Bikes are a great mode of transportation and can be used for leisurely rides in the countryside, as well as a more hardcore form of exercise. It is important to keep your bike in good condition and replace tires before they become too worn down or damaged.
Changing tires on a road bike can seem like an intimidating task at first, It requires some basic tools and a good amount of time to take the old tire off, put the new one on, and then make sure everything lines up before you tighten down all the bolts. But with these step by step instructions, you will have it mastered in no time!
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Table of Contents
What You Need for This Project: How to Change Tires on a Road Bike
A set of tire levers (or something else that can pry under the edge of one side of the tire) -a patch kit with patches/glue; or at least some glue on its own -puncture repair kits are also good to keep handy because they make fixing airless tires possible without having to replace them entirely. The same goes for spare tubes and valve cores.
Step by Step Guide to Changing Tires on a Road Bike:
Step 1:
Remove the old tire. You will need to unscrew any bolts that are holding it on and then work your way around with a wrench in order to loosen up all of the different nuts.
This step is most likely going to involve some muscle so be prepared! Once everything has been loosened, remove each bolt/nut one at a time very slowly until you can pull off the old tire from both ends simultaneously.
Related article: The best Step-by-Step Guide on How to Remove Road Bike Pedals (2021)
If you have trouble getting enough leverage or if there doesn’t seem like there’s enough space for your hands between the wheel rim and frame, try using an adjustable crescent wrench instead. It should provide more room for your fingers than just having them jammed against metal surfaces would give.
Step 2:
Locate your valve stem (should have a green cap) and unscrew the nut. This will release pressure from the tire, so be careful not to let it fly off as you undo it. Once complete with this step, use a screwdriver as needed to pry large pointed parts down again until flat against their surfaces (do not press too hard).
Step 3:
Take out your old tires by placing one hand on each side of them next to where they attach to the wheel rim – these are called “flanges.” Use two fingers or thumbs for better grip if necessary. Release any air in between hands holding opposite ends of the flange then pull towards yourself– this will loosen up and remove all slack with ease at the rim.
Step 4:
Take out both tubes if there are two and place one inside each side of the wheel’s inner tube space. One should not go into an empty chamber while the other goes into an inflated one as this can cause airflow leaks which are very bad for performance. Repair the tube if they need any repair. Make sure these stay put as you move on to the next step
Step 5:
Inspect the rim. There will most likely be some scratches, scrapes and chips on it from the old tire that you just removed so take a moment to make sure they’re all gone before moving on installing new tires or else risk having them get caught in between your brake pads when riding! If you have any doubts about their cleanliness then use a wire brush (or something of similar durability) to scrub off anything left over
Step 6:
Fit the new tire as close to this same spot on the wheel rim, and repeat step three by releasing any air between your hands. Pull it towards yourself until snug against its position from one end of the flange to another – which should be at 180 degrees if you’re holding them correctly (end with the thumb inside). Ensure there is no slack left in both “flanges” before proceeding into steps five or six below.
How to Change Tires on a Road Bike on a quick release system
If you have a quick-release system for removing tires, skip these two steps and go straight to fitting a new tire onto your bike; otherwise, continue reading.
Threadless Tire: Place one hand on each side of where they attach to the wheel’s hub (near the bottom of your wheel) and push them away from each other.
Related article: Are Wider Road Bike Tires Faster? (2021)
If you have a stem with a quill, place one hand on the tire’s flange near where it attaches to the hub (near the bottom of your wheel) and push them away from each other; otherwise, continue reading.
Threaded Tire: Place one hand on either side of what will be your new valve hole this should not include any threads or levers at all! Push them in opposite directions until they are about an inch apart, then release any air between your hands.
This is important because we want to make sure there isn’t any slack left inside when fitting our new tire onto our road bike after these two steps below before continuing.
Non-Threaded Tire: Place one hand on either side of what will be your new valve hole and push them in opposite directions until they are about an inch apart.
This is important because we want to make sure there isn’t any slack left inside when fitting our new tire onto our road bike after these two steps below before continuing.*
Remove Air from the New Tire Using a Pump or Other Method (e.g.: mouth): once you have removed air between your hands, it’s time to add some back into the tire using whatever method you prefer! You can use a pump, for example, but take care not to overinflate as doing so could cause irreparable damage later. Once inflated, inflate it to the pressure recommended by your bike’s manufacturer.
Tip: if you don’t have a pump, try using mouth-to-valve! It may not be quite as fast or effective as other methods, but sometimes in a pinch, this is an easy way to save time and energy.*
P.S – Store away tools used if working for now or someone else.
How often to change tires on-road bike?
People often ask this question when they are ready to change their bicycle tires. This is a difficult question!
We recommend changing your bike tire every few months or after about 300 miles of riding on the same set of tires, whichever comes first. The best way to determine if it’s time for new tires is to examine them closely and compare treadwear with what you see on other bikes ridden in similar conditions.
This blog post has answered how often we should replace our road bike tyres? You may wonder why people need to frequently buy new road bike tires for cycling…the answer is that it depends! We can’t just say “every five years” because there are so many factors at play here: terrain, frequency usage, weight distribution, and even the type of shoe that you’re wearing.
Our Conclusion on How to Change Tires on a Road Bike
Conclusion paragraph: If you have a road bike and need to change your tires, we hope that this post has helped. We’ve provided an overview of the process as well as some tips for how to do it on your own.
I also have some other guides for you on how to remove road bike tires written by one of our friends from bikehacks.com and cycling news feel free to add up the knowledge
You can also find more in-depth tutorials online or hire someone who knows what they are doing if you don’t want to take any risks with safety! As always, feel free to comment below with any questions or thoughts about this article – our team is ready and waiting to answer them!