Fix Your Stuff Community Store

Patching a Bicycle Tire Inner Tube

Introduction

You will be taking the wheel off of your bike, removing the tire from the wheel, and patching the hole.

Notes:

  • Make sure that the wheel is fully deflated throughout the process, except for finding the hole.
  • When applying the rubber cement to the hole the thinner the layer the better, for faster drying.

What you need

  1. Patching a Bicycle Tire Inner Tube, Inner Tube: step 1, image 1 of 1

    • Press the valve core while applying pressure to the tire to deflate the tire.

    Edit

  2. Patching a Bicycle Tire Inner Tube: step 2, image 1 of 2 Patching a Bicycle Tire Inner Tube: step 2, image 2 of 2

    • Insert the flat part of a tire lever under the tire coping. Apply pressure to the other end of the lever to lift the tire up and out of the wheel.

    • Slide the lever around the circumference of the wheel to completely remove the tire.

    • Alternatively, if you have multiple tire levers, see if you can clip the first lever to a spoke to keep it in place. Then insert the second lever a few inches away. Clip it to a spoke. Insert the third lever a few more inches along. Take out the second lever and insert it it a few inches past the third. Work along the rim until the tire pops off.

    Edit

  3. Patching a Bicycle Tire Inner Tube: step 3, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the tube by pushing the valve through the hole in the rim and pulling the tube out from under the tire.

    Edit

  4. Patching a Bicycle Tire Inner Tube, Patching a Bicycle Tire Inner Tube: step 4, image 1 of 2 Patching a Bicycle Tire Inner Tube, Patching a Bicycle Tire Inner Tube: step 4, image 2 of 2

    • Locate the leak by first over inflating the tire.

    • Place the tire under water and look for bubbles to find the leak.

    Edit

  6. Patching a Bicycle Tire Inner Tube: step 5, image 1 of 1

    • Mark the hole with a marker, and completely deflate the tire.

    Edit

  7. Patching a Bicycle Tire Inner Tube: step 6, image 1 of 1

    • Select a patch kit that you will use to patch the hole. Try to pick a patch that is appropriate for the size of the hole.

    Edit

  8. Patching a Bicycle Tire Inner Tube: step 7, image 1 of 1

    • Clean the area near the hole with soap and water, then dry it thoroughly.

    • Rough up the area around the hole with an abrasive surface such as sand paper until the area around the leak loses its shine.

    Edit

  9. Patching a Bicycle Tire Inner Tube: step 8, image 1 of 1

    • Apply rubber cement to an area around the hole that is bigger than the patch to ensure that the patch bonds completely.

    Edit

  10. Patching a Bicycle Tire Inner Tube: step 9, image 1 of 1

    • Apply the patch to the area.

    Edit

  11. Patching a Bicycle Tire Inner Tube: step 10, image 1 of 1

    • Apply pressure to the patch until the rubber cement is dry.

    Edit
Conclusion

To reassemble your bike, follow these directions from step 6

One other person completed this guide.

Author

with 5 other contributors

Brett Hartt

Member since: 04/12/10

127,876 Reputation

143 Guides authored

Badges: 52

+49 more badges

Team

iFixit Member of iFixit

Staff

135 Members

16,731 Guides authored

0 Comments

Add Comment

View Statistics:

Past 24 Hours: 0

Past 7 Days: 3

Past 30 Days: 9

All Time: 1,847