How to Fix a Flat Tire on your Next Bicycle Tour – Maintenance Series part 3 of 3

*originally posted February 6, 2020 and updated in 2026 with new and improved info. This is also part 3 of our 3-part bike maintenance series. Click here for part 1 on cleaning your bike and part 2 on morning bike safety check. 

A roadside flat tire is the most common mechanical problem you will encounter on any cycle tour.

If you are joining a supported cycling tour where you bring you own bike (such as the many tours we run around the world), there is a good chance that you will be expected to know how to change a flat tire. If you are solo cycle touring, then you definitely need to know.

On TDA Global Cycling’s supported cycling tours, our mechanics are available at the end of the day for maintenance and repairs, but they are likely not going to be there the moment you get a flat tire. So we expect our participants to learn this skill before they come on our tours.

Before you set out on your ride, make sure you have these essentials on your bike:

• spare tube in the right size for your tires
• tire levers
• a reliable handpump
• also handy: needle nose pliers and gloves or rag

Here are the three simple steps to fixing a flat:

Step 1: Remove the Tire

Step 2: Find the Hole

Step 3: Repair the Flat

I suggest you watch our how-to video first, and then read the more detailed step by step instructions below.

Step 1: Remove the Wheel & Tire

Find a safe space where you can either lay your bike down or turn it over to rest it on the handlebars and seat. Do your best to find a place shielded from the elements.

When repairing a flat on the rear wheel, shift the rear derailleur to the outermost gear on the cassette. This allows the wheel to be removed while the chain is under the least tension, and causing the least resistance.

For bicycles with rim brakes, release the brake so there is room for the tire to slide out past the brake assembly. Release the quick release. In the case of bikes with a thru axle or bolted axle, use the necessary allen key or wrench to loosen the bolt. Remove the wheel.

TIP: Wheel Terminology
Some terminology that people can get mixed up: ‘Rim’ is the metal hoop without the spokes, hub or tire. ‘Wheel’ refers to the whole assembly of the hub, spokes, and tire. ‘Tire’ refers to just the rubber outer tread (and not the tube, rim or entire wheel).

Next, deflate the inner tube and use your tire lever(s) to remove the tire. Be careful to avoid pinching the tube inside the tire. Run the lever along the inside of the tire slowly, continuing to adjust as you encounter resistance. The lever will help you lift the tire out of the rim and allow you to slide along the rim’s braking surface, pulling out the tire from inside the rim as you go.

With one side of the tire released from the rim, you can remove the inner tube. The opposite side of the tire can remain inside the rim to make reinstalling quicker.

Step 2: Find the Hole and the Cause

Using gloves or a cloth (or carefully without gloves) run your fingers along the inside and outside of the tire. While you are doing this, you should also be looking closely at the tread to see if you spot any pieces or wire, glass and feel for any bumps or gashes.

You will be surprised how small the culprit can be. The smallest shard of glass can be picked up on your ride and slowly over many many kilometres work its way into the soft rubber tire and eventually pierce the tube.

TIP: Find the Cause
The most common cause of a flat tire is the previous flat tire – meaning that the same piece of glass or wire was never found and removed. After you repair the flat the same sharp object simply works its way into a new tube. So make sure to do a thorough check of your tire. Taking an extra 5-10 minutes to fix this flat could save you from fixing another one further down the road.

To make sure you find the cause of the flat, pull the tube out from the tire, but leave the part with the valve stem still installed in the rim. Then, attach your pump and add some air. You should be able to hear or feel where the air is leaking out of the tube. Because the tube is still on the rim, you can now match up the position of the hole in the tube with the same place on the tire.

The smallest piece can slowly work its way into the rubber over many miles and puncture your new tube if you don’t remove it immediately. Use pliers if necessary to extract embedded wire or glass. Taking an extra five minutes to find the culprit will save you from fixing another flat ten miles down the road.

. But once you are satisfied that the tire is free of debris and sharp objects, its time to put in a new tube.

Step 3: Repair the Flat

Take out a fresh tube and inflate it just enough to give the tube form, making it easier to position it inside the tire. Put the valve through the valve hole making sure it sits straight up and down, perpendicular to the rim.

TIP: Use a New Tube on the Roadside
On the roadside, get yourself riding as soon as possible by putting a new tube in and carry the damaged tube with you to be repaired later. Once you arrive at the end of your ride, you can take the extra time to patch the damaged tube. You can do this in your tent or hotel room, out of the elements to ensure you have created a good seal.

Seat the tube inside the tire, making sure it isn’t pinched or folded. Start putting the tire back onto the rim at the valve, and work your way around the rim from there.

TIP: Avoid Tire Levers
Try not to use levers for putting the tire back onto the rim. You are likely to pinch the tube against the rim when doing this. Use tire levers only as a last resort (in the same orientation used when removing the tire). 

You might want to hold the wheel against your midsection with the valve side at the farthest point away from you. With both hands, work your way from the valve on either side pushing the tire onto the rim. Pushing the last few centimetres of the tire into the rim requires more force, so you could place the wheel on the ground, standing on the opposite side and rolling the remaining tire towards you.

TIP: Set Tire in Deepest Part of the Rim
If it won’t budge, try adjusting the tire inside the rim so that it is sitting in the centre of the rim channel all the way around. The centre is the deepest part, so this means the tire should more easily stretch over the final few centimetres.

Now that it’s on, visually inspect it to make sure the tire is sitting evenly inside the rim. Inflate the tire partway, than re-inspect the rim to ensure the tire sits evenly all the way around and on both sides. Continue inflating to the desired pressure.

TIP: Tire Pressure
You shouldn’t always inflate to the maximum pressure. Instead it should be inflated to an appropriate pressure based on the terrain you’ll be riding (softer for unpaved, rough roads for example).

Put the wheel back on the bike. Tighten the quick releases or bolts. Spin the wheel to double check that its seated properly in the dropouts.

Then you are good to go!

Tubeless Tire Systems

Tubeless tires automatically seal most small punctures, often making them go completely unnoticed. If you’re riding tubeless on a tour, check the sealant levels regularly, and top up when necessary to make sure it keeps working as intended. Always carry a plug kit and a spare tube on the bike to avoid getting stranded by a bigger cut or a sidewall tear.

Only use a tubeless system on tour if you are experienced with it. A major expedition is not the time to learn complex tubeless repairs. We have a more detailed blog on tubeless tires here.

Was this useful? Many of us have our own tips and tricks, so please share yours in the comments below.