Patching Inner Tubes

This is going to be a simple tutorial today. If you have a flat tire you can usually just patch the inner tube without having to replace it (that would get pretty expensive). First you need to remove the wheel from the bike, then remove the tire from the rim:

You will need a pair of tire levers to remove a snug fitting tire, and many patch kits already come with a set of levers so get those. Just try to remove one side at a time. I usually slip 2 tire levers in like shown, then slide one lever around the rim underneath the tire bead to remove the first side. If the tire lever won't slide easily, try using some baby powder or soapy water on the sidewall. The second side of the tire should come off by hand. Once you've pried the tire off the rim you can remove the inner tube and track down the leak. I like to inflate the tube a bit and run my hand around it to feel for air escaping. If that doesn't work then just dunk it in some water and look for bubbles. This hole was pretty easy to find however:

You'll notice I marked where the hole is. Even though it's visible now, it will be hard to find once it's covered in glue so the lines help me center the patch later. The next step is to scuff the surface around the hole:

The more you scratch it up, the better. Now you can apply a thin layer of glue and wait for it to dry (about 2 minutes):

Once the glue is tacky you can peel off the backing layer on the patch and press it on very hard (don't touch the bottom of the patch). I like to hold it for about 30 seconds just to be sure it's strong:

Before reinstalling the tube check the tire for debris. In this case it was pretty obvious what happened:

I like to inflate the tube slightly and stuff it into the tire before mounting it onto the rim. Putting baby powder on the tube can help you to avoid pinching it as you mount the tire.

Next I stick the valve through the valve hole and lift one side of the tire onto the rim:

Finally I deflate the tube completely and lift the second side of the tire onto the rim. I try to do this completely by hand, but some tires can be super tight. In those cases it's ok to use your tire levers to lift the last part of the tire onto the rim. Just be careful not to pinch the inner tube or else you get to start all over.

A properly patched tube should be just as good as a new one. You'll have the best results if you wait several hours before inflating the tire to its full pressure.