Friday, November 19, 2010

How do I change my bike tires?

i need a step by step how-to on this one. summer time is coming and I wanna go mountain biking.How do I change my bike tires?
First you have to take the wheel off the bike. To do this you have to release the tension in the brake cable if you have V.brakes. Squeeze the brake pads together and the brake cable should be able to be released from one side. Then you have to release the skewer(the rod that clamps the axle to the fork), and take the wheel off. One side of the skewer has a lever; move the lever out, away from the bike. If your tire is not flat, you have to let most of the air out of the tire. Lay the wheel on its side and use a tire lever to loosen the tire from the rim; go all the way around one side until the bead of the tire (the inside edge of the tire) is completely off the rim. If you need to get the tube out , now is the time. Push the valve stem out of the rim and remove the tube. Then remove the tire by hand. You have to kinda roll the tire off the rim.



To put the tire / tube back on, first put the tire on the rim. One bead of the tire inside the rim, the other on the outside. Insert the tube now, making sure you put the valve stem thru the hole in the rim. Shove the tube inside the tire, then work the bead that is not within the rim until its most of the way inside the rim. The last foot or so of tire wont go in easily. Use your tire lever to 'shoehorn' it around, then take your hands and 'roll' the tire as you pull on it away from your body. The tire will now be all inside of the rim. Put in a few pounds of air in the tube and check to see that the tire bead is seated on the rim. Work your hands all the way around the tire. Then add a little more air and work your hands around the tire again, checking to make sure the tire is seated and the tube is not sticking out anywhere. Put the wheel back on the bike and then pump the tire up to your running pressure. Dont forget to rehook up the brake cable and tighten the skewers before you ride....How do I change my bike tires?
Heres a how to video: http://www.ehow.com/video_224_change-fla鈥?/a>
If you have to ask, you might want to pay a bikeshop to do it.

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