Helpful Cyclists

wilko21
wilko21 Posts: 6
edited November 2013 in Road beginners
Hi All,

Whilst out for a ride on sunday (my 7th since getting a bike) i managed to puncture my rear wheel.

After a bit of faffing about with levers etc, a helpful cyclist stopped and lent a hand, getting the old tube out and the new one in. conveniently, after he left i managed to pinch it getting the last bit of tyre back on the rim. Great!

However, about 2mins later another cyslist stopped and offered me his spare as well. Result! although he managed to pinch it at the same point i.e the last few inches getting the tyre on the rim.

Whilst i waited to be picked up by my other half, a motorist stopped and offered me a lift to halfords!

Although the ride was a disaster, im grateful for the help offered by the cyclists and motorists. So if you stopped to help someone between the southern general and sewage works in glasgow on sunday, thanks again!

Is there a correct way to get a tyre back on a rim? even at home, i pinched another 2 inners before getting one on successfully, and is there an argument for spending more money on a track pump or will any do? I found one on wiggle for £15 which seems decent but would i be better spending a bit more?

Comments

  • ToeKnee
    ToeKnee Posts: 376
    Get a track pump ... you won't regret it ... they are just very useful and easier to use at home than a hand pump. Worth paying a bit more for double headed IMO: Schrader and presta.

    Pinch punctures: once the tyre is nearly on I pump up the tube with a *little* air just to keep it out of the way while using my thumbs to put on the last bit of the tyre.
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  • +1 for the track pump. An essential bit of kit for all cyclists to have in the house. Means pumping up a tyre from flat can be done in about 30 seconds, rather than several minutes of effort and hurting your hands with a handheld pump.
  • Make sure you put some air in the tubes before putting the tyre back on, as it keeps it away from the wall, also carry a tiny bit of talc!
  • farrina
    farrina Posts: 360
    ToeKnee wrote:
    Pinch punctures: once the tyre is nearly on I pump up the tube with a *little* air just to keep it out of the way while using my thumbs to put on the last bit of the tyre.

    Also start at the valve when reseating the tyre and make sure that it is properly seated (ensure you can push the valve upwards into the tyre to confirm it's not pinched).

    You will also find that if you ensure the seated portion of the tyre(ie the bit already pushed onto the rim) is located in the middle of the rim, the rim diameter is narrower here giving you more room to play with in putting the remainder onto the rim.

    Regards

    Alan
    Regards
    Alan
  • Always finish at the valve.
  • I can never get the tyre round the valve if I finish at it so I start at the valve. Practice makes a big difference but I'd second the suggestion of put a bit of air in before you start.

    As others have said, a track pump is one of the most useful bike bits you'll buy. I'd recommend not getting the cheapest as the valves fail quickly on some. The Joe Blow Sport at around £30 is really good (lasts ages and replaceable head).
  • There's no right or wrong way of fitting a tyre. Some like to remove the whole tyre (like me), others don't. It's whatever works the best for you, which you'll work out the more you practice it.

    I'm a bit like Mick and farina as I always put a bit of air in the tube first then start from the valve and push it up into the tyre. If you do this though the thing to remember is to let the air out before you seat the last bit of the tyre as it make its very difficult otherwise!
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  • JayKosta
    JayKosta Posts: 635
    I completely remove the tire and carefully feel around on the entire inside to make sure there isn't anything that will puncture the replacement tube.

    I start at the valve, and push the deflated tube and valve stem up into the tire.
    Carefully seat the tire onto the rim going equally in both directions from the valve, and keeping the tube up in the tire.
    Inspect all around both sides of the rim to make sure the tire is seated properly and that the tube is not pinched.

    When the tire is fully seated, make sure the valve is coming straight out - not at an angle. If necessary, 'massage' the tire & tube around the rim so the valve is straight.

    Jay Kosta
    Endwell NY USA
  • kajjal
    kajjal Posts: 3,380
    Tyre levers make getting tyres back on easier and you are less likely to pinch the inner tube.

    My mountain bike tyres are easy enough to do by hand by my road bike tyres are tighter so I use levers. As above check I side tyre for anything left in it and put a bit of air into your inner tube to make it fit better.
  • Schoie81
    Schoie81 Posts: 749
    Have a look on YouTube - some great videos of people changing tyres and you can actually see it being done rather than trying to visualise the advice people are giving. You should pick up some tips from there. Helped me no-end when I first changed a tube. After your first couple of successful tube changes it becomes a pretty easy task.
    "I look pretty young, but I'm just back-dated"
  • yeah as said above a little air in the tube to begin with and start at the valve first.work your way evenly around the wheel and just make sure that the tube is well pushed into the tyre at the end,let the air out when you have the tyre nearly on.if using levers be very careful but I nearly always can get the tyre on without needing them,less chance of a nip using thumb pressure.(can be painful and hard to do at times but well worth it IMO)
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  • beski
    beski Posts: 542
    I partly inflate, place the tube into the tyre starting at the valve, gently pinch & rotate the tyre wall to ensure best seating of tube. Then while still only partly inflated roll the bike forward gently bouncing the wheel on the ground for a full rotation to release any tube that may be pinched and even out the seating of the tube.
    Giant Defy 4 2014
    GT Avalanche Expert 2006
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  • I've been doing it for over 55 year snow and very seldom have to use tyre levers.

    when youv'e put th enew tube on th erim inflate it very slightly and then go round the wheel tucking it up inside the tyre. Then, starting opposite the valve push the tyre over the rim and as you work round pinch the tyre from bot sides so that it settles down into the well of the rim - this ensures that you can get the tyre over the rim, once you have pushed the valve up into the tyre.

    The only tyres I have had difficulty with have been the old Hutchinson Kevlar of the 1980s- especially the 18mm version.
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    Make sure you put some air in the tubes before putting the tyre back on, as it keeps it away from the wall, also carry a tiny bit of talc!
    Yes, talc always helps slide the last bit of tyre on very tight combinations, saves using the tyre levers which often cause pinches
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