Bike Has A Flat, How Should I Manage?

Thanks for the advice.

here is a pretty good video from GCN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLO_HO0kEjs



Edited by DaveL 2016-06-03 8:39 AM

Learning to change a flat is a essential to riding a road or tri bike. EVERYONE will flat on the road eventually, I usually get 2 to 5 a year. Just had my first one in my first tri of the year 2 weeks ago(glass).

After you have the tube out make sure you run your fingers thru the inside of the tire feeling for whatever punctured that tube, careful it will also puncture your finger.

3 basic ways to flat:

1 something went thru the tire and put a hole in the tube. (glass, bits of metal, thorns, etc...)
2 tube was not installed correctly and pinched between tire and rim, this will fail quickly after installing a new tube.
3 Pinch flat (snake bite): either not enough air in your tire or you just hit a pot hole really hard. flattens the tire enough to pinch the tube/tire between road and rim causing 2 small punctures. Looks like a snake bite.

Also sometimes you get defective tubes right out of the box, I've had a few of these that were leaking right at the valve stem.


look at online videos and practice, if that's not working for you a lot of shops will show you, or have classes on how to do it.

4) The wheel liner that covers the spoke nipples has slipped and the tube was punctured by a spoke end. Not that uncommon.
I agree with the others that say you NEED to learn how to do this and be good at it. Don't rely on a cell phone when you are on the road.

Easiest way to check if there's anything stuck in the tire causing the flat is to run a cotton ball on the inside of it. If it snags on anything, then that's more that likely the cause of the flat.

Also, if you have been riding bikes for years, have you replaced the tires? They could be threadbare by now, which will definitely cause a blowout or a flat.

Edited by audiojan 2016-06-03 9:31 AM

I'm pretty new to changing flats too, having done my first one less than 2 years ago. That one was on my daughter's bike and it was caused by improper installation (from the box store we bought it from). The tube had a twist in it, causing it to burst at the seem when it was inflated . Last year I think I had 6 or more flats. I added a set of Mr. Tuffy liners and that really helped. They are a strip that goes between the tire and the tube and are supposed to prevent things from getting to the tube.

The advice given thus far is good, but here's a few more things to consider if you're fixing a flat at home (versus on the side of the road)

Once the tire is off the rim, make sure there is no debris in it before replacing it or you will have another flat rather quickly. Instead of running your finger around the inside of it, use a cotton ball. The cotton will shred and stick to any debris.

When I am looking for leaks on a tube, I like to use Windex sprayed on it while it is inflated. The leak will start blowing bubbles. They make special soapy water for this, or you can use dish soap and water in a spray bottle too. The Windex dries pretty clean though, which is important if you are going to patch the leak instead of replacing the tube.

On my road bike (tri bike?) I have a set of Gator Skin tires that are supposed to be puncture resistant. They seem to be doing their job, though I probably just cursed the whole operation with that statement.

Hope this helps,

J White

Don't use windex... Yes, it dries fast and clean, but it also dries out the tube which may cause a flat.

Liners and puncture resistant tires like the Gatorskins are ok for training, but they are slow, so I wouldn't race on them. A few things that will help, make sure you're not riding worn out tires to start with... if you see a flat area at the crown of the tire, then it's getting worn out. If you see any cotton threads, then it's definitely way past its prime. Use good quality tubes (personally, I use Continental Race or Race Light) and do not over or under inflate the tires. Pressure is in relationship to tire width (so a 23mm tire will have higher pressure than a 25mm for example) and your weight. The lighter you are, the lower the pressure you need. You should inflate your tires before each and every ride.

When people are telling you to figure out where the puncture is in the tube, they are leaving out an important piece of information. Unless you are just patching the tube, you are also doing that so you know where to check the tire so you don't get another flat immediately. Always line the valve stem up with a particular spot on the tire. For example, if you are riding Gatorskins, line the valve up with the G. That way, if you find the cut in the tube is at 4:00 relative to the valve stem, you know to make sure the tire is completely free of debris at 4:00 relative to the G on the tire.

Also check the rim strip. If the strip is damaged or out of place you will get repeated flats

^^ This again just in case you didn't see it the first 2 times. So many people change the tube and get another flat because then did not keep the tire aligned and left something in it.

Another great thing to have is a tire patch. If you are out in the middle of nowhere and make a hole in your tire, all the tubes in the world won't help. Some folks use a dollar bill, but I carry one of these. They are temporary, but will usually get you home unless you ripped a huge hole in your tire.

http://www.parktool.com/product/emergency-tire-boot-tb-2