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Cycling is a fantastic way to enjoy the outdoors, explore your surroundings and stay fit. If you like cycling, you know how important it is to always be well prepared. Whether you are an experienced cyclist or just enjoy cycling recreationally, a flat tire can always happen. Fortunately, patching your own bicycle tire is a simple and useful skill to have.
If you know how to patch your own tire, you can quickly get back on the road without the help of a bicycle repair shop. In this step-by-step plan I will show you step by step how to patch your own bicycle tire, so that you are always prepared for a flat tire.
To patch your bicycle tire, you will need the following supplies:
Complete bicycle tire repair kit - A set consisting of sandpaper, self-adhesive patches, glue and plastic tire levers. Buy a complete bicycle tire repair kit here.
Bicycle pump or high-pressure hand pump
Bucket with water
Cloth or paper towel
Make sure you have these supplies on hand before you start patching your bike tire so you can get the job done without interruption. Not sure which bicycle pump is best? View our article about the best bicycle pumps of 2024 here.
Patching a bicycle tire may seem complicated, but with the right supplies and this step-by-step explanation, you can easily do it yourself.
Before you start patching your bicycle tire, it is useful to remember the following most common mistakes:
Do not stick your tire outside with the glue and self-adhesive patches if it is colder than 10 degrees outside, the glue will not work properly and you will quickly find yourself with a flat tire again. NB; an opened tube of solution loses its adhesive power after six months.
Do not check the valve beforehand; sometimes it is broken or loosened and that is where the problem lies.
There may be multiple holes in the inner tube, so check the entire tire and don't stop after finding the first hole.
Do not buy special tire patch spray, also known as 'breakdown spray'. The substance that comes out of this spray can clog the tire with a sticky gunk.
Before you start patching your tire, it is useful to check whether the valve is loosened or broken. In addition, you should check the tire for sharp objects and if you come across any, you should carefully remove them.
Turn the bicycle upside down so that you can easily access the wheel. Before you do this, place cardboard or paper on the ground so that your bicycle is not damaged. If you have an e-bike or electric bicycle, ask someone to help you turn the bike upside down!
Then loosen the tire on one side with 3 plastic tire levers. Your tire levers can damage the inner tube if used carelessly. It is therefore important that the tire is carefully removed from the rim with the tire levers.
First you need to loosen the valve from the wheel and rim. Then remove the inner tube from the tire. Also check the inside of the tire for a sharp object. If a pointed object comes out from the inside of the tire, handle it carefully.
Inflate the inner tube to make it easier to find the leak. Then start at the valve and walk down the entire inner tube with your ear close to the tire. Can't find the leak this way? Then grab a bucket of water and go down the entire tire while it is under water. If you see bubbles rising, you have found the hole and the air is escaping there!
If there is a large tear in the tire, the entire tire must be replaced. For this it is best to go to the bicycle repair shop who will put in a new inner tube! Is there a small leak? Then you can easily repair your flat bicycle tire yourself!
Take a marker or piece of chalk and mark the spot where the puncture is and deflate the tire. After you have marked the puncture and deflated the tire, you can start sanding the tire.
Apply glue to the roughened area where the hole is. Let it dry for 5 minutes and then apply the self-adhesive patch to the glue. Press the sticker firmly so that it sits properly on the tire.
Push the valve through the hole in the rim and screw the valve ring back on so that the inner tube stays in place. Then inflate the tire slightly and gradually reinsert the inner tube into the tire. Be extra careful with the part of the inner tube where the sticker is located. Once this is done, inflate the inner tube completely until you have the correct tire pressure. Now you have an inflated inner tube and you can start cycling again! You now also know forever how to patch a bicycle tire in 8 simple steps.
If the inner tube can no longer be patched or if after reading these steps you think that you will not be able to patch your tire. You can always go to your local bicycle shop so that the bicycle repairman can replace your inner tube. We have also posted a video below where you can take a closer look at the steps:
After following these steps, your tire and therefore your steel horse will be ready to hit the road again. Do you want to complete your bike and have the ability to navigate everywhere? Then choose a bicycle phone holder from R2B Store. The fine for using your phone while cycling has been increased to 160 euros in 2024. Make sure you save money and travel safely with a phone holder from R2B.
