My son busted the innertube on his bicycle jumping a ramp. How hard is it to replace? Can I just take the tire to WalMart and replace it or do I buy a new tire?

 

Take it to a bicycle repair store and they can replace it. Your son shouldnt be jumping stuff.

 

You're right, and I told him so when I found out. It has been busted for weeks as his punishment, but now I guess I'll have it fixed. Thanks for your reply.

 

Dont jump ? O well not my kid. Its pretty simple to fix with a new tube, tire if needed, and a wrench or two and an airpump. Take the wheel off with the two wrenches, then pull the tire off the wheel. If you work it to one side it should pop right off. Pull out the tube and debris, put in new tube, and put it back together.

 

Thanks Cobb for your help. I'm going to try it this weekend.

 

Hello,

Just want to add my two cents to the repair job....

1 Make sure you don't fill the new tube and tire until its completely installed. Tire shouldnt need replacement unless you see a nail or something.

2 When you open the package to the tube, dont use anything too sharp (I know thats obvious-but you'd be surprised how easily it'll ruin the tube)

3 Open the tube, dont inflate it, push the valve through the rim and screw on the cap, THEN attempt to install the tire over it (again dont use anything too sharp) .. this will probabaly be the toughest part of the job, making sure the tube is on the rim, hidden within the tire and not sticking out anywhere, and then getting the tire on fully...

4 And finally, when youre through with all that, inflate the tire/tube on the rim THEN install it on the bike, this assures proper alignment (the naked eye is fine for aligning). Dont fully tighten either side, instead go hand tight on each side, then fully tighten each side, test carefully as you dont want the tire to come off........

Hope all that helped....
MarGinJoey
(Mark)

Oh and for the record, if he jumped a ramp and popped a tire..... either the ramp is a little too big, or the tire was waaaaaay overinflated....

 

Thanks for your advice. I keep putting it off, but I'm hoping to fix it tomorrow. And the tire probably WAS overinflated thanx to my 10 year old doing it himself!

 

Actually, it was probably underinflated and suffered from what is know as a pinch flat. That's when the rim pinches the tube between it and the tire. It's a common occurence when heavier cyclists hit rocks, potholes, etc. along the road. You can check this by airing up the tube after it's removed from the tire and rim and locating the leak by listening for the hissing sound. If you can't find the leak that way, place the inflated tube in water and look for bubbles. If the tube has one large hole, then it was probably blown by being overinflated. However, if there are two holes side by side which resemble a snake bite, then it was a pinch flat.
As far as changing the tube, it's a fairly simple procedure. Follow MarGinJoey's instructions except: before installing the tube on the rim, inflate it slightly (just enough to make it round), then rub the tube with a little talcum powder. This helps the tube slide into the correct position in the tire as you install it. The air in the tube also helps to keep the tube from being pinched as you install it.
I'm a cyclist and I wish I had a nickel for every tube I've changed while out on the road.

 

If it's a like a multi speed bike don't jump it, but if its like a single speed bike, go for it! and work with him on it, teach him how to take it apart, clean and lube it....Hell, that's the best part of having a bike when your a kid...it only lasts a few years...his interest in the bike won't last as long as the bike will.... I'd fix the flat instead, just as an excersize in resorsefulness...Good male bonding time well spent , rags, grease, oil, wd-40...let him get his hands dirty....put some baseball cards and clothes pins on the spokes to make noise, or the ballon on the spokes trick...that made a great sound....

 

**Quote: If it's a like a multi speed bike don't jump it

That's what I'm trying to teach my son right now. He insisted on this bike and wants to jump now LOL.

When he popped this last tire (over inflation/jumping combo) I bought another tube and supervised as he put it on. He's 10, and I remember adjusting gears, brakes, etc at that age. Its good for them to learn the ins and outs of taking care of their transportation while its still inexpensive (compared to a car that is).

I also purchased a skooter and also a skateboard so he can get the 'jumping' out of his system without killing his bike. Maybe one of these days I can afford to purchase him a jumping bike. Scares me to death, but then again, I don't remember my parents watching us as we did that as a kid!

