Mountain Bikes - Repairing a Flat Tire
Fixing is the most basic repair every Mountain Biker should know. Riding on uneven road and different types of terrain makes a Mountain Biker more prone to puncture than a road cyclist. In a race, pro's have to fix a puncture in less than five minutes. Just follow these basic steps and hope that you won't have to use it.
- Shift to the smallest cog by pedalling with your hands. This will make it easier to put back the wheel once your done fixing the flat.
- Undo the brakes by clamping the brake pads against the rim with your thumb and index finger. Release the lock that connects the V-brakes. If you have disc brakes just go right straight to releasing the quick release and take out the wheel.
- Use the tire levers to pry the beading of the tire out of the rim. The levers usually come in three. It has a hook at the opposite side of the flat area used to pry the beading out of the rim. The hook is used to lock the lever to the spoke while you use the second and the third lever (insert illustration on p.56, "the basic essentials of Mountain Biking").
- When all three levers are in place, take out the first one you used and pry the beading after the third. Then the second lever after the third and so on and so forth.
- Locking the lever to the spoke will prevent the beading of the tire from going back into the rim.
- Taking out one side of the beading will take a few steps. Be sure mot to take out he whole tire from the rim. One side would do.
- Remove the inner tube. Locate the puncture by pumping air into the tube and feel the air coming from the tube.
- Once you have located the puncture, take out your repair kit. Use the use the abrasive pad to make the surface of the tube rough. This will create a better bond with the patch.
- Apply glue on the rubber and cut a piece of patch a little bit bigger than the hole.
- Stick the patch on the rubber and apply pressure for a few minutes.
- If you have a spare than just use you spare and fix the punctured tube when you get home.
- Now, place the tire valve into the whole for it in the rim. Insert the tube around the tire. Use the levers to insert the beading of the rim into the rim. Be sure that the tubing is inside the tire and does not stick out the rim. After putting the tire back in place of the rim, you can start pumping air into the tire.
Fixing a flat tire is not as hard as it looks. If you know how to fix the flat tire of your bike, it would not be a problem if in case it happens to you somewhere in the mountains alone.
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