstall Tube: Inflate the new or patched tube just enough to give it shape. Tuck it inside the tire, starting with inserting the valve stem through the hole in the rim.
10. Reseat Tire Bead: Starting opposite the valve, use your thumbs to push the tire bead back inside the rim edge. Work your way around both sides towards the valve. The last section near the valve can be tight; use tire levers carefully if needed, avoiding pinching the tube.
11. Inflate: Inflate the tire to the recommended pressure (usually printed on the tire sidewall) using a bicycle pump.
12. Reinstall Wheel: Place the wheel back into the frame/fork, ensuring it's seated correctly, and secure the quick-release lever or axle nuts. Re-engage the brake.

What makes the Dish Special

N/A - The fundamental skill for cyclists to repair punctures and keep riding.