Tire 5

If your family's bicycles spent the past few months in the garage, chances are the tires need air. If you parked that bike last year because of a flat, it's going to need a patch. Let us walk you through the job.

1. Remove the wheel: This is easy on the front, generally not so easy on the back.

2. Remove the tire: Make life easy on yourself and get a bicycle tire tool, which is nothing more than a hook on a handle, really. Use leverage to get the tool between the tire and rim. Sweeping once around the rim will pull the tire free. The tube should come out easily. Just remember to unscrew the stem cap first.

3. Find the puncture: Use your fingers to check inside the tire for anything stuck in the treads. Pump air into the tube and locate the hissing sound. There's the hole.

4. Patch the puncture: Some repair kits require applying glue to the tube before pressing on the patch. Others provide patches with peel-off adhesive backing. In either case, use a bit of sandpaper to rough up the area first, and give it a few minutes to set.

5. Reinstall: Partially inflate the tube before slipping it back into the tire, and line up the stem with specifications on the tire. Put the stem through the hole in the rim, then use your tire tool to leverage the tire/tube back onto the wheel. Reinflate to proper rating.

More info

Watch Dan’s fix-a-flat video at charleston.net/friday5blog.