Oh my. I don't even remember when I lost my tire virginity. And they say you never forget the first time!

I use heavy duty tubes that have slime inside & don't care about the added weight. At any given time during the month, I may have added or lost that much weight on my body! However, those tubes can be a pain to put in, so I keep regular tubes for road use.

Here are some tips:

Taking the tire off: Use your tire tools to get the edge of the tire flipped over the rim. When you get a good 3-4" of tire off of the rim, you should be able to use a tire tool to flip the rest off (put it between the tire & rim & run it around the tire). Don't take the tire all the way off - leave one side in the rim.

Remove the tube. Look for the hole. Cuss & throw away the tube (that's my story - you may be able to find the hole.) Note - I always pack my old tubes back & throw them away at home.

OK, here's the good stuff.

When you buy a new tube, take it out of the box & rub it lightly with cornstarch - sort of drizzle it between the folds. Now, put it in a baggie & put it in your seat pack. Now the tube just slides in the rim rather than sticking (and possibly sticking between your rim & tire causing the dreaded "snake bites." More about that later)

You have your tire halfway off (one edge of the tire is still in the rim.) Put a little air in the tube - just enough to give it some shape. You might be able to just blow some air in with your lungs. Put the valve in the hole & work the tube around in the rim. It may fall out, that's OK. Do the best you can.

Now - without tire tools - start to flip the tire back under the rim using your hands. Tire tools may pinch & puncture your tube, so hands are important. Get the part of the tire that is next to the valve in first - that's the hardest part. Move around the tire being careful to not catch the tube (which has a little air in it to give it shape) between the tire & rim. The last part may be difficult - that's why practice is good.

This is where you insure against snake bites. Inflate the tire just a little so that it is semi-hard but still soft enough that you can push the sidewall in & see the bottom of your rim. Push that side wall in all the way around, both sides, making sure that the tube isn't caught between the rim & tire.

You're done. Inflate the tire, get it on the bike & ride like the wind!