Do It Yourself Bike Repair - Flat Tire

Hi,
I’ve been using YouTube to repair my back tire flat on my Bianchi bike.  I find I feel like I really own the bike now that I’ve been able to take the back tire off, remove the tire and the tube all in under 2 hours.

Some tips - don’t start the quick release of the tires until you’ve disengaged the brakes.  Always shift to the highest gear first (smallest gear) so you can figure out getting the gears back on the derailed.

Disengaging brakes - biggest thing is that the you can get enough loose cable when you squeeze the the 2 sides together to allow you to get the little clipping device free of the cable - its all about getting the fattest part clear of the clip then the cable comes free easily.  I don’t have all the parts names memorized but you’ll be able to figure it all out from the YouTube videos I’ll Link below that helped me get the job done:

How to Unlock Bike Brakes
How to Remove Back Bike Tire
How to Replace Bike Tire and Tube

I highly recommend Park Tools for carrying with you on the bike and to have available whenever you need to do bike repair.  My many thanks to all that publish videos for bike repair - you make bike ownership fun and rewarding.

My tires are 700 x 38C and seem to run best for me at 70 PSI so far.  It’s all about the load you have on the tire and what the max pressure is on the tire.  It’s best to give yourself at least a 10 PSI room in the tire for load - more if the load increases - be sure not run below 60 PSI or you’ll loose efficiency and risk more punctures.

I’ll get some pictures to add the post next time I’m on the bike to add to the post and when I next replace my regular weather tires with all weather tires.

No matter your age or physical condition you can work on bikes, especially the new models that have quick release wheels and aluminum bodies.  The rest is all about how to use YouTube and Amazon to get great instruction and excellent product lines.

Happy Trails everyone and keep on believing in the possibilities.

Sincerely,
Melissa Blanchard