Learning how to change a tire???

[Jiffer]

Does anyone know of a good site that teaches how to change a tire? I have everything I need to change one, just don't know what to DO with it! DH hasn't given me a lesson yet, so I just make sure I have my cell phone with plenty of numbers of people who can come and rescue me! He does intend to show me how, but I figure in the mean time, it wouldn't hurt to read about it on-line.

I AM proud to announce that I am fully capable of filling my own tires with air now! I had a tire pumping disability, which actually left me in tears one day. I was trying not to wake DH because he needed extra sleep, but finally had to. He was so sweet and couldn't believe I was actually crying!

Anyways, I finally got my real lesson in using the tire pump and did it all by myself, unsupervised today even.

[Fredwina]

http://www.parktool.com/repair/index.asp
and then click on the region you want to fix

[Jones]

I sat at my computer and used this. http://www.teamestrogen.com/articles/asa_levers.asp
I follow what they say, but use levers on my road tires. I strongly recommend that you change your first flat in the comfort of your own home.

[bikerz]

I sat at my computer and used this. http://www.teamestrogen.com/articles/asa_levers.asp
I follow what they say, but use levers on my road tires. I strongly recommend that you change your first flat in the comfort of your own home.

I concur! Its good practice to change tires at home, over and over again. I love the "no levers" method - I have a hard time with levers myself, and I've had a few snap on me, which is painful and startling! I think some tires can be very hard to remove and replace without levers, but I guess I've been lucky with mine so far. Practice, practice!

Also, many bike shops and clubs will give classes or workshops in basic bike maintenance, including changing and patching tires - maybe there's a class in your area.

[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.