How to Remove and Install a Bicycle Tire & Tube, by Park Tool on YouTube. 9 min 39 s.
- Video length
- 9 min 39 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Shift the chain onto the smallest cog at the rear, or open the brake quick release at the front, then release the wheel quick release or thru axle and lift the wheel out.
Let all air out of the tube by pressing the valve. For a Presta valve, unscrew the small nut at the tip first.
Push the tire bead away from the rim wall all the way around on both sides so the bead sits in the rim's center channel.
Hook the first tire lever under the bead and clip it to a spoke. Slide a second lever about 10 cm along and run it around to free one side of the tire.
Reach in and pull the tube out, starting at the valve. Push the valve through the rim hole last.
Run a finger or a cloth around the inside of the tire and rim to find the cause of the flat, such as a thorn, glass or a protruding spoke. Remove it.
Fit one bead of the tire onto the rim by hand. Inflate the new tube just enough to hold its shape, then push the valve through the rim hole.
Tuck the tube inside the tire all the way around, then work the second bead onto the rim with your hands. Use levers only for the last few centimeters.
Check that the tube is not pinched under the bead, then inflate slowly to the pressure printed on the tire sidewall.
Refit the wheel, close the brake quick release, and spin the wheel to check the tire sits evenly and the brakes do not rub.
Tips and common mistakes
Push the bead into the rim's center channel while fitting the tire, since this gives you the slack to get the last section on by hand.
Find the flat's cause before fitting a new tube, or the same sharp object will puncture it again.
Use a tire boot on the inside of a large cut in the tire casing so the new tube does not bulge through.
Check tire pressure with a gauge before every ride to reduce pinch flats.
Questions
Do I need special tools to change a bike inner tube?
Two tire levers and a pump are usually enough. A valve core tool and a tire boot help with stubborn valves and damaged tires.
How do I know which inner tube to buy?
Match the tube to the tire size printed on the sidewall, such as 700x25c, and to your valve type, Presta or Schrader. The tube's width range must cover your tire width.
Why does my tube keep going flat in the same spot?
Something is still stuck in the tire or rim, or a spoke is poking through the rim tape. Check the inside of the tire and the rim bed carefully before fitting a new tube.
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.
