Anyone who has been riding bikes for a while can tell you that sooner or later, you’re going to get a flat. Even with tube sealant that prevents flat tires for up to two years, it’s just an unavoidable occurrence. When flats occur, the best thing you can do is be educated and prepared to patch the tube so that you can quickly get back on the road. Let's get started:
Materials NeededConsider these different flat tire scenarios: The at-home repair scenario where you're walking your bike into the garage and notice that the back wheel is sagging a little bit—you have a flat. Or, the on-the-trail repair scenario where 20 miles into a 50 mile ride, you go down hard on a rock and get a nasty pinch flat.
We’re going to walk you through some of the materials you’ll need for either situation, and then how to use them for both. Here’s a list of some things you will need to repair your tube.
Follow these 4 easy steps to patch your bicycle tube and repair your flat.
Step 1. Remove Your Tire
Take your tire lever and hook it around the outer edge of the tire (the bead) to get it off of the rim. Once you have the tire lever under the tire rubber, hook the other end of your tire lever around one of your spokes to keep the tire elevated. With a second tire lever, work your way around the rim, taking the tire out of the bead until one side has been completely removed from the rim.
Step 2. Find the Leak
If the puncture or gash in your tube is not easily apparent, you’re going to need to fill the tube back up to locate where the air is escaping from. There are a couple of different ways to find the leak. The layman’s way would just be to run your hand along the tube and try to feel it out.
The bucket of water method that we mentioned earlier, however, is a more accurate way.
If you’re at home, fill your sink or a large bucket full of water and submerge each end of the tube. Watch for air bubbles escaping from your tire to locate your problem area.
Make sure you submerge each side, as there may be more than one puncture. Be sure to check the inside of the tire to make sure that the puncture-causing object has been removed. Once located, mark that spot with your tire marking chalk.
Step 3. Patch the Hole
When patching the hole in your bicycle tube, make sure that the area around the puncture is clean so that the patch will stick. Using the scuffer from your patch kit (sand paper or emery paper will also do the trick), rough up the area around the puncture so that your adhesives have something to grip.
If your patches don’t require glue, simply press them firmly over the hole. For patches that do need glue, add a layer of glue and spread it evenly around the area. Wait for the glue to get a little tacky, and then press on your patch.
If you have the materials available to you at home, some cyclists will sprinkle talcum powder on top of the patch so that that patch/adhesive doesn’t stick to the inside of the tire.
Step 4. Put It All Back Together
Put a little air into your tube and then put it back in the tire, making sure, again, that there are no foreign objects remaining in the tire. Be sure to insert the tube and tire back into the rim using only your hands, as the tire levers may pinch the tube and cause another flat (we certainly don’t want that after all your hard work).
Once you’ve pushed the tire back in and the valve stem is securely inside the tire, inflate your tube back to maximum pressure, being sure to check the tire one more time to make sure that the bead is installed snugly. Ready to ride!
by Pedal Street
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For many of us, bikes are essential transportation. Repairs can be costly, but having to wait for those repairs can be just as big a problem—especially if the bike is you’re only way to get around.
It’s helpful to know how to do some routine bike maintenance and repairs yourself. In this post, we look at a few good ways to patch a bike tube using household items.
Rubber cement provides one of the most cost-effective methods for patching a bike tube.
If you don’t have rubber cement on hand, it is readily available at hardware stores or online.
While the tube and tire are detached from the rim, check other parts for damage and make necessary repairs while they’re separated.
As you may imagine, the duct tape method won’t work quite as well as using rubber cement. That said, it might be your only option in a pinch. You can always use duct tape to patch the tube and then return later to do the rubber cement method. Just be sure to completely remove all the tape residue with alcohol and sandpaper. (As a side note, duct tape also works well as a rim tape substitute.)
Let’s look at how to use duct tape to fix a flat tire first, though.
Duct tape is a useful tool to carry with you when cycling, particularly if you use your bike to commute.
Here are a few other ways you can use duct tape in a pinch when you’re on the go:
We don’t recommend using super glue to patch a bike tube. After you repair your tube and put the tire back in place, you’ll almost certainly have to inflate it again. The problem with super glue is that it does not stretch, so when the air pressure gets going the super glue will break apart. Save yourself the time and trouble, and use rubber cement instead.