Kay

Ps. The putting of a small amount of air in the tube before installing it in the tire is a great help to keep it inside the tire while mounting it to the rim. Not too much air, or it will become a major ordeal to mount it if not impossible without damaging the tube.

K.

 

This could be a separate thread: goofy stuff I did on my bike, as a kid, that Mom would be mortified to know about.

I remember as kids we would ride all over and skid the tires, and various kids/neighbors/brothers/sisters would say 'Don't skid, you'll wear out the tires!'

Now that I'm a Daddy and my son is getting to about that age, his instructions are going to be "Skid. Jump. Wear it out- if you manage to break it, I can fix it".

If you talk to any adult of my generation about their memories of childhood, they will say "We used to get on our bikes and ride forever." To the best of my ability I'm going to re-create that for my current and future children.

Sorry, didn't mean to rant! Or is that a rave? Not sure which.

 

Hi Holly,
This may be helpful to you:
Step by step instructions, with reccomended tools to complete the task.
http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/FAQGP2.shtml

 

Brad.L gives very good advice here - you can't go wrong listening to him.

Let me add a few more tips, based on 20 years bike shop mechanic experience:

1) Use the correct size wrench to loosen and tighten the axle nuts - adjustable wrenches must be used with great care to avoid damaging the axle nuts; ViseGrips or any kind of pliers will almost certainly ruin the nuts. What you want to use is a BOX END wrench of the correct size. For a rear wheel, it's most likely to be 15mm, possibly 9/16 inch. If it's a front wheel (not likely from jumping): try 14mm first, but it could also be 15MM or 1/2 inch. (There are rare exceptions, front and rear.) If you do damage the nut - take the wheel to a bike shop for a replacement. Many use metric threads and trying to force an SAE nut from the hardware store onto a metric axle will ruin the axle.

2) Be sure there is a heavy washer between the nut and the frame. If the washer has serrations, ridges or teeth on one side, these go against the frame, not the nut. It will be impossible to properly secure the wheel without axle washers. If the axle nuts are not secure, a rear wheel will lock up when the tire wedges against the frame and a front wheel can come off - either can result in a serious crash.

3) If the bike has a coaster brake on the rear wheel, be sure the coaster brake arm is secured to the frame with a band of metal that wraps around the frame - otherwise the rear brake may lock up when used.

4) If the flat was due to a pinch cut, it is possible the rim was also damaged - if the bike has handbrakes and there is a flat spot or bump on the rim, then the brakes will grab at the damaged spot. Minor rim damage can be repaired at a good bike shop, but if not, the wheel may need to be replaced.

5) After you price replacement wheels, you will decide you don't want to buy one every day. The best insurance against pinch cuts and rim damage is a good tire guage - don't depend on the one attached to the hose at the gas station - buy your own and use it AT LEAST once a month; look on the tire side wall and keep the tires inflated to whatever it says.

6) The second best thing for jumpers is to be sure you have the fattest possible tires. If the tire width is 1.5 inches or smaller, the bike should not be used for any kind of jumping. A width of 1.75 is the minimum for rough stuff and 2.something is better. Sometimes you can replace a 1.5 or a 1.75 inch tire with the 2.125 size. (Bicycle tire sizes can be very complex - you need a bike shop, not a department store.)

7) The third thing every would be Evil Kenevil needs to know is technique. The bike takes much less of a beating if the rider lands with bent knees rather than stiff legged. Experienced curb jumpers know how to unweight the rear wheel as it hops the curb.

8) Maybe this should be first - a flat spot on his head is a bigger problem than a flat tire - HELMET, HELMET, HELMET.

-GW

 

You guys aren't going to believe this. I'm looking back at the first post to see how long ago she posted this, and see if maybe she's fixed it. Check out the date on the original post! We're answering an old one.

Anyway, glad we did though. Lots of great advice posted here!

Kay

 

Holly's son has probably outgrown the bike by now!