If it's possible, "hands on" experience on fixing a flat ... ESPECIALLY putting the back wheel on. When riding with my buddy, we got pretty good at fixing flats as a team, but it kind of turned into me always filling the tire with the C02 (so she never got practice doing that) and her putting the wheel back on (so I never got practice at that). When I had to do it on my own once or twice, it took me forever to figure it out. One time my husband had me take off my back wheel, put it back on, take it off, put it back on several times until I got the hang of it. However, that was like six months ago or more and I haven't had to do it since and wonder how I'll do when forced to! I can always get it on eventually, but I'm wondering if I forgot the technique he taught me that makes it fairly easy. And I also always forget which gear you get into before taking your wheel off (or don't even think about it until I'm putting the wheel back on). After almost five years of riding, you'd think I'd have it all down, but the "back" tire only goes flat so often, and many times I'm with my husband or other guys who just take over and do it ... and I let them cause I don't want to hold up the group for me to dilly dally with the thing!

It's probably impractical to have "everyone" do hands on, but maybe you can do it with a few and you should at least encourage them to practice at home ... taking the wheel off and on ... and anything else they think they might not remember when out on the road.

Also, if you teach them about C02 cartridges, don't forget to tell them it's only intended to last for that ride, and that they have to let the air out and refill with their pump when they get home. I didn't know this, nor my riding partner ... or OTHER riding partner, nor my husband (gasp!) who was a pretty experienced rider. I went through several back to back rides getting flats. I finally went to buy new tires and mentioned the trouble I had been having. The guy at the bike shop says, "You know C02 only lasts a while and has to be replaced before you ride next, right?" Ummm. No?!!!! I couldn't believe my husband didn't know this either! Nor did he.