Popped the Front Tire of Your Bike? Dont Get Mad, Fix It!

Lets say you let your roommate borrow your bicycle and he returns it to you with a surprise: the front tire is flat. Being a college student, you understandably dont have the funds to buy a new tube, so you want a cost effective, money-saving solution. One option is using a tire patch, which seals the hole that was made in the tire tube. Tire patches are inexpensive and easy to carry with you even while riding your bike, and they are an effective solution, adding up to 600 miles of life to your old tire tube. The entire process of applying the tire patch should take approximately 45 minutes, so be sure to set aside enough time. Here are the materials you need to begin: Bike pump with a pressure gage

Park tool (used to remove the tire)

Tire patches kit (includes patches, sandpaper, chalk and glue repair)

A bike with a flat front tire

Overview of the Process

Steps 1-3 involve removing the bike tire from the frame of the bike. Steps 4 and 5 involve finding the leak and patching it over. Steps 6-8 involve putting the bike back together and re-inflating the tire

Terms
1. Axle- the center part of the tire, where the thin, metal spokes meet. 2. Fork- the two metal bars that come down from the front of the bike frame and connect to the wheel. 3. Brake Housings- the contraption that is connected to the fork by the top of the wheel and holds the brake line coming down from the handlebars. 4. Tread- outermost portion of the tire; the part that comes into contact with the ground. 5. Tube- the inside lining of the tire; the part that is filled with air. 6. Tire Frame- the metal part of the tire to which the rubber tube and tread are attached. Contains the spokes and axle and attaches the wheel to the body of the bicycle.

Warnings! Before You Start!

If your tires hole is greater than the size of a quarter, or the patch doesnt work, you will need to buy a new tube.

This instruction set will only teach you how to change and fix the front tire. The back tire requires a slightly different process and involves a separate set of instructions. The adhesive glue used to patch the tire is toxic and flammable. Therefore this process should be done in the open air or a well-ventilated area, away from open flames. Be sure to wash hands thoroughly after using the glue. Because of the toxicity of the glue, the patch kit requires proof of age (18) to purchase. Anyone under this age should have parental supervision while patching the tire. It is also important to let the glue dry for the full 30 minutes; otherwise the patch may not adhere to the tire. In one of the steps, you must disconnect the brakes. It is imperative to reconnect the brakes after the tire is placed back on the bike. Skipping this step could result in a serious biking accident by rendering the front breaks useless. It is recommended that one watches the entire process a few times before trying it themselves. This will result in an easier and more thorough job done. Filling the tire with insufficient air can result in a pinch flat (when a blunt object pushes the rubber tubing against the inner tire frame, pinching the air and causing a pop). Filling the tire with too much air can cause a blowout (popping like an overinflated balloon when the pressure is too great). It is important to make sure that the tread and tubing are securely connected to the tire frame, otherwise there is a chance the tire could slide off during riding. In securing the tread and tubing, it is easy for fingers to get caught and pinched, so caution should be taken, especially with young children. Please be sure to READ the instructions. Do not simply rely on the photographs, as they merely illustrate parts of each step.

Steps for repairing a blown front tire:

1. Flip the bike upside down, so that it is resting with its handlebars and seat flush against the floor.

2. Unhook the front brake line by doing the following:

Pinch the two brake housings together.

Pull down on the brake line while the two housings are pushed closer together. Release your grip on the brake housings when done.

3. Remove the front tire from the bike frame.

Lift up the lever on the front axle.

Next, unscrew the cap on the opposite side of the lever.

Lift the front tire off of the bike frame.

4. Remove the tread from the tire frame of the wheel and find the leak.
Take the park tool and place its rounded edge underneath the lip of the tire tread.

Once the tool is underneath the tread, trace along the entire edge of the tread, removing the tread of the tire from the rim so that you can access the popped inner tube. (Some tubes have air caps. These need to be removed before the next step.)

Once the inner tube is removed, pump a small amount of air into it, using no more than 10 pumps of the bike pump.

Squeeze the tube while holding it near your ear, listening for a hissing noise. Locate the source of the hissing to find the leak. When you squeeze the tube you should feel some cool air against your face coming from the hole. If your tube becomes deflated before you discover the leak re-inflate and start again.

Once you locate the leak, use chalk to mark the area so it is easy to find again.

5.

Patch the tire.

Use sand paper to score the area of the hole to roughen the surface so the adhesive can bond with the tube better.

Next, choose the patch size that best fits the size of the hole in the tube. Keep in mind that the hole in the tire should not spread for more than 5 millimeters from the center of the patch.

Remove the packaging (the shiny foil part) from the back of the patch. Do not remove the packaging from the other side of the patch yet. Be careful while doing this, since the patch has a tendency to curl up and get stuck to itself, rendering it useless. Keep the patch taut.

Apply adhesive glue to the smooth side of the patch (the side without the black dot), covering the entire side. Then place the patch on the chalk-marked area of the tube, lining the hole up with the center of the patch. Smooth the patch out with your fingers until it completely adheres to the tube.

Let the glue set for 30 minutes.

Remove the remaining packaging. If you pull the patch up along with the packaging, then the glue did not set for the full 30 minutes, and you have to readhere a new patch.

6.

Reinsert the tube into the tread, and attach tire back onto the rim.
Pump up the tube with air to about 10 PSI(on the pump gauge). Push the slightly inflated tube into the tread.

While putting the tube and tread back on the metal rim, be sure to feed the tube air spout through the metal cut out in the rim. If you dont, you wont be able to inflate the tire, or, worse, you will pop your newly fixed tire tube.

Use your fingers to push the tire tread into the groove on the metal rim. This is the same groove from which you removed the tread from the tire frame using the park tool (step 5). Be sure to do this on both sides of the tire, otherwise you risk the tire sliding off the rim.

Once the tire is safely secured onto the metal rim, pump the tire to around 30 PSI.

7. Reassemble the bike by reattaching the tire to the bike frame.

Place the hub of the axle into the forks on the front of the bike.

Tighten the screw nut on the axle of the tire opposite the lever. Screw the nut until it is secure and cannot be turned further.

Push down on the lever to lock the tire into place.

Then, push the two brake housings together once again.

Run the brake line through the mount of the brake housings and then release your hold on the housings.

8. Pump the tire back up to 60 PSI.

If you have an air cap, screw it back on.

Your tire is fixed, Your ready to ride another day!