If your bicycle's rear tire suffers damage, you will have to install a replacement before the bicycle will be safe to ride again. This will require the use of a few basic hand tools, plus a specialized tool known as a tire lever, designed to help make the process of removing the old tire from the wheel rim a little less difficult. The installation process may also require the replacement of the tire tube, depending on the condition of the component.
Step 1
Remove the nuts securing the rear wheel axle in place. Move the rear wheel forward and lift the chain free of the rear sprocket. Remove the rear wheel from the bicycle frame. Locate and remove the protective cap from the end of the air valve. Open the air valve to deflate the tire tube.
Step 2
Insert the flat end of the tire lever between the edge of the tire and the rim of the wheel. Push down on the lever to lift the edge of the tire free of the wheel. Fit the hooked end of the lever onto one of the spokes of the bicycle wheel; this will serve to keep the tire from falling back into place.
Step 3
Move several inches to the right of the first lever and insert a new tire lever. Push down on the lever and clip it in place as before. Continue in this manner until the tire comes free of the wheel. Extract the air valve from the hole in the wheel rim. Remove the tire and set it aside.
Step 4
Fit the bicycle tube's valve into the head of the bicycle pump. Inflate the tube and check for leaks. Deflate the tube, then extract it from the old tire if no leaks are present, or discard it in favor of installing a new tube.
Step 5
Inflate the tire tube enough for it to begin to take form, then insert the tube into the replacement tire. Position the tire next to the wheel rim and fit the valve into the slot on the rim. Insert one end of the wheel rim into the the tire. Slowly work your way around the rest of the wheel rim until the tire is completely installed.
Step 6
Replace the rear wheel back into the bicycle frame. Push the wheel forward and lift the chain over the rear sprocket. Pull the wheel back into position, then bolt the ends of the wheel axle into place. Remove any kinks from the bicycle tube by fully inflating, then deflating, the tube. Inflate the tube one more time, then place the protective cap back onto the valve.
Things You'll Need
- Open end wrench
- Allen wrench
- Tire levers
- Bicycle pump
- Replacement bicycle tube (optional)
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