Bike trailers are a lot a laugh!….Till you’ve got a flat tire.
I’ve been there, and getting a flat in particular at the same time as you’re out and about with a child is pretty much the worst cycling experience conceivable.
Bike trailers had been part of our own family’s every day lifestyles ever considering our two kids were kids.
This text covers the whole lot you need to change a flat and save you it from happening once more.
Table of Contents
Tools you’ll need to change a tire
Those are tools which you have to carry with you on each bike experience, specifically whilst happening longer rides with kids:
- