Either a quick reminder on how to change a tube, sorry if it is a bit long winded, it much simpler and quicker to actually do it than to write about it!
- Brakes off.
- Quick release or use spanner to remove wheel. (Note if you are removing the rear wheel put the chain on the smallest cog as it is easier to get the wheel out – you can move the derailleur by hand too to make the space to manoeuvre the wheel bigger).
- Let any air out of the tube (using the end of your tyre lever).
- Start opposite the valve and insert one tyre lever. If you look at your levers they are normally curved. Insert the lever with the curve ‘up’ so it catches under the tyre.
- Bend the tyre lever down and clip it behind a spoke.
- Start the second tyre lever about 2 spokes away from the first and bend it down. The tyre is now off the rim and normally use can slide the second tyre lever around the rim and the tyre comes off quite easily. Sometime a new tyre is quite taut, so if necessary clip the second tyre lever behind a spoke two and use your third tyre lever and follow this step again.
- Start opposite the valve and pull the tube out.
- Blow the punctured tyre up and run your hand round it and try to find the puncture.
- If you do find the puncture, line the tube up against the wheel (using the valve as the starting point) and see if you can see a thorn/piece of glass where the puncture is. Remember you may have turned the tyre round (so if the puncture is at 3 o clock, check at 9 o clock too).
- Even if you find a thorn or glass check the inside of the tyre all the way round inside and out. Bits often drop inside and puncture the new tube. If you run your fingers round the inside be careful as you can easily cut yourself. Remove thorn/glass etc.
- Inside the wheel is a tape which sits over the ends of the spokes and stops them puncturing the inner tube. Check by eye that it is sitting correctly. The tape often rides up the side of the wheel and when you come to put the tyre back on, the tyre won’t sit back down properly.
- Put a little air in the tube and put the new tube inside the tyre.
- Starting at the valve slip the tyre back inside the rim as far around as you can. You start at the valve as the valve is slightly bigger than the rest of the tube and it is important to get the tube to sit correctly next too it.
- Using you hands get as much of the tyre on as you can, sometimes you can get it on all the way without the tyre levers. If it is tight get your tyre levers and this time with the curve facing down slide it between the tyre and rim and lever the tyre on. Make sure you don’t catch the inner tube when you are doing this. Holding the first tyre lever, insert the second one a couple of spokes down and repeat. It can be a bit of a faff and an extra pair of hands can help here!
- Pump a little more air in and then check down the side of the tyre both sides that the inner tube is not caught under the tyre. Also check the tyre is sitting correctly in the wheel, it should look even all the way round. Sometimes it sits up by the valve and you need to wiggle the valve and the tyre to seat it properly.
- Pump to the correct pressure (as shown on the side of the tyre) or as high as you physically can – you should barely be able to push the walls of the tyre in.
- Drop your wheel back on, give it a spin to make sure it is sitting correctly and doesn’t wobble.
- RECONNECT BRAKES AND TEST.
- Enjoy!
To see a video of how to change your inner tube, watch the video below.