Pump up the inner tube and find where the air is leaking, line the inner tube to where it was in the tyre and take a look/light feel of the area around the tyre for any sharp foreign bodies.

The patches’ slightly thinner and more flexible construction also means they wrap around the tube well.To fix a puncture, you should always have a few spares to hand. You need the following parts to make your morning commute puncture-proof: As the Lezyne kit has both a tire boot and inner tube patches, both of which are the match for anything on test, it comes highly recommended. Buyer's guide to the best puncture repair kits Glue or glueless? This is a temporary measure however, and you should seek to replace the inner tube at your earliest convenience.

Tyre sealant such as Slime is synthetic goo that you put inside your bike's innertubes. You can buy innertubes ready filled with sealant, which is less messy. Either way, it's clever stuff. When you get a puncture, the escaping air forces the sealant into the hole, where it hardens into a plug, fixing your puncture automatically. It only works on small holes, not cuts or tears, and you will lose a little pressure each time. The tyre might need topping up with air – break out your portable pump – or you may be able to continue, unaware that you've 'punctured'. Whether you fix it at home or at the roadside, patching your own inner tubes using a puncture repair kit is the environmentally and budget-conscious thing to do. Disaster averted, you now know that when you have flat tyre, it can be fixed in minutes and you can get on with your ride. Alternatively, you can buy a puncture repair kit, which are a good buy – and you can save money on it if you buy it through Cyclescheme. One case where a larger, oval patch might be better is a "snakebite" puncture, caused by the tire bottoming out on the wheel rim. You'll see two parallel cuts a few millimetres apart. Here, a slightly larger patch should work better and cover both holes with a single patch. Do I need to abrade the inner tube before fitting a patch?When you do hear that hiss, don't get deflated: it's easier than you think to find and plug the hole.

This is the best way to fix a puncture on a commute. A brand new inner tube will have your bike good to go again in no time (no need to take into a shop for a service). However, there may be times where you get a puncture and you don’t have a new inner tube on you. Don’t worry, as there’s something else you can try. How to Fix a Bike Puncture without a Spare Inner Tube Spread the glue over an area that’s larger than the patch with your finger, and then leave it to dry for at least five minutes. Don’t do anything else until it’s totally dry – otherwise you won’t fix your puncture. Whilst this is fine if you’re at home, or have your puncture kit with you, it’s not ideal if you’re mid-commute. However, we’ll now go through the five steps you can take to fixing a puncture on a commute. How to Fix a Bike Puncture While On the Road

Halfords Self Seal Patch Kit

Vulcanizing patches are superior. The system of carrying a spare tube and a vulcanizing patch kit, using the patch kit only if you get multiple flats in the same ride (should be a very rare occurrence), and patching your punctured tube when you get home so it can become your spare is popular and time-honored because it works and is cheap. You almost never actually wind up using the vulcanizing kit on the side of the road, and when you do it's no big deal because you've developed good technique. Vulcanizing patches make the tube as reliable as new, so it's fine to leave the tube in there and forget about it. That left two puncture wounds plus a centimetre long slash, which we felt represented the most common leaks – a hole brought about by broken glass or a thorn and the pinch puncture, typically caused by a pothole. In our experience, patches which need to be glued on give a more durable repair than glueless patches. But for on-the-road repairs, it means more to take with you, while the rubber solution itself is emblazoned with Harmful notices in big letters. It probably won't hurt you much the amount most cyclists will be using it, but it's something to bear in mind. Not everyone will have tyre levers, either. Don’t worry if you don’t, you can remove the tyre by hand; you’ll just need to apply a bit more elbow grease. How to fix a Puncture: Video Tutorial Scrupulously sanding the area and getting it as clean as possible (ie, with alcohol or other residue-free solvent, cleaner than anyone can probably get it on the side of the road) wards off the problem but doesn't eliminate it.

Our guide assumes you have a puncture repair kit – although having the three parts above will still let you fix a puncture. Five Steps to Fixing a Bike Puncture Use the puncture kit’s sandpaper or metal scuffer to do this. The area you roughen should be bigger than the patch you’re applying it to. Whilst this will rub out the cross you’ve just drawn, you’ll still be able to see the outer edges.Make sure you’ve bought a good brand of glueless patch kit. You’ll certainly want to steer clear of anything you can find in a box store like Target or Wal-Mart. In my experience, certain brands like Bell or off-brand kits just don’t work no matter what your method. Some routes are risky only at certain times of year. Rural roads that have their hawthorn hedges threshed are a puncture minefield. Avoid them – or ride through carefully or dismount if you can't. Fit Tougher Tyres