Originally Posted by
macteacher
The only thing I did not do, is pull the tire off the rim, because my forks are slightly bent and its really tough putting the tire back on. In fact its a pain in the but. I need someone pulling the forks apart so I can slide the tire in its place.
So you tried to fix the flat with out taking the wheel off the bike? I would not recommend that. Every time I change a flat I remove the tire an tube. Get somewhere with good lighting or use a flashlight. Inspect the rim. Inspect the tube visually. If you use your fingers before looking don't be surprised when you slice your finger open on the small piece of glass that popped your tube.
One thing I have been doing is I mark where the tube is in the tire before I take it out. That way when I find the hole in the tube I can match up the tire to that spot and look extra hard for debri in the tire. Patches are nice for emergencies but for commuting or any kind of longer riding a spare tube is nice.