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Show Cycling - Fixing A Flat WmII J O HiVA by Tom Noaker i " A flat tire can spoil a ride and being unprepared for the inevitable hiss can ruin a cyclist's entire day. On-the-road repairs for wire-on tires (clincher or beaded tires with a separate tube) are easily dealth with by carrying a set of tire irons, a patch kit containing chalk, sandpaper, glue and patches and a tire pump. When a flat occurs, first remove the wheel, inflate the tire and slowly rotate the wheel next to your ear listening for leaks. If none are detected examine th' tire for glass, thorns or other puncture sources. With a wire-on tire, deflate completely and squeeze both sides towards the middle inserting a tire iron (not a screwdriver) under the bead directly opposite the tire valve. Lever the bead over the rim. Hook the iron under a spoke and insert another iron under the bead, a few inches away, popping the bead over the rim. Move on a few inches and repeat until the entire bead is free. If there is locknut on the valve remove it. ' Pull the tube out only in the area of the puncture. If the puncture is near the valve.push up on the valve to remove it from the rim. Inflate the tube slightly to pinpoint trie leak. Check for a loose valve core which can be tightened with a pronged valve cap. If the stem has a hole near its base, discard the tube and replace with a new one. If the puncture cannot be located, remove the tube, inflate until firm and, if possible, immerse in water. Check for bubbles and hold a finger over the leak while the tube is deflated. Dry and mark the spot with chalk. Using sandpaper rough ah area slightly larger than the patch and wipe off all sanding dust. Apply glue evenly to the rough surface allowing it to dry until tacky. Peel the backing off a patch being careful not to touch the adhesive side and press it onto the glue surface kneading it firmly around the edges. Replace the tube as it originally was, noting where the puncture took place. If the leak developed on the inside (rim side) it was probably caused by a protruding spoke end or a rim burr. Make sure the rim tape coers all the spokes and examine the rim for sharp edges. File protruding spoke ends and burrs now if you have a file handy or as soon as possible to prevent repeated flats. Punctures on the outside of the tube indicate penetration of debris or impact damage. Check ft the tire above the puncture for the source of the leak and remove any embedded objects. If the tire chord has been seriously ruptured you may have to continue riding on an under inflated tire until the damage can be repaired by gluing a polyester patch or a piece of casing from an old tire on the inside of the rupture. Inflate the tube slightly and listen for leaks. It is better to find problems now than later. Deflate until the tube just holds its shape and push the valve stem partially out of its rim hole. Start slipping the bead into the rim working out from the valve in both directions. After the bead is in place, pull down on the valve stem to seal it. The area of the rim opposite the valve will be the most difficult to install. Work at the section with your thumbs until it slips onto the rim. A tire iron should only be used as a last resort to lever the bead onto the rim. Inflate the tire slowly to 15 PSI, checking the rim line to assure that the tire is equidistant from the rim all around. Deflate once more to allow the tire to seat properly then reinflate the tire to 15 PSI, double checking for alignment. At low pressure the tire can be tugged into alignment if. needed. Inflate to full pressure and reinstall the wheel on the bicycle. |