HELP! I took my brothers bike and got a flat and need to change it before he gets ba
 

So here is my situation. I took my brothers beautiful 2008 Trek Madone 5.1 out for a spin today. I was about to finish my ride when I felt the rear tire get loose pressure. I got off the bike and after about an hour it went flat! I have to change it out for him but I'm having a world of trouble. I've never changed a flat before.

I was able to go onto youtube and get the back wheel off. Here is the obstacle I am running into:

1. The tire is a Bontrager Race X Elite AC. I am looking at the tube inside the wheel and it looks all like 1 continuous piece. The tube does not pull out. Is this a tubeless tire or am I just not seeing something.

2. If its tubeless can I just blast some sealant into it and then pump it up with air or am I screwed and have to buy a new tire?

2. The tire is a 700x23. If there is a tube can I get any 700x23 to replace it with???

3. If there is a tube in this sucker how do I get it out?

Any help would be appreciated. I have to get this done tonight before my brother gets home and all the local bike shops are closed!!!

If tire is glued to rim (ie one solid tube) it's a tubular and you are SOL. 'Fess up and take your beating! :)

Otherwise, get one side of the tire off the rim, pull inner tube out. Replace (many videos on this - google changing flat tire).

Why bother to fix it? Just wipe it down and put it back where you got it. If your brother asks about the flat tire, shrug your shoulders and say, "I don't know".

Awesome. Best of luck to you and let us know how it turns out.

Oh the skunk smell of bad karma that comes along with this suggestion.

I would think that it's unlikely that a 5.1 would have tubulars, but maybe so. If they're tubs..... go find a sixer of his favorite beer, and then you'll be coughing up some bucks for a tubular tire.

Now watch this.....

http://www.ehow.com/video_4415599_re...tire-tube.html

disclaimer, I can't play this on my work computer. If it's not well done, I apologize.

Otherwise, google "fix a flat bicycle tire video" and you'll get more choices than you can possibly watch.

You might not want to change it now. I know if this happened to me I would want to change it myself and not have the rims potentially scratched or the tube not replaced properly.

Just my 2 cents though

How is brother likely to react to the fact that you took his baby out for a ride?

Img_0526.jpg

What he said. I've gone down to ride my bike a couple times and it had a flat tire. I've never suspected anyone else took it out and rode it, just figured it went that way after my last ride.


A backup sixer in the fridge isn't a bad plan though.

Its possible that the tube is just stuck to the tire, I've had some tubes that I had to peel off the inside of the tire.

I've also had several flats were the tires go flat overnight, you could just put the bike back and he would figure it went flat during the day on its own.

Let me try that again.

Attachment 115767

I like that!

What is the right thing to do?

Don't touch the bike any further. It seems like you have absolutley no idea what you are doing (youtube tutorial was a clue), are you prepared to face the consequences if you damage the bike any further? Grow a pair and own up to what you did, you'll be more trustworthy to your brother.

this, and buy a pack of his favorite beer before he gets home

take it to the closest bike shop. Pray!!!

How old are you and your brother?

BTW, love that problem solving flow chart. GREAT!!!

My brother and I get along well. I'm just worried because he loves this bike and never usually lets me ride it, let alone take it for a 30 mile spin around the block. The tire looks like it has a tube inside that must be glued to the inside wall of the tire all the way around. I can't just pull out the tube!

This thread reminds me of when my brother dented my car.

I am 16 and he is 28...

Tubes can be pretty stuck to the tire and need some unf to get out sometimes, though if its a tubular tire and not a clincher, you're probably boned.

"a thirty mile spin around the block"

You must live on a huge block!

Seriously though, yer effed.

This.

I can't describe how pissed I was when I caught my brother attempting to change a flat after he "borrowed" my $300 (paltry in comparison to the cost of your bother's road bike) BMX bike.

Three reasons I was mad:

1. He didn't ask in the first place.
2. He tried to cover it up instead of just telling me what happened.
3. He was attempting to work on my bike. This might be the worst one.

I'd say the right thing to do is tell him what happened and offer to buy him a new tube and help him fix it. If you don't have the balls, leave it and act like you don't know what happened.

act like you know nothing. end of story.

hopefully he doesnt frequent bikeforums haha

I'm with the beer crowd and chadteck - let him fix it. If my friend rode my bike and replaced the flat after riding it (IE untested) I would take it off and redo it anyway.