Can you change a rear flat?

[hirakukibou]

I am a bicycle riding instructor with a mission. I want to teach a many cyclists to change a rear flat as I can (especially women, although I will teach anyone ). I have a theory that when folks learn to change the rear flat, that the fear of the bicycle decreases (as does confidence and the freedom to not worry so much going out alone) and allows for the possibility of learning more mechanics. Just a thought. So, I wondered how many of you feel competent at changing a rear flat tire? If so, how did you learn? If not, what's in the way?

[Geonz]

Hmmm.... I can change a rear flat... but I really don't like to, so I get really sturdy tyres. I learned to do it because I had to. It's not that different from the front.

[TsPoet]

How's it different from changing the front? I assume you mean, can you put the rear wheel back on?

[ny biker]

I can change a rear flat, because fate messes with me by causing my rear tire to flat way more often than my front tire.

I hate it because it's messier. I always get grease on my hands putting the chain back on the cog. Maybe it's possible to do this without touching the chain, but I never seem to be able to do it.

I learned how to remove/reinstall a rear tire from the LBS guy who sold me my road bike. I asked him how to do it because I needed to remove both tires in order to fit my bike in the trunk of my car. I think it's intimidating because it seems hard to put everything back together properly when you're done.

And now that I've answered this email, I have jinxed myself and will have to change a flat tire soon....

[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...

[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.

[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.

[Velocivixen]

YES! I took a free bike clinic at my LBS last Autumn and he showed us how to do it with NO hands on. I got a handout also.
Four weeks ago I went to the same LBS for the same "How to change a flat" free class with a different instructor and he made each of us take the wheel out and after he changed the tube, made us all put the wheel back in (he demonstrated first of course). Actually doing it made all the difference in the world!

[Crankin]

I have the same issues as Mimi. I can do the skewer, get the tire off, put the new tube back in (have even done this for friends who couldn't). I have put the rear back on while practicing in the numerous workshops I have been to, but any time I have practiced at home, my bike ends up in pieces, with the chain lying on the ground. I don't like riding alone because of this. It's very hard for me to remember exactly what to do... I have a great memory for other things, but if it's steps in a mechanical process or math problem, forget it. Plus, it's very hard for me to visualize anything and I have no spatial ability.
But, my goal for this year is to feel confident with this after ten years of riding.

[Biciclista]

the best solution i can see is getting really good tires my husband has over 10,000 miles on his Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires with NO flats and he rides through glass and crumbling roads every single day in every kind of weather.

[lauraelmore1033]

I can change a rear tire. I took a beginning maintenance class. I think you're right about confidence growing from the ability to change one's own tires. When I'm riding with dh, and one or the other of us gets a flat, we divide the task of changing the tube between us; I remove and repace tube and tire and then hand off to hubby who pumps it up. We're back on the road in no time.

[Catrin]

I experimented with changing my rear tire on my LHT - tire change was EASY Getting the rear wheel back on was not More practice is required. Last night I learned that wider tires also makes things interesting!

[chryss]

I changed/fixed many flats, front and rear, with hub gears or derailleurs, in my teens and twenties, but admittedly haven't in a while. (Tires seem to have become a lot better in the last years and I was blessed with a lack of flats lately.) Because I feel a lot less competent at dinking around with my bike, I'm taking a 6 week maintenance course that starts in two weeks .