{"id":5152,"date":"2017-07-19T10:40:58","date_gmt":"2017-07-19T14:40:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/elbowglitter.com\/blog\/?p=5152"},"modified":"2017-07-19T10:40:58","modified_gmt":"2017-07-19T14:40:58","slug":"fix-flat-tire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elbowglitter.com\/blog\/2017\/07\/19\/fix-flat-tire\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Fix a Flat Tire"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Look, I look like I know what I’m doing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This weekend, I did a small clinic at Princeton Sports on what to do when you are out riding and you get a flat tire. \u00a0Given the number of people who showed up at the ride who admitted to not being able to fix a flat, I had hoped more would stay for the clinic, but I think that those who did learned a lot and hopefully feel more comfortable about dealing with a flat tire.<\/p>\n

First off, flat tires aren’t terribly common. \u00a0I’ve gotten exactly one flat tire since I started riding. \u00a0Of course, that one flat tire was during my first olympic distance<\/a> triathlon. \u00a0Thankfully, I knew what to do. \u00a0I wasn’t particularly skilled at handling a flat tire, but I had practiced at home. \u00a0I wasn’t going to let one pesky issue destroy my entire race.<\/p>\n

I have heard a number of cyclists say that if they get a flat tire, their race is over. \u00a0And if you’re racing to land on the podium, maybe that’s true. \u00a0But for the vast majority of us, there’s no need to stop if our tire goes flat. \u00a0And besides, what are you going to do if you get a flat during a training ride?<\/p>\n

And what’s the best way to learn? \u00a0Practice. \u00a0Lots and lots of practice. \u00a0If you have a clinic or a class available to you, go. \u00a0If there is a hands-on option, participate. \u00a0Learn to take your wheel off, get the tire off and change the tube.<\/p>\n

If you don’t have a class available, you can learn thanks to the internet. \u00a0The internet is an amazing place. \u00a0I actually learned to change a tire by watching a video on YouTube. \u00a0I no longer remember which video I used, but I’ve included a good one at the bottom of this post.<\/p>\n

Don’t just practice once. \u00a0Repeat the process over and over again. \u00a0Remove the tire, pull out the tube, replace the tube, replace the tire, inflate your tire. \u00a0You don’t have to use a CO2 inflator every time, use your regular bike pump. \u00a0Sit in front of the tv and have something entertaining playing in the background as you repeat the process over and over. \u00a0It will get easier. \u00a0And if you’re struggling, walk away for a few minutes, calm yourself, and come back. \u00a0You can do this, and then if you do get a flat on a training ride or during a race, you’ll know what to do.<\/p>\n

 
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