Learning how to change a tire???

[Zen]

There are instructions on the box that my tubes came in. I carry it with me and secretly (well, not anymore) hope if I ever need to use it someone will come along while I'm muddling through the instructions.

[VeloVT]

I got my first two flats in a year of riding on two consecutive days last week. Luckily, because of where they occurred (& b/c the first ended up being a slow leak instead of an instant flat), I was able to change both at home.

I had witnessed tire-changing before so I knew what I had to do... But the first one still took me a really long time. The second one took me less than half the time of the first... and I feel much better about what would happen if I had to fix a flat on the road.

It was really stupid things that made the first change take such a long time -- like me being really uncoordinated when trying to figure out how to deal with getting the chain back on the cassette at the same time as slipping the dropouts back onto the wheel -- once you've done this once though, you know how to do it and it's a cinch (well maybe it is the first time for some people, but... ).

One recommendation -- don't use ultralight tubes the first time you attempt to change a tire, especially if your tires have a stiff bead. It's easy to pinch them during installation.

[SouthernBelle]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79cmQlACL6s

OR

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmNo6rFKMzE

[coyote]

Almost every plant here has thorns. I end up changing tubes a number of time a year. I practiced at home a couple of times first. I was really suprised and how easy it was. I always had problems patching the tubes so I would have to go and buy a new one. A couple of months ago I learned how to set the patch properly....apparently ya shouldn't touch the glue to see if it is dry.
I haven't tried the leverless method yet.

The worst time I had changing a tube: 25 degrees, just dawn, tube melted or frozen to the inside of the tire. I had to completely remove the tire to rip the tube out. My commute is short so I don't dress really warm. My hands and feet were like icicles by the time I was back on the road again.

[Jiffer]

I just got a tire changing lesson!

I brought my bike inside for Hubby to put my new brithday present Garmin Bike computer on (Woo Hoo!!!) ... and in the process started talking about how he and Vic (a friend cyclist) should give Vic's wife and I a tire changing lesson together. Hubby says, "Vic needs to get a tire changing lesson first." Apparently, Hubby is not impressed with poor Vic's tire changing skills!

Anywho, while he was working on the bike computer ... and after I was done staring at the sheer beauty of Baby (my bike) ... I started taking out the stuff from the guppy bag and asking questions about what you do with this and that. He finally says, "I'll give you a lesson when I'm done with the computer." And he did. He showed me a step and then I did it myself, from beginning to end, including taking off both front and back tires and putting them back on. Apparently, I have great tires that are easy to work with. They used to be his and he keeps saying he wants them back. Sorry dude! Go get your own! And he will, when he's ready to spend money on some.

He's a great teacher. I'm lucky.