I ask the generous members of Bike Forums to critique my flat fixing speech. Thanks to all from before. I need any responses ASAP.

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Did you know that more than sixty percent of people who ride bikes do not know how to repair a puncture in a tire? You may call this repairing a flat. It is required more often than any other type of repair you can do on a bike. Everyone who rides a bike, even Lance Armstrong, should know how to fix one. Although it sounds pretty hard, in reality, once you do it a couple of times it almost becomes second nature. It is really pretty simple. There are twelve steps to fixing your tire.

The first step is to take the wheel off the bike. This is easily performed on most bikes with caliper brakes by opening the “quick release” lever. The next step is to take the tire off the wheel. To do this you should pull the bead off the rim. In non-cycling jargon that means that you need to pull the tire and tube out of the metal rim on your wheel. You might need plastic tire levers to be able to take it off. The third step is to take the tube off. The tube is underneath the tire and will usually be limp and sagging, like a popped balloon, because it was punctured.

The fourth step is a bit strange. You are supposed to put air in your tube and put it under water to find the bubbles. Where the bubbles are is generally where the puncture occurred. However often you might be stuck on the side of the road with no water in sight. If you are in this type of situation, it is easiest to spritz water on the tire from a water bottle and then squeeze the tire to see where it fizzes. Repeat this procedure on each section of the tube. Once you find the hole see how big it is. If the hole isn't too big patch it using the patch kit. The patch looks like a big band-aid. If the hole is too big, replace the entire tube rather that attempting to patch it.

The next step is very important. Once you have done that check the location of the puncture on the tire to make sure there is not anything that could pop the tube again. Be sure to check the whole inside of the tire. This last step is absolutely crucial and could screw up the whole repair if you don’t do it. Next put the tire and the tube half on. With the tube partially inflated, put the valve of the tube inside the hole of the tire. Then you stuff the tube back into the tire. After that put slightly more air in the tube and then put the tire on all the way. Pump the wheel up to the maximum pressure, and then you are set to put the wheel back on your bike.

Although flats happen once in a blue moon, it is useful to know how to repair one. You may never know when this information could help you. These twelve steps may seem like a lot of information, but in reality I’ve barely scratched the surface.

could someone please help. I am desperate. This is due tomorrow morning, and I still need to writ it out on notecards

Lance Armstrong does not need to know how to fix a flat. He can afford to have a mechanic in a car behind him.

It is quicker and easier to just replace the tube than to try to find a hole in a tube on the side of the road. Wait until you get home to find the hole in the tube. The only time you should patch a tube on the road is when you have multiple flats and run out of spare tubes.

You state that there are 12 steps to fixing a flat. You didn't count them all and I lost count halfway through. If you are not going to number them all (a bad idea unless there are only a few steps), then just state that there are several main steps and list those. Don't count every minor step.

"Flats happen once in a blue moon." How often is that? I got two flats on Saturday. Were there two blue moons then? This statement is vague and cannot be supported. Better to stete that a flat can leave you stranded miles from home so you should know how to repair one.

You say you have barely scratched the surface. This leaves me wondering what information you are withholding. It also makes me think that this really isn't the simple job you said it was at the beginning.

"Although flats happen once in a blue moon"


There were, apparently, at least 5 blue moons in the 3 days of the Last Chance Randonnee.

Umm... Depending on the maturity of your audience, you might want to refrase that line.

You might also want to mention how carrying a spare tube and a pump allows you to get rolling on the road and patch the tube later. I actually carry latex gloves so that I don't get too dirty i I have to change the rear.

Actually, you might want to mention making sure the chain is threaded right when changing the rear. Maybe mention practicing at home first?

Also, nearly all tires I know of DO need tire levers, so a demonstration would probably be good. I know they can be kind of tricky if you don't know how to use them...

Hope that helps some...

Do not worry about step 4 unless you do not have a spare. Just put the new tube in & worry about trying to patch the one that was punctured later.

Also check the rim for the cause of the puncture as well. Sometimes a spoke can punch through rim tape, there could be something that was caught between the rim tape & the tube that caused the puncture, and if the rim tape is worn just the rubbing between the tube & bare rim/spoke ends can cause a puncture.

You only need to take half the tire off the rim. Also do not "run" the tire levers around the tire between the bead & rim to seperate it from the rim. This can damage the bead. Use the levers just as they were designed, as levers. After the first 2 or 3 only one lever is needed to "pry" the half tire off the rim.

