How To Fix A Flat Tyre - Fix A Road Bike Puncture

Our guide to fixing a flat bicycle tire on the roadside.

Getting a puncture is part of cycling. In this video we show you how to fix a road bike tyre. If you're on a mountain bike the technique is exactly the same!

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[jpb]

They seem to have waited for one of them to actually get a flat before putting out this tutorial, authentic ;)

[derjemand]

Watching this on the road rn. This is my first puncture that I am fixing myself during the ride

[ZombieSC]

I have had many flats over the years. The one pro tip I can give is: after you take out the "flat" inner tube, be mindful of which way the tube was installed and then try to inflate it so it has some decent pressure. You might determine where the puncture was just by the hiss of escaping air. I normally turn the tube around with it close to my lips to feel where the air is coming out. Make sure you go all the way around the tube, and don't just assume you only have one puncture! I can't stress this enough.

Once you know where the punctures are, you can compare the location in the tube to the tire by where the valve stem is. Investigate those areas on the tire completely and remove any debris, nails, glass, staples, wire, etc that caused the flat. Carefully feel around the inside of the tire and look for any other foreign material in there and remove it and don't forget to inspect the outside of the tire too. Then patch the tube if it's only a small puncture or replace the tube completely if it has more than 2 patches or punctures.

The reason why I like to check the tube for punctures is I hate cutting my finger open on sharp glass, or poke myself with wire or nails. Also, you may miss a second puncture location when feeling around the tire if the debris only lightly penetrated. As soon as you reinflate and ride off, the pressure of your weight could cause the debris to poke through again causing another flat. And I always recommend patching a tube first. Patch kits are fast, cheap, and reliable enough these days. Keep your spare tube only as a last resort, or where patching is impractical.

I hope this was useful, and drive safe everyone!

[burgels]

Just had my first flat the other day near the end of a 48 mile ride. Glad I watched this video first. I did everything the way they recommended and was back on my bike in no time flat (pun intended)

[michaelschultz]

Best video on youtube! You make me realise how quick and simple it can be when you're half way from work with a puncture praying to God for help. Thanks a lot!

[CyberSystemOverload]

Thanks very much, i have just got into cycling here in the Philippines and I was clueless about all this. Thanks to your videos I now carry spare tubes, patch kits and repair tools. I'm still worried about messing something up on the complex mechanical on the back wheel if I have to pop it off! great work!!

[jonathanmartens]

Nice and clear video! One addition though: I once learned a trick in my bike repair shop.
Most, if not all, tires can be put back on the rim w/o the use of levers. If you pinch the tire at the opposite side of the part that still has to be put back on the rim, so it sits in the deepest part of the rim, you should be able to get the remainder on the rim w/o using force and with your bare hands.

[PomBare]

Got my first flat today (back wheel, argh), I memorised this and the other GCN puncture vids. Went through every step and completed the task, however my new inner tube got a puncture almost instantly... I forgot the first rule you taught - check for a thorn in the tyre. Post-mortem revealed it was indeed a rather large thorn.

[havoc]

my tires held up for 3 years, and had my first flat today.. and thanks to your videos i was able to change it quickly and get back on the road. <3 GCN

[thebikehut]

Not likely (or fun) with a small hand pump, but when using a floor pump, it helps if you pump the new tube (inside the tire/tyre) up halfway and then deflate it before pumping to full pressure. This allows the tube to even itself out lengthwise and will pull itself out from under the bead if it caught.

[AnythingWithSieghart]

Now I'm gonna remove the tube inside my bike again, since it's going up and down, the tube was not properly placed, I thought my rims and spokes was misaligned somehow, but it's not. Thank you GCN!

[stevencraig]

GCN videos, always interesting, informative, and usually funny! Thank you guys. I always look forward to your next video.

[supersmartguy]

Great video. Showing detailed step by step instructions with easy-to-understand explanation.

[AndyPass]

Thanks.  I came off my bike for the first time a couple of weeks ago and enjoyed my first flat around Lake Burley Griffin today.  I should've been more prepared as I had to walk > 5k's back to get home.  Will be better prepared once I fix the flat! :-)

[weetobix]

Thanks for this video! I had a puncture on the way home last night which I fixed in 5 minutes, but then spent the best part of an hour trying to balance the tyre to no avail. Watched this video when I got home then fixed it properly in 5 mins :)

[mtb_sneakerz]

The part about feeling the inside of the tyre just saved me from another future flat tyre!

[larry]

watched this clip last night only to have a puncture on my ride this morning . Suffice to say i was able to sort this out and continued the ride. thank you

[craiggoad]

I must say thanks to this gcn maintenance video i was able to kom my flat repair! i had alot of practice today with two flats within 5 miles!

[johnrafael]

oh my god thankyou dan! you made this look so much easier than all of the other videos on youtube.

Like a boss ! I got my first road bike puncture after 2000 km of riding, gonna try to fix it.