1. Home
  2. Sports
  3. Bicycling

How to Change a Flat Tire

By , About.com Guide

4 of 10

Take the Tube Out of the Tire

Remove the old tube from the tire.

Remove the old tube from the tire.

(c) David Fiedler, licensed to About.com

Remove the tire and tube the rest of the way. You can usually do this easily by hand, but if you have trouble getting the edge of the tire completely over and off the rim you can use the tire levers again. Once the tire is off, pull the old tube out of the tire. You can then either discard the old tube or attempt to patch it.

If your tire is flat because of a puncture that came from hitting a road hazard, after you remove the old tube check the inside of the tire thoroughly to make sure whatever caused the flat -- glass, a piece of metal, etc. -- is not still lodged in the tire to play a nasty trick on you and pop a second tube.

Explore Bicycling

By Category

About.com Special Features

Holiday Central

What to eat, where to go, fun things to do and how to save money on the perfect gifts. More >

Introduction to Pilates

Learning Pilates fundamentals can help you get the most out of your exercise regime. More >

  1. Home
  2. Sports
  3. Bicycling
  4. Bike Maintenance
  5. Tires and Wheels
  6. How to Change a Flat Tire

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.