How to Fix a Flat on a Mountain Bike

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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(14 Ratings)

Flat tires are a fact of life in mountain biking. Learn to repair them or take a hike.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Bike Pumps
Bike Tire Repair Kit
Mountain Bike Tire Inner Tubes
Mountain Bike Tires
Mountain Bikes

Step 1

Remove the wheel with the flat from your bike.
Step 2

Pry the tire off the wheel rim with tire irons. Do this by sliding a tire iron under the lip of the tire and levering the tire's edge over the rim.
Step 3

Leaving the first tire iron in place, take a second tire iron and repeat the process a few inches farther down the rim.
Step 4

Slide the edge of the tire off the rim with your fingers or with a third tire iron.
Step 5

Pull the popped tube out from beneath the tire. Patch it or replace it with a new one.
Step 6

Inspect the tire (both inside and out) for sharp objects like glass or thorns. Remove anything you find.
Step 7

Pump some air into the new or repaired tube, then place the tube on the rim beneath the lifted tire. Pass the tube valve through the hole in the rim; be careful not to pinch the tube.
Step 8

Use your fingers to tuck the edge of the tire back beneath the lip of the rim. Again, be careful not to pinch the tube.
Step 9

Pump up the tube (inside the tire) and put the wheel back on your bike.

Comments

Fresh said

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on 11/6/2006 If you can patch the whole, a good trick is to tie a knot in the tube so that the airflow is cut off to the area with the hole. You'll need the stretch the tube a bit to get it back on your wheel. But it works well enough to get you back to your car.

Anonymous said

on 11/22/2005 Release all the air, then put 2 coats of liquid super glue on the hole (not the jelly kind), allowing them to dry between coats. Blow gently on it to dry faster. Then put a 1 or 2 square-inch piece of industrial duct tape over the hole too.