How To Fix A Puncture On A Bike | Expert Tips

Whether you ride on the road, on the bikeway, or out on the trails, there’s always one thing that’ll get you eventually: punctures. They’re frustrating, unexpected, and they always come at the most inconvenient times. But there’s no reason why they should put an end to your day on the bike. Sure, you won’t be going anywhere on a flat tyre – but with the right advice, you can fix a puncture on a bike pretty easily.

That’s where we come into it! We have written up a quick list on how to fix a puncture on a bike. And if you have a read, you’ll probably notice that it’s a lot easier than you thought.

The first part of learning how to fix a puncture on a bike is learning how to remove the inner tube

Bike tyres are pretty basic; they consist of the outer tread and an inner tube. For this guide on how to fix a puncture on a bike, we will be focusing on the inner tube. The inner tube is where the air goes, and therefore where the pressure is held. So if you can repair your inner tube, you know all you need to about how to fix a puncture on a bike. But before you can start, you need to get the inner tube out. You’ll be pleased to know that this is probably the hardest part – and it’s not too hard at all! All you need is a tyre lever to begin with, and your bike shop should stock them. Simply let any remain air out of your tyre, then force the lever between the tyre and the rim – that’s known as the bead. From there, you should be able to force the tyre off the rim and remove the tube.

You will need a puncture repair kit for this step: start by lightly sanding the damaged area

Another thing you will need to repair a puncture on a bike is a puncture repair kit. Again, your bike shop will have some available. In this kit, there should be a little bit of sandpaper. Simply use this to lightly sand the damaged part of the inner tube. This will abrade the surface and give the solution in our next step something to stick to. However, it’s important not to sand it too much!

Apply the rubber solution in your puncture repair kit to the sanded area of the tyre

Once you’ve finished lightly sanding the rubber, you can apply the solution from your repair kit. This solution is similar to glue, but distinctly designed for these applications. To get a handle on how to repair a puncture on a bike using this solution, we will need to jump forward one step quickly and look at the patches. The amount of glue solution that you need to apply depends on the size of the patches you use. Simply apply enough solution to cover the affected area – and make sure there’s enough to adhere the patch.

When you fix a puncture on a bike, you do need to be a little delicate – here’s how to do that

Now it’s time to get the patch over the hole in your tyre. This is where you need a little bit of delicacy. When you peel off the wrapping around the patch, make sure you don’t handle the side that you’re applying to the tube. If you do, it could get dirt on it, which would impede the integrity of the repair. With that in mind, carefully apply the patch and hold it firmly over the damaged areas for about one minute. After that, you should be good to go!

When people ask us how to repair a puncture on a bike, our advice is always take it steady

Our advice on how to repair a puncture on a bike is always the same: take it steady. The process has plenty of different steps, and it takes a while to get a hang of. So once you’ve applied the patch and it has set, don’t rush to put the tube back in your tyre. Before you do, we recommend pumping air into it again and making sure that the patch holds. If it does, congratulations – you now know how to repair a puncture on a bike!

If you still need more advice on how to fix a puncture, get in touch with the experts on (07) 3269 1213.