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Tube Repair
If your tire goes flat, and you deem that the tire is in
good shape, then you will need to inspect the tube. To find
the leak, first reinflate the tire using a pump. Then listen
for escaping air. If you can’t hear anything and the
tube continues to lose air, submerge the tube in water and
mark the spot where the bubbles are escaping. If you see
no bubbles, then the leak is probably due to a leak in the
valve stem. To test this, put a little spit on the end of
the valve and if it is leaking a small bubble will form.
The valve may just need tightening. Use a valve tool for
this purpose. If it leaks, remove the valve core with the
tool and put a drop of oil on the rubber piece of the core,
and re-install. If it still leaks, replace the valve with
a new one.
If you see bubbles during the water test then you will
need to fix the tube by putting a patch over the hole. To
do this start by scuffing the area around the hole and including
the hole. Do this with a piece of sandpaper or the metal
scrapper that comes with the patch kit. You should scuff
an area that is a little larger than the patch. Just scuff
it, don’t damage the tube! After you scuff it, brush
away the scuffed off rubber. You can buy a patch that is
self sticking that you simply peel off the back and stick
it to the tube. Make sure the patch is securely stuck around
the hole and test by reinflating it once more. If the leak
is fixed, deflate the tire and reinsert it in the tire.
Remember that the self stick patch is just a temporary fix
to get you home. For a permanent fix, you must use a patch
that is glued on. Everything else is the same in the instructions.
The glue in the patch kits come sealed. Once you open the
tube, make sure the glue inside is thin and runny. If it
is too thick and gummy, it will not hold. Also, make sure
you apply enough glue and place the glue over a larger area
than the patch. Once the shine and wet surface of the glue
turns dull it s ready to apply the patch. It will take about
5 minutes for this to happen. Do not apply the patch until
the glue is dry or it will not stick. Note that most patches
come with a cellophane top layer and a bottom layer of foil.
Hold onto the cellophane and slowly pull the foil off. When
you discard the foil, be careful not to touch the sticky
surface or you will contaminate the glue. Place the patch
on the tube and press firmly. Leave the cellophane in place
as this will help make the sure the tube does not adhere
to the tire when you replace the tube. Once the tube is
patched, you can reinsert the tube into the tire. However,
before doing this be sure to check the tire inside and out
for any bits of foreign objects, like glass, wire, thorns,
etc. which could damage the tube once again.
References
1. Langley, Jim. Bicycling Magazine’s Complete
Guide to Bicycle Maintenance and Repair or Road and Mountain
Bikes. Emmaus: Pennsylvania. 1999.
2. Milson, Fred. The Bike Book: Complete Step-By-Step
Guide to Choosing, Maintaining, and Repairing Your Bicycle.
Des Moines: Iowa. 1995.
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