The result is our most dynamic and performance oriented apparel collection to date. So much progression has occurred over the last few years in the sport and we have applied extensive resources on fulfilling the demands of the modern Mountain Bike enthusiast, allowing them to decide which products work best for their style of riding. By moving away from the traditional discipline driven direction the Mountain Bike market has always used we were able to focus our product creation process on redefining how Fox apparel addressed the needs of the MTB rider. Once you’ve got the first section over, the rest comes easily, but note that some tyres are tighter than others – and it’s usually easier with levers.“We realize that every ride is different and no ride is ever the same. You can use the heel of your hand to push harder if you need to. With your hands at quarter-to-three, and the rest of the wheel held against your thighs, work both hands round the tyre towards 12 o’clock, pushing the tyre in towards 12, up and back until the bead pops over the edge of the rim. The curved floor of the rim means the centre has a smaller diameter, and so maximises slack in the tyre. Flip the tyre around and do the same from the other side. Let all the air fully out of the inner tube and work your way around the tyre with your thumbs, pushing the beading into the centre of the rim. It is possible to get most tyres off without tyre levers.
You can patch the damaged tube when you get home if you like. The whole process should take no longer than five minutes once you’ve done it a few times. Put the wheel back on the bike and you’re off. You can use tyre levers to get the second side of the tyre back over the rim but, again, be careful not to nip the tube. With one side of the tyre still on the wheel, slightly inflate the new tube and push into the tyre. Again, don’t forget to check the tyre for what caused the puncture and remove that, too. Pop off one side of the tyre, as above, and remove the punctured tube. This time, you need to remove the wheel first. Many serious cyclists carry two spare tubes and a mini-repair kit just in case. It is quicker and more reliable – although more expensive and wasteful – to change the tube. If you use tyre levers here, be careful not to pinch the tube otherwise you risk another puncture. Push the tube back into the tyre, and put the tyre back on. Pump a little air into the tube to check the repair is holding, and to avoid nipping the tube between the tyre and the rim. You can leave the paper side attached – but if you want to remove it, make sure you allow a few minutes for the glue to dry properly first. Put the patch over the hole and hold it firmly in place for a minute. Pull the silver foil off the back of the patch, and be careful not to touch this side as you don’t want to get it dirty. Leave the solution for a minute or two to get tacky – if you add the patch too soon, the repair won’t hold.
Apply the glue to the tube – enough to cover the size of the patch. Use a small piece of sandpaper to lightly rub around the puncture to provide a better surface for the rubber solution. Once you’ve found the hole in the tube, mark it with pen or chalk in case you lose your place. You really want to be satisfied you’ve removed the culprit – there’s nothing more dispiriting than getting another puncture five minutes down the road. If you still can’t find anything, you can line up the inner tube with the tyre to get a rough fix on the offending area. If there’s not an obvious shard of glass, thorn or nail poking out of the tyre, then feel gently around the inside of the tyre with your fingers. If you’re at home you can use a bucket of water, submerging sections of tube and looking for telltale bubbles.ĭon’t forget to check the tyre and remove whatever caused the flat in the first place. The easiest way is to pump some air into the tube, then immediately listen and feel to find where the air is escaping. Check over the tube to see where the hole is. Once you have one side of the tyre completely out of the rim, you can pull out the tube, leaving just the area around the valve in place.