How To Change a Flat Tyre

17 April 2026
Also watch & listen to these instructions on YouTube.
Step 1. Make sure the tyre is completely deflated. Use your fingers to push one side of the tyre (the bead) away from the outer edge of the rim and towards its centre.
Repeat that all the way around the wheel to make sure the bead is loose. There should be a gap between it and the rim wall.
Step 2. Insert two tyre levers about 10 cm apart, as shown in the photo. The third lever in the photo is only there to help you see the correct position of the levers.
Press both levers down at the same time to lift the section of tyre bead between them over the edge of the rim.
Then slide the levers away from each other along the rim to release the tyre bead around the wheel. Don’t worry about using some force here.
Step 3. Near the valve — push the loosened bead of the tyre across to the opposite side of the rim. This creates space to remove the inner tube.
Pull the valve out of the rim. Once it is out, let the tyre return to its normal position, and you can easily remove the rest of the tube.
Step 4. Carefully check the inside of the tyre for anything sharp (glass, metal, thorns, etc.). If the object that caused the puncture is still there, it will puncture the new tube as well.
Step 5. As in step three, push the loose bead of the tyre to the other side of the rim, near the valve hole. Insert the valve of the new tube fully into the rim.
Then return the tyre to its relaxed position and place the tube inside the tyre all the way around. Make sure the tube is not twisted.
Step 6. Starting from the side opposite the valve, use both hands to push the tyre bead back into the rim.
Continue working along the wheel. You can use one hand at a time, but always keep the other hand holding the tyre where it crosses the rim edge. Be careful not to pinch the tube like so.
As you get closer to the valve, the tyre will become tighter and harder to fit. Release your hands carefully so the tyre bead does not slip back out of the rim.
Step 7. About 10 cm away from the place where the tyre bead meets the rim, insert one lever under the tyre, as shown in the photo. The second lever here is only for reference.
Use the lever to lift the tyre bead over the rim. Be careful not to catch and damage the inner tube with the lever.
Repeat this every ~10 cm until the remaining section of the tyre is fully inside the rim.
Step 8. Inflate the tyre just slightly. Then run your fingers around both sides of the tyre, pinching it to check that the tube is not trapped between the tyre & rim, nor twisted (you’d feel an empty space).
Then inflate the tyre until the tyre bead sits properly in the rim. If it has not seated correctly, that will be visible — and the wheel will look uneven when you spin it.

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