And the ironic part is that I don't think I needed to change it. The tire was slack but wasn't completely flat. I should have tried to blow it back up but didn't think of that - rookie mistake. Anyway, got the tire off without a problem, had a hard time getting the new tube in, and my girlfriend actually punctured the extra tube. So, we had no alternative to put the original tube (the one that went slack but wasn't flat) back in - and of course had a problem getting that in. Finally got it in, inflated it, and was able to ride it back home. Is there an easy way to get the tube in? Any tips? Thanks in advance to all.

Practice at home.

Blow a little air in it first.

I did that and then deflated it toward the end - seemed to make it go in easier.

Watch a youtube video...have a mechanic at your LBS show you...it's not hard but there are some tricks that will make it easier. It's one of the most important things you can learn. Get it wrong and you'll either crash or be stranded in the middle of nowhere (unless you carry a patch kit). Learn how to do it the "right" way.

Here's a link from a local shop - it has a video. It seems long at 8 minutes, but it's all there, including putting air in the tube to prevent pinching it.

https://www.wheelsporteast.com/?page_id=117

DW

It's easier on some bikes than others due to various combinations of rim & tire features.

This is my favorite flat-repair video.

As a safety check, when you finish, you can do 2 things: firstly, push the valve up into the well of the rim and then pull it down again to make sure the tube isn't trapped or twisted there. Secondly, you can make sure the tube is seated inside the tire properly and not pinched by the tire bead by pushing the tire bead aside and making sure you can't see any innertube, just your rim strip. Example in this video.

Now that you have the original tube back in your tire, did you ever figure out why it went flat in the first place? Did you just not fill it for a long time, or did it apparently have a slow leak?

Favorite for what reason - humor? I really have to get a video up if you consider this one good. Not sure I'm hitting every mistake, but:
1. He makes no prep to make removal easier, such as making sure the tire is not stuck to the rim or moving the bead to the center.
2. The easiest removal is accomplished by starting near the valve rather than opposite.
3. Sliding a tire lever along the inside may not generally cause a problem, but it's not the best practice, and not all tires can be removed with a single lever. Using two levers and then removing by hand is preferable.
4. He pulls out the tube and tosses it aside and then checks the tire randomly for problems, when it's much better to lay the tube right back on top of the tire and inflate, so you can correlate the puncture location to the tire and rim.
5. He makes no reference to looking at the appearance of the puncture so as to narrow down possible causes and prevent future problems.
6. As a mechanic I used my well-calloused fingers to feel for puncture hazards, but always cautioned non-mechanics to do so very carefully, lest one slice open a finger on a piece of glass.
7. As with removal, where one starts near the valve, it's best to end near the valve. The valve prevents pushing the tire bead fully into the smaller diameter portion of the rim when one works opposite the valve.
8. Finally, one has not fixed the flat until the tire is re-inflated, which can be the most problematic part for many people.

The key to remounting a tire is to understand that it's smaller than the rim (so it can't blow off) and doesn't stretch. So you have to find slack someplace. To understand the principle, take a moment and stack a nickle on a quarter. The quarter's bigger all the way around, but push the nickle over a bit and it overhangs the rim. Same applies to the bike tire and rim, you get the needed slack by moving the tire to the middle where the rim is deeper, so it can move over at the other end.

Because the valve will prevent the tire from going to the deepest part of the rim, start at the opposite end. Push the tire to the middle, and sliding your thumbs along in both directions, push the tire along getting as much as you can at the valve end where you'll push it over. When finished, push the valve into the tire to pull any tube that may be trapped under the bead of the tire out and clear. This last step is critical, because trapped tube will lift the tire and allow it to blow off.

Thanks for the tips, Turtle. I think it has a slow leak. I checked it this morning and it was flat. I'm taking my bike up to my LBS on Wednesday to have him fix a derailleur issue and also put on a different stem, so I'm going to have him look at it. If I wasn't going up there for those things, I would just buy a new tube and doing it myself at home - now that I know how to do it. I also have a commuter bike that kept getting flats, so my LBS guy put in a Tuff liner and that fixed it, so I might get him to put one on this bike (my road bike). Again, thanks for the tips. Appreciate it.

Got it. Although it took me a long time to do it, I started seeing the logic behind it - that made it easier. And once I got it in, I made sure none of the tube was showing and it was beaded to the tire before I blew it up - I learned how important that was from my LBS guy. I'm going to practice at home (actually, I'm buying new tires for my commuter so I can ride it on gravel soon and feel confident I can do it myself), so it won't take me as long. Just glad I was able to ride it home. Thanks!

You should do it. You can reach thousands and thousands of people in a way that text alone can't.

If it matters, you can even make a little money on them with YouTube's built-in advertising system.

Get a patch kit save some $! No need to keep replacing tubes unless its torn at the stem or its completely ruptured. I get a flat, I don't pay anything. Unless again the stem is torn or I hit a land mine

This is really only possible with Presta valves.

But others are on the right track- YouTube. And Sheldon Brown.

Let me guess----she used a screwdriver or some other tool to get the last, tough part of the bead onto the rim?

If you need to use a tool, there are some tire jacks that are designed to not pinch the tube. Park is one brand.

right on man! you got street cred now!

It is Most difficult to find the tube leak on the roadside.

No, she pinched it with one of the bike levers actually, and I'm not sure at what point she did it (in addition to using the wrong tool, she's also 'heavy handed' and can break the unbreakable - but I still love her). I guess long story short is: I changed it and now understand the logic so it will be easier to do in the future.

For a puncture flat, I can typically find the leak in the tube quicker than I can find what punctured the tire. Like others suggest, I keep my valve stems aligned with my tire logos so that I can then easily track down the object in the tire.

I agree on not patching at the roadside unless absolutely necessary though. It's far easier to be patient and clean at home.

Not to scold, but that's a good reason not to use tire levers to mount tires.

Yeah, I think we learned that lesson the hard way. But now we know, which is the important part.

Yes have a spare tube ready to go but don't toss for a puncture is what I'm saying. It may be difficult but do your best to Identify the cause of the flat on the side of the road so you don't have a second flat 1/2 mile after changing the tube