Just a question ... have you ever actually changed a tire? How many? Are you reasonably proficient at it, and do the steps feel natural to you?

If you have not changed a tire, or if you've only changed one or two and you still feel very uncomfortable doing it ... what would have been a good idea, but is probably too late now, is for you to actually change a tire several times and document your steps.

I replied to your previous post with a whole list of short steps for changing a tire. I created that list by sitting down and changing a tire and documenting the steps.


But a few comments on your speech ...

1. How do you know that 60% of people who ride bicycles don't know how to change tires? In my circles 100% of people who ride bicycles DO know how to change tires. If we didn't we would be in deep trouble.

2. "Before you do anything else, empty the air from the tube. The first step is to take the wheel off the bike." -- You've got step 1 happening after step 2. Also why do you have to empty the air from the tube ... if you've got a flat, chances are the air is gone already.

3. "This is easily performed on most bikes with caliper brakes by opening the “quick release” lever and pulling the wheel out." -- The type of brakes have nothing to do with the quick release. I believe this was addressed in your previous post, but you have not correct the information here.

4. "When I say lip, I mean the part of the tire that comes in contact with the rim. The rim is the side of the wheel, where the tire lip rests and is also the part that the brakes grab on to." -- Bring the wheel and show them, don't try to do a wordy and unclear explanation.

5. The whole water thing is all right if there is actually a puddle nearby, but if not, don't bother with spritzing the tube, you'd have to empty your whole bottle on the tube. Instead, before you take the tube out of the tire, mark the location of the valve on the tire. That way you've got a reference point between the tube and tire. Then take the tube out of the tire. Then pump up the tube and systematically squeeze the tube and LISTEN for a hissing noise. You can also LOOK for a hole. Once you find it, line up your reference points again, and then search the tire in the area where you found the hole for foreign objects. Remove the foreign objects from the tire. If you do not do this step, you will likely flat again 50 ft up the road. And when you do this step like this, you can save yourself the trouble of checking the whole tire.

6. Most people I know don't patch their tires on the road. They put a new tube in and save the patching for when they've run out of tubes, or later, after the ride.


You've still included that blue moon comment ... what kind of tires do you use?