How to patch an inner tube
5 steps · about 15 minutes · Easy · last edited today by Joss
Tools you need [show]
Tyre levers, a patch kit, a pump and chalk. A bowl of water helps to find the hole.
A puncture is the most common roadside failure and the cheapest to mend. With a patch kit and two tyre levers you can be riding again in a quarter of an hour. These steps are for a tube with a small hole; a split longer than 5 mm or a cut at the valve means a new tube.
Things you will need
| Item | Notes | Quantity | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyre levers | Plastic, not metal | 2 | 3.00 |
| Patch kit | Patches, glue, sandpaper | 1 | 2.50 |
| Pump | With the right valve head | 1 | 12.00 |
| Chalk or a pen | To mark the hole | 1 | 0.20 |
| Total | 5 | 17.70 | |
Steps
- 1Take the wheel off and let out the remaining air.
Open the brake release first so the tyre clears the blocks. Press the valve core until the tube is fully soft.
- 2Lever one side of the tyre over the rim.
Start opposite the valve. Hook the first lever under the bead and onto a spoke, then run the second lever around the rim.
- 3Pull the tube out and find the hole.
Pump the tube up and listen, or pass it close to your lips to feel the air. Mark the spot with chalk.
- 4Roughen, glue, wait, then press the patch on.
Sand an area a little larger than the patch. Spread a thin film of glue and let it go dull, about three minutes, before the patch touches it.
- 5Check the inside of the tyre, refit and inflate.
Run your fingers around the casing for the thorn or glass that did the damage. Seat the bead by hand and pump to the pressure printed on the side wall.
Tip: Line up the tyre label with the valve when you refit. Next time, the position of the hole in the tube tells you where to look in the tyre. More tips.
Warning: Never use a screwdriver as a tyre lever. It will pinch the new tube and can dent an alloy rim.
Related guides
- How to replace a tube, a guide you have not opened
- How to remove a rear wheel, one you have already read
- How to choose tyre pressure, under the pointer
- How to fit a rim tape, while pressed
- How to mend a tubeless tyre, a guide nobody has written yet