I usually just replace the tube, and use co2 canister to pump it. it's pretty fast than patching it up and using hand pump.

Skip step #4 and simply install new tube.......your speech is too long.

Thanks, your comments really helped. How would you rephrase "limp and sagging" seeing as I will be speaking to freshman in high school


I also had to use the following literary devices in my speech:
allusion
metaphor
repitition
rhetorical question
paralellism

The speech has to be longer than 4 minutes and less than 5. I would have made this lot more simplified if I could. Here is the current revised edition

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Did you know that more than sixty percent of people who ride bikes do not know how to repair a puncture in a tire? You may call this repairing a flat. It is required more often than any other type of repair you can do on a bike. Everyone who rides a bike, even Lance Armstrong, should know how to fix one. Although it sounds pretty hard, in reality, once you do it a couple of times it almost becomes second nature. It is really pretty simple. There are twelve steps to fixing your tire.

Before you do anything else, empty the air from the tube. The first step is to take the wheel off the bike. This is easily performed on most bikes with caliper brakes by opening the “quick release” lever and pulling the wheel out. The next step is to take the tire and tube off the wheel. To do this you should use a plastic tire lever to move the lip of the tire over the rim. 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. The third step is to take the tube out by pulling it and the tire off the rim. The tube is underneath the tire and will usually be limp and sagging, like a popped balloon, because it was punctured.

The fourth step is a bit tricky. You are supposed to put air in your tube and put it under water to see if any bubbles come out from the tube. Where the bubbles are is generally where the puncture occurred. However often you might be stuck on the side of the road with no water in sight. If you are in this type of situation, it is easiest to spritz water on the tire from a water bottle and then squeeze the tire to see where it fizzes. Repeat this procedure on each section of the tube. Once you find the hole see how big it is. If the hole isn't too big patch it using the patch kit. The patch looks like a big band-aid. If applied properly a regular patch will last forever. The next thing you should do when applying a patch, is to sandpaper the leak area to prep it. The patch is not self adhesive so you need to add glue to the tube itself. Wait for the glue to dry before applying the patch. This may seem counter-intuitive, but you won't get a good bond if you put the patch on wet. Apply pressure on the patch and glue for sixty seconds. The patch should stay and you can continue on with the repair. If, however, the hole is too big to be patched, replace the entire tube rather that attempting to patch it.

The next step is very important. Once you have done the last stept check the location of the puncture on the tire to make sure there is not anything that could pop the tube again. Be sure to check the whole inside of the tire. This last step is absolutely crucial and could screw up the whole repair if you don’t do it right. Next put the tire and the tube half on. With the tube partially inflated, put the valve of the tube inside the hole of the tire. Then you stuff the tube back into the tire. After that put slightly more air in the tube and then put the tire and tube on all the way. Pump the wheel up to the maximum pressure, and then you are set to put the wheel back on your bike.

Although flats happen once in a blue moon, it is useful to know how to repair one. You may never know when this information could help you. It has certainly helped me many times. These twelve steps may seem like a lot of information, but in reality I’ve barely scratched the surface.

Please reply. I am getting tired and need to write out most of it on notecards. Anything else wrong with it?

Take a wheel and do a demo......that'll add a few seconds to your speech...

I was thinking of doing that. Don't know if I can do the whole thing that fast. Should I bring in one that is already punctured, or just bring in the tire and tube.

You dont have to use water. That is just a waste if you are on the trail. Just run your hand around your wheel on the inside and if your relativly lucky you will stab your self with a thorn. Then figure out where it is on the tube. Also you can just inflate the tube and turn it slowly near your face and you will hear/feel the air comming out. If it is a really small puncture then yes you will need to use water. You are giving this to none bikers though so they wont see the other problems in it.

You might mention in your first paragraph, or insert a new second paragraph, the supplies you need: a patch kit or spare tube, a tire lever, and a pump.

I just got my 1st flat in 9-months and 12,000-miles yesterday... Two shards of glass was embedded in the rear tyre. Probably took a couple miles to work themselves through the kevlar belt, then the Mr.Tuffy and finally the thorn-resistant tube with Slime. I guess I'll get some of those tyre-scrapers that the touring guys use...

Yeah, I just throw a new tube in and deal with patching the tube later.

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?

If you are giving a speech on this subject you might want to mention one point about safety. Don't change your tube where a passing car might hit you may seem like a dumb statement. Safety would be a major point not to mention in a speech about bicycles… just a thought.