How to Repair a Bicycle Tire Puncture

It's one thing to fix your flat tire by pulling the punctured tube out of the tire, and stuffing your spare one in--it happens to cyclists all the time. But what happens when you get a bad puncture in the tire itself? There are no patches for punctured tires, and cyclists rarely carry spare tires. To get home safely on a badly punctured tire, sometimes you have to boot the tire to keep the new tube from bulging out through the puncture.

Things You'll Need

  • Tire lever Spare tube Dollar bill Hand air pump
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Examine the tire from the outside. Find the object that punctured the tire and remove it. Mark the spot by scratching the sidewall with your fingernail if the puncture it is not obvious.

    • 2

      Release the brake caliper lever on top of the brake calipers on the punctured tire, opening the calipers. Turn the bicycle over and balance it on the handlebars. Pull the quick-release skewer lever open on the axle, releasing the tire from the bike’s frame.

    • 3

      Pull off the wheel. Insert the tire lever between the tire and the rim and slide it around the perimeter of the wheel, breaking the tire bead loose from the rim.

    • 4

      Take the valve-stem cap off the tube and push the valve stem back through the hole in the rim. Pull the tube out of the tire.

    • 5

      Slide your fingers inside the tire spinning the tire around in your hands as you feel for any objects that could puncture the tube and remove them.

    • 6

      Stuff the new tube into the tire. Blow a small amount of air into the tube, making it round. Locate the tire puncture that you marked with your fingernail.

    • 7

      Fold the dollar bill twice lengthwise. Slip the dollar bill in between the tube and the puncture on the tire. Center the dollar bill over the puncture.

    • 8

      Carefully push the tire back on the rim with your thumbs from the bottom up so the last push is directly in front of the puncture and you're sure the dollar stays in place, centered under the puncture.

    • 9

      Pump up the tire just enough to ride your bike. Put the valve stem cap back on, mount the tire back on the bike, tighten the quick-release and brake levers, and test ride the bike. If the bike handles poorly or feels unstable, put more air in the tire, and ride home slowly.