Flat tires are an inevitable and often frustrating aspect of cycling. However, replacing a bike tire is easy with the right tools and tips. Read on to learn how to change a bicycle tire.

How To Change Bicycle Tire

Cycling is fun and even good for health. If you also love cycling, you must have an idea how much one needs to care for the bike. You should be prepared for any kind of situations while cycling, whether in the town or outside it. If something happens to the bike, it is necessary to all the tools and knowledge to fix it back. One of the most vulnerable parts of a bike is its wheels. The tires are prone to wear and tear, if used regularly. Friction and bad roads are what causes maximum damage to a bicycle tire. You would never know when a sharp object will burst a tube and damage the tire. Therefore, it is essential for all the riders to have the basic knowledge of how to change bicycle tire. In case you are one of those who have no idea about this, go through the tips that follow.
 
Replacing A Bike Tire
 
  • You require certain simple tools to replace the flat tire of a bicycle. These include bicycle wheel tool, a new tube, an air tube, and few adjustable wrenches and levers. It might take quite some time to change a bicycle’s tire.
  • Bikes are easy to fix, unlike four wheelers, as you don’t need jacks to elevate them. All you need to do is to turn the bicycle upside down, with the support of the seat and the handle bar. Once the bike is upside down, the procedure to change the tire begins.
  • The first step of the procedure is to remove the tire from the cycle frame. You will have to loosen the axle nuts that fix it to the bike frame and remove them in. If the nuts are fixed tight, use a lubricant that will loosen them.
  • Once the nuts are removed, you can remove the wheel from the bicycle frame. If the rear wheel has been punctured, things can be a bit complicated. In that case, before removing the tire, shift the chain to the lowest gear. Make sure that while removing the rear wheel, you shift the chain clear from the gear wheels.
  • Once the tire is out, the rest of the procedure is quite simple to follow. If there is air in the tube, release it completely, by pressing on the inner part of tube valve.
  • Once the tube is completely chapfallen, you can begin changing the tire immediately. You would require a pair of tire levers or durable spoons to remove the tire. Insert the lever between the rim and the tire and use a lever to dislodge the tire partly from over the rim.
  • Use another lever to dislodge the other part of the tire off the rim. One lever should be kept stable by shifting the other lever slowly over quarter of the entire rim circumference. While taking out the tire, make sure you don’t pierce or damage the tube.
  • Remove the tire with the tube and then unscrew the nut at the valve base, to take out the tube. Examine the tube carefully for any punctures, by inflating it and dipping it in a water tub. If you find that the tube is beyond any repair, replace it with a new one. Otherwise, get the puncture repaired.
  • The next step is to put the new/repaired tube inside the rim cavity and fix the valve base nut. Once the tube is put in, you can begin fixing the tire in place. The levers will again come handy at this stage, to put the tire on to the rim. See to it that no part of the tube is sticking out of the tire. Once more than quarter of the tire circumference is in place, the rest will fall in easily.
  • After the tire has been put in place, you can inflate it using an air pump. Fix it back to the bike by putting the axle nuts and gear assembly in place (for rear wheel).

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