Puncture Repair
This guide covers the basics of a puncture repair for those lucky few who've managed to never have had to repair a puncture until now!
Instructions:
- It's easiest to take your wheel off before trying to locate and fix a puncture. If you've got quick release wheels then just pull the level and unscrew it until it is loose enough to remove the wheel. If you've got V-brakes you'll also need to undo the breaks before the wheel will come off- just squeeze the break pads together with one hand and you should be able to pull out the metal tube (noodle) the cable that connects them goes in.
- With the wheel off remove the tyre using tyre levers. It's best to insert one underneath the tyre and then hook it onto the spokes and then insert another about 10cm away. Part of the tyre should now come away, allowing you to slide the tyre lever around the rest of the tyre, removing it from the wheel on one side.
- With half the tyre off it is now possible to pull out the inner tube to check for holes. The quickest method to do this is to remove the tube completely from the tyre and then inflate it quite a lot and listen for escaping air. Failing this, inflate the tube and put it in a bucket/ puddle of water and look for bubbles.
- One you have found the whole you'll need to roughen up the area around it with a piece of sandpaper found in most puncture-repair kits.
- Next, following your puncture-repair kit glue's instruction, smear some on the inner tube slightly more than the width of the patch you are going to use. Once this is done and you've allowed to the glue to go tacky (if it needs to) then firmly apply the patch and hold it in place for a few seconds. With the patch on there will be some glue left surrounding the patch, scrape some chalk onto this to stop it sticking to the tyre.
- When the patch is dry, partially inflate the inner tube and replace it back on the wheel and put the tyre back into the rim, taking care not to damage the tube. Put the wheel back onto the bike, reversing the procedure you used to get it off. Don't forget to reattach your brakes and test them before riding!
- Inflate to required pressure and reward self for a job well done...
