Farging Flat Tires

We got another flat this week.

We have had a lot of flats this year.

A lot!

But we have never been stranded because of a flat tire.

The reason we were not stranded is because we know how to fix a flat tire on a bicycle. (fact #1: a bike tire has a tube inside)

Do you know how to solve a flat tire? It's pretty easy, and definitely anyone can do it. And if you ride a bike, you need to know how to fix a flat.

Otherwise, you get to learn what being stranded far from home (and the car?) is like. (hint: really bad!)

Moving on to the solutions department, you have three options for fixing a flat tire:

Install a new tube
Put a patch on the tube
Have a bike shop fix it

If the first two items are outside your skill-set, here are a few online resources to help you out. Trust me, you will be very thankful you learned this all-important skill.

Chicago bike blog (july 2008 postings)
Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC)

Besides the knowledge to fix a flat, you'll need some very basic tools:
a fresh tube that is the CORRECT size
a patch kit (patches, glue, etc)
a valve adapter
plastic tire levers
a mini-pump
a little seat bag so you have them when you need them

My tip for seatbags is to wrap things that will rattle around and make noise in an old sock.