Can you change a rear flat?

[lph]

To be perfectly honest, I can't remember not knowing how to. My parents were useless, and I can vaguely remember my dh teaching me some stuff, but I also remember pretty early on doing optimistic stuff like disassembling my brakes and rear derailleur and expecting to be able to assemble it all again "by eye". So I guess I've been messing with my bike too long to answer your question. I agree wholeheartedly with your mission, though! I'm giving easy wrenching lessons at work myself now, and I really enjoy teaching what I feel are important skills. Especially for women, many women I've talked to who I know are strong, skilled, confident riders and ride all through the winter, but who wait with changing summer/winter tires until their dhs can do it for them.

What tricks do you teach to make putting on the rear tire easier? Which way do you have the bike?

[callmej]

Once on a group ride, a guy flatted the rear tire. When he pulled out his baggie with the spare tube, he had also stuffed in one of those thin latex medical gloves. He put the glove on his right hand and always used that hand when removing and replacing the chain in order to keep his hands clean -which I thought was a great idea.

To answer the question, I have and can change a flat rear tire, but I am not fast.

[Biciclista]

i have never successfully done it. I have so many issues including tight skewers, not remembering what gear to get the bike into, tires too hard to get off the rims...
fortunately for me, I am generally with my husband who can change a rear flat in 7 minutes when I am on long rides, and other times, I am in the city near mass transit.
Once I had to walk a mile...

[Trek-chick]

I can change a rear flat. I learned by teaching myself. I have a good bicycle maintenance/repair book that I refer to frequently.

I decided to practice changing tires/tubes at home before starting to commute to work. I did not want to be stuck somewhere not knowing what to do.

[Owlie]

Ha, I just came back in from changing a front flat. (Hopefully I put it back on right and won't give myself a pinch flat...)

Yes, I can change a rear flat (though it takes me forever to do so). DBF showed me how to change a tire, but it still took me having to do it myself (while juggling the book and calling him for tips) to really figure out how to do it. It's not changing the tube that's the problem. It's not even the grime that's the problem. My problem is getting the wheel on and off the bike by myself. The tires are slightly too wide for the brakes (even deflated), and the wheel likes to hang up forward of the dropouts and requires a heck of a lot of wiggling, cajoling, and swearing to get back on.

However, I do feel more confident in changing one out on the road/trail, even if I have to flag someone down just to hold the bike still.