Even though your super glue label says that it works on rubber, it’s not a good choice for a rubber bike tube.
The best way to patch a bike tube using items that you likely already have is to use rubber cement. If you’re an avid cyclist, rubber cement is a crucial tool that you should always keep on hand. If you don’t have any, head down to the hardware store or buy some online.
In a pinch, you can use duct tape as a temporary patch until you can do the rubber cement method. Just don’t try to substitute super glue for rubber cement.
Your bike tires can withstand only so much punishment before they need to be replaced. Check out our post about how to know when to replace your bike tires.
Image at top: © Alex Kostibas | Creative Commons
The need for tire repair arises if the pressure in the cycle chamber is not kept, it drops at a noticeable speed. In this case, the rolling resistance of the wheel increases significantly, and the rim begins to hit the micro-roughness of the track.
Unfortunately, from a puncture to
The need for tire repair arises if the pressure in the cycle chamber is not kept, it drops at a noticeable speed. In this case, the rolling resistance of the wheel increases significantly, and the rim begins to hit the micro-roughness of the track. Unfortunately, no cyclist is immune from a tire puncture.
Tire failures can be caused by manufacturing defects and mechanical damage. Mechanical damage includes cuts and punctures. The following damages are the result of manufacturing defects: stratification of the thread, rupture of the thread, rupture of the seam at the single-tube, delamination of the tread. A piece of wire, a sharp stone or a piece of glass, a nail, and the like can pierce the tire and the chamber. The chamber can be cut by the wheel rim when it hits an obstacle hard. Sand that has fallen under the tread will eventually lead to a hole in the bike chamber. If this happens far from home, during a trip or a tourist run, then you have to rely only on your own strength.
With a certain skill, it is possible to repair the bicycle wheel chamber in 15-30 minutes. To do this, you must have at least a complete first-aid kit. However, of course, only in the workshop will they be able to guarantee a high-quality result of the repair.
Procedure for repairing the inner tube
Depending on the nature of the damage, the repair of bicycle tires may have a different procedure.
Sport mountain bikes with tubeless tires are very popular. These are UST and BST wheels. The peculiarity of such wheels is that compressed air is pumped directly into the cavity between the tire and the rim. The most widely used wheels of the BST standard. They must use a sealant that ensures tight contact between the rim and the tire. The same sealant also seals possible punctures directly in the movement of the bicycle. At the same time, high-quality repair of a tubeless bicycle tire can be carried out in a stationary or mobile workshop. This is not easy to do in the field. Poor repair of a bicycle tire can lead to the fact that when the wheel slips sideways, the tire can fly off, and the consequences can be very serious.
In our bike workshop you can repair not only traditional tires and tubes, but also repair tubeless mountain bike tires. We carry out scheduled preventive maintenance of bicycles, we make repairs with a guarantee.
Tire failures can be caused by mechanical damage and manufacturing defects. Mechanical damage includes punctures and cuts caused by foreign bodies that have entered the tire. The following damages are the result of manufacturing defects: stratification of the thread, rupture of the thread, rupture of the seam at the single-tube, delamination of the tread.
Significant damage penetrating the outer surface of the tire is easily detected by inspection. Other damage is determined by inspecting the tire after it has been removed from the wheel rim. To speed up the location of small punctures, in which the air from the chamber is released gradually, the tire mounted on the wheel is immersed in water.
At the puncture site, traces of air escaping from the tire will be visible. It is necessary to immerse not the entire wheel in water, but only part of the tire so that the surface of the water barely covers the inner surface of the rim.
Having found the place of the puncture, mark it on the tire with an indelible pencil, remove one edge of the tire from the rim and remove the chamber from under the tire. Having slightly pumped up the chamber, they find the puncture site by ear or by immersion in water and mark it with a pencil, and the chamber is freed from air. At the puncture site, the surface of the chamber is cleaned with a rasp, a file with a large notch or sandpaper with a large grain. On a separate piece of rubber 1-1.5 mm thick (cut from the old chamber), a surface equal to the section of the cleaned surface of the chamber is cleaned, and a patch is cut out of it with scissors, giving it a round or oval shape. From the camera and the patch, remove the dust and traces of emery remaining after stripping with a brush or a clean rag.
A thin layer of rubber adhesive is applied to the surface of the chamber and the patch. The glue is allowed to dry for 15-20 minutes, and then a second layer is applied, which is also allowed to dry. After drying, the patch is applied to the damaged area of the camera, pressed tightly and rolled with a roller or lightly pierced with a wooden hammer, placing the camera on the palm of the hand.
If the chamber has large gaps that are difficult to seal; the best way is to repair by inserting a piece of the old chamber with the same cross-sectional profile. To do this, a piece with a length of at least 120 mm is cut out from the repaired chamber, on which there is a gap. A piece 60–100 mm longer is also cut out of the old chamber (an allowance of 30–59 mm for each joint).
Gluing joints is most conveniently done using two mandrels, which are (Fig. 68 a) segments of a thin-walled steel pipe, the diameter of which is selected so that the chamber to be glued is put on the mandrel with a slight tension.
The length of each mandrel is taken equal to 80-100 mm. The wall of the mandrel is cut through along the generatrix of the cylinder.
The end 1 of the rubber tube of the mating chamber is first passed inside the mandrel 2, and then turned inside out and pulled on the mandrel so that the latter is under the lapel. The same is done with the end 6 of the inserted piece of the chamber and the second mandrel 7. (Fig. 68 b). The end of the chamber, which will be internal after gluing, is turned out again with the outer surface up.
Fig. 68. Docking chamber
The length of the lapels must be equal to the allowance provided for gluing.
The outer surface 3 of the first end and the turned-out inner surface 4 of the second end of the chamber are thoroughly cleaned. An even layer of rubber adhesive is applied to the cleaned surfaces, and after drying, a second layer is applied, which is also allowed to dry for 15-30 minutes. After that, the ends of the chamber and the insert are joined end-to-end, and with the help of a thin wooden plate 5 placed under the lapel of the rubber tube, it is carefully turned back so that it lies on the surface of the second end smeared with glue over the entire area without folds or wrinkles.
When the gluing process is completed, one end of the rubber tube will be inside the other. The place of gluing is pressed by hand.
After gluing the first joint, the mandrels are removed and the second joint is glued in the same way, connecting the chamber into a closed ring. After that, the mandrels are easily removed from the chamber due to the cut of the wall.
If the puncture hole is large and several threads of the tire thread are damaged, the hole in the latter must be sealed. The patch in this case is made of rubberized fabric, which is available in the bike kit. On the damaged area on the inside of the tire, the surface is cleaned with sandpaper, several layers of rubber glue are applied at intervals of 15-20 minutes to dry. After that, a patch smeared with glue and dried is also applied to the place of damage and it is well rolled to the tire.
In case of significant cuts in the tire, it is best to repair it by hot vulcanizing in the workshop that performs this work.
Repairing a damaged racing single tube is somewhat different from repairing a road tire and requires more care and attention. It is not recommended to submerge the racing single tube in water to find the puncture site. The puncture is determined by ear or, if this is not possible, soap foam is prepared, as for shaving (only not hot), and applied with a brush to the sides of the single-tube along the entire circumference; Foam will begin to bubble at the puncture site. The puncture site is noticed, and the foam is removed from the sides of the tire with a dry cloth.
The single tube is emptied of air and removed from the rim. To remove the chamber from the tire, you need to carefully tear off the keeper tape glued to it from the tire frame, which closes the butt seam. The tape is torn off the tire in a fairly significant area. Being careful not to cut through the chambers, cut the threads of the butt weld; the incision is made so long that you can freely remove the camera.
After that, the edge of the safety tape is undercut so that it is possible to freely remove the camera and repair it.
Damaged tire carcass fabric must be sealed during a puncture, otherwise the thin wall of the chamber, drawn into the puncture hole in contact with the road surface on which the wheel moves, will be pinched or rubbed. The puncture hole in the tire frame is sealed with a piece of bicycle thread from an old single tube; you can also seal the hole with a dense canvas from a parachute or balloon.
The method of sealing a racing tire tube is the same as the described method of sticking a road tube, but since the thickness of the walls of the tube and the patch is only about 0.3 mm, and sometimes less, they must be cleaned with fine-grained sandpaper.
After the repair of the tire and the inner tube, the latter is inserted into the tire and sutured end-to-end with a cross stitch. The crosslinking process is shown in Fig. 69. Then the seam is sealed with a keeper tape.
