How do I change the flat my daughters bike has.?

Question

My daughter has a flat on her bike. I had a guy in the area look at it he said we need a new tube that goes inside the tire. My daughter is 7 so her bike is a normal kids bike. Does the inside tube come in different sizes? And how do I change the thing. Do I have to unscrew the tier off? Thanks for your help.

Answer 1

Ok, changing a flat tire is really rather easy.  There are a ton of websites that can give you directions, but it boils down to this.  (you'll need supplies, tire levers and a new tube.  You should be able to look at the sidewall of the tire and see the size.  Write that down (or take the wheel to a bike shop) and they'll get you the right size tube.

1- remove wheel from the bike.  You'll probably need to undo some bolts (assuming the bike doesn't have a quick-release skewer).  Take a couple pictures with a digital camera as a "before" so you know what it is supposed to look like.  This is good advice for all bike repairs.

2- pull tire bead off the rim.  The best way to do this is with a tire lever.  You put the tire lever under the bead and pull up and out.  Sometimes you need to get 2 levers under the tire bead and then you slide around the rim so that the bead is completely off the rim.

3- remove tube from tire.  you should be able to grab it at this time.  eventually you'll get to the stem, push that up and move the tire around so you can get the stem out in one piece.

4- put new tube inbetween the wheel and tire.  I start with the stem, then push the tube up and into the gap between the tire and wheel.  eyeball it, make sure it's accurate.

5- put the tire back on the rim.  you do this by pushing/pulling/squeezing the tire onto the rim.  you may only be able to get "most" of the tire back on.  The last bit is hard and I'll usually use a tire lever to push the rest of it on.

6- pump up the tire slowly.  gas station pumps are designed to push an ENORMOUS amount of air into car tires-- you need a floor pump (see bike shop) so you can control how much air goes in and how quickly the air goes in.  A good floor pump will have a gauge to tell you what pressure (measured in bars or PSI) you have put in the tire.  Pump up aways and look at the tire to make sure the bead stays on the rim and you've done everything right.  If you notice things going wrong (usually a bulge) stop, let the air out and try to fix the problem.

7- put the wheel back on the bike.  refer to pictures above to get it right.

Also, DO NOT USE A SCREWDRIVER like the other poster said.  A screwdriver is very likely to pinch/cut the tube and you'll be fixing another flat.  Special tools called "tire levers" exist, made out of plastic, and cost about a buck.  When you buy a new tube buy 3 tire levers (to pull the tire bead off the rim and put it back on).

Answer 2

Yes you will have to take the tire off - or at least one side (rear tire with chain) so that you can get the tube (inside) and tire (outside) back on.

Use a large flat blade s***w driver to pry the tube off the rim (metal part)  - just get it off the edge and keep going around.

Take off the old tube.

Put on the new tube - inside the tire. Align up the air hole.

Use s***w driver to get the new tire and tube back on the rim. Not necessarily easy.  Make sure you don't puncture the tube.

One the tire and tube are back on the rim, fill the tube with air.

Probably having it repaired at a bike shop won't cost very much.

Also - if the orig tube is not that bad (small puncture hole), they have can of fixit goop to put in tube - will seal it up and fill it up.  This is a one time try as it will gum up the tube.

Answer 3

any average biking enthusiast could change it for you in a few minutes, but i really don't know how to describe it to you in writing.  do you have any friends or neighbors that are regular riders?  if so, i guarantee that they can help you.  yes, the tubes come in sizes that correspond to the size of the tire.  otherwise take it to a bike shop.

Answer 4

Take it to a bike shop and ask them how you could go about fixing it yourself! If they sell bikes they know how to help you!