Fix a Flat Bike Tire
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What you will learn
- 1Spot the signs of a flat bike tire
- 2Name the tools for a puncture repair and what each one does
- 3Find the hole in an inner tube by listening or looking for bubbles
- 4Patch a tube or fit a new one in the right order with a grown-up
- 5Explain why a grown-up checks the wheel and brakes before riding
Mini Lesson
A flat tire can stop a bike ride in its tracks - but it does not have to end the day. Inside most bike tires is a soft rubber inner tube full of air. A thorn, a sharp stone, or a bit of glass can poke a tiny hole in it, and the air slowly leaks out. With a few simple tools and a grown-up to help, you can find that hole, patch it or fit a new tube, and be riding again.
🏠 The Life Skills Way (step by step)
- SPOT THE FLAT: the tire feels soft when you squeeze it, the bike feels bumpy and slow, or the tire looks squashed at the bottom.
- WHEEL OFF: with a grown-up, open the quick-release lever or undo the nuts with a wrench, and lift the wheel out.
- AIR OUT, TIRE OFF: let out any air left, then hook tire levers under one side of the tire and lift that side off the rim.
- FIND THE HOLE: pull out the inner tube, pump in a little air, and listen for a hiss - or dip it in a bucket of water and look for bubbles.
- FIND THE CAUSE: check the inside of the tire for the thorn or glass that made the hole - carefully, with a grown-up, so it does not cut you or pop the new tube.
- PATCH OR SWAP: rough the area around the hole with sandpaper, add glue if your kit needs it and let it dry, then press the patch on firmly and hold it - or fit a new tube.
🚲 Put It All Back
- TUBE IN: put a little air in the tube so it has shape, then tuck it back inside the tire with the valve through its hole in the rim.
- TIRE ON: push the tire edge back over the rim with your thumbs, working all the way around.
- PUMP IT UP: pump the tire to the pressure written on the side of the tire - not more, not less.
- WHEEL ON AND CHECK: refit the wheel. A grown-up checks that it is tight and straight and that the brakes work before anyone rides.
This lesson needs a grown-up helper. A grown-up helps take the wheel off and put it back, and ALWAYS checks that the wheel is tight and the brakes work before anyone rides - a loose wheel or weak brakes can cause a crash. Thorns and glass are sharp, so a grown-up helps check inside the tire. Keep your fingers clear of the spokes and the chain.
Words to know
puncture
A small hole in a tire or tube that lets the air leak out.
inner tube
The rubber ring inside the tire that holds the air.
tire lever
A small flat tool that hooks under the tire edge to lift it off the rim.
rim
The metal ring of the wheel that the tire sits on.
valve
The little stem on the tube where the pump goes in to add air.
patch
A small rubber piece pressed over a hole to seal it.
💡 Handy Tip: before you take the tube out, notice where the valve sits in the rim. When you find the hole in the tube, line the valve back up with the rim and you know exactly which part of the tire to check for the thorn or glass.
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