If you experience a puncture whilst you’re out cycling the easiest thing to do is to replace the punctured inner tube with a new one rather than attempt a repair on the road. You can take the punctured inner tube home with you and make the repair when you get back. Here’s how to replace your punctured inner tube with a spare inner tube if you experience a flat whilst out riding.

Here's How:

1. Removing the Wheel
First remove the wheel from the bike, typically removing the wheel through using the bike’s quick release mechanism. If the wheel is a little difficult to remove from the bike once you've unscrewed it, for instance the tyre is too inflated to go through the v-brakes you may need to remove the excess air left in the tyre to assist removal completely from the bike.


2. Removing the Tyre
Release any excess air in the tyre. Once the tyre is flat it should be relatively easy to remove from the rim of the wheel, as it should be loose enough to prise off with your hands. But you can also use some tyre levers to help prise the tyre off with if you need to.


3. Inspecting the Punctured Tube
Once you've removed the tyre from the rim you can now take out the punctured inner tube. Have a look over the tube to try and access what may have caused the puncture.


Look over the tube, if the puncture looks like two or so tiny holes, much like that of a snake bite, then it’s possible that the tube has pinched against the tyre whilst moving. And if there was a good amount of air left in the tyre that may well be a slow flat puncture, perhaps caused from a piece of wire or a thorn in the tyre.


4. Replacing the Inner Tube
Partially inflate the new inner tube, and place the valve through the valve hole on the rim. Next place the tube into the tyre and starting from the valve, re-fit the tyre by pushing back into the rim, taking care to ensure the beading of the tyre, sits against the rim.


The last few inches of re-fitting the tyre back onto the rim is often the hardest part! You may want to use tyre levers again to help you ease the tyre back onto the rim.


5. Re-fit the Wheel
Next re-fit the wheel back onto the bike and screw back up tightly. Once fitted you can then pump the tyre back up to the recommend pressure and you're done!