How to Fix a Flat Tire on a BMX Bike🪛🛞, by Billy Perry on YouTube. 1 min 21 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 21 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Flip the bike upside down on a soft surface or stand it in a work stand so the wheel spins freely.
Undo the axle nuts with the right spanner and lift the wheel out of the frame. Note the order of any washers.
Let all the air out, then push a tire lever under the bead and hook it to a spoke. Work around the rim with a second lever.
Pull the tube out, keeping the tire on the rim, and check the inside of the tire for thorns, glass or sharp edges.
Inflate the tube a little and dip it in water. Mark the bubble leak, then dry the tube.
Roughen the area around the hole with the sandpaper in the kit, spread glue and let it go tacky for a minute.
Press the patch on firmly and hold it for a minute. For a large hole or a torn valve, fit a new tube instead.
Push one side of the tire back onto the rim, tuck the tube in starting at the valve, then seat the second bead by hand.
Inflate slowly to the pressure on the tire sidewall and check the bead sits evenly all the way round.
Refit the wheel, tighten the axle nuts evenly and spin the wheel to check it runs straight and clear.
Tips and common mistakes
Find the cause of the puncture before fitting the tube, or the new one will go flat the same way.
Use tire levers, not screwdrivers, so you do not pinch the tube or scratch the rim.
If the hole is bigger than a pea or the tube is old and cracked, replace it rather than patching.
Check tire pressure before every ride to avoid pinch flats on kerbs and landings.
Questions
Do I need to take the wheel off to fix a flat?
It is much easier on a BMX. The bolt-on axle comes off with two spanners, and you can work on the tube on a bench instead of on the bike.
Can I fix a hole in the tire itself?
Small cuts can be booted with a patch of old tube or a tire boot inside the tire. A large tear or a split sidewall means a new tire.
How tight should the axle nuts be?
Snug and firm with a spanner, not overtightened. The wheel should spin freely and sit straight in the dropouts.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
