When your tire gets a serious puncture, the tube may be patchable or quickly replaced, but the tire may also be damaged. Always inspect your tire after getting a flat, because large punctures in your tire leave a hole through which the tube will bulge, quickly causing successive flats. There are several methods for quickly patching the tire, at least long enough to get you home or to the next bike shop. Tire patches are often called "boots."
Step 1
Remove the tire and tube from the wheel using tire levers.
Step 2
Examine the tire tread for glass, metal and other sharp objects, and remove them using your fingernails or the edge of a flathead screwdriver. Patching your tire is useless if you're about to tear another hole in it.
Step 3
Place a patch over the hole, inside the tire. Many bicyclists swear by a folded dollar bill as the best DIY tire patch, as it is made of sturdy paper, and you'll almost always have one on you. A small piece of an old inner tube, bicycle tire or sturdy cloth like canvas also works. Cut a piece that is small enough in width to avoid getting caught under the bead (the stiff edge of a tire that hides under the rim when installed) and long enough to cover a lengthwise puncture.
Step 4
Keeping the patched area of the tire parallel to the ground, insert the new or patched inner tube into the tire and put it back on the wheel. This ensures the boot stays in place until you reinflate the tube. Boots do not need to be glued in place; the pressure of the tire will keep them in place while you ride. If you have trouble getting the boot to stay in place while you put the tire and tube back on the wheel, you can use a small amount of rubber cement from your tube patch kit to glue it to the tire.
Step 5
Check around the rim that the inner tube is not caught under the bead, then reinflate the tire with the bike pump and put the wheel back on your bike.
Tips and Warnings
- Include a boot of the material of your choice in your tube patching kit to prepare for tire punctures on the road.
- Do not use a tire patch as a permanent solution; tires with holes will bulge slightly even with a boot in place, and can develop larger holes or additional holes, especially if the tire is old or heavily used. Replace the tire as soon as possible.
Things You'll Need
- Tire levers
- Flat-head screwdriver
- Dollar bill (optional)
- Piece of old inner tube, tire, or sturdy cloth (optional)
- Scissors or knife (optional)
- Rubber cement (optional)
- Bike pump
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