Nothing will ruin a bike ride quicker than a deflated tire. Off-road trails often feature gnarled roots and rocks embedded into the riding surface. Paved trails can have broken glass on them. These hazards may cause pinhole punctures to form in your tires. Avoid being stranded on the trail with a portable patch kit. Ride BMX Magazine recommends releasing the trapped air before pulling the punctured tire off the rim.
Step 1
Remove any thorns, rocks or shards of glass from the body of the tire. Loosen the hub bolts with a 15 mm wrench or lift the quick release levers.
Step 2
Remove the wheel from the corresponding dropouts. Place the wheel on a flat area to begin the patching process. Unscrew the small rubber cap from the tire's air valve.
Step 3
Depress the air valve stem with the hooked end of a tire lever to release any trapped air. Pull back on the body of the tire while sliding the flat end of the lever under the bead. Slide the lever around the circumference of the rim to loosen the tire bead.
Step 4
Pull the deflated tire off the metallic rim. Remove the inner tube from the hollow body of the tire. Inflate the tube with a bike pump to locate the pinhole leak.
Step 5
Rub around the pinhole with the sandpaper from the patch kit. Cut out an appropriately sized patch to cover the pinhole leak. Apply the patch kit adhesive over the affected area.
Step 6
Align your newly cut patch over the pinhole leak. Allow the adhesive to dry for 30 minutes to an hour before placing the tube back into the tire. Stretch the tire back over the metallic rim.
Things You'll Need
- 15 mm wrench
- Tire lever set
- Bike pump
- Patch kit
- Scissors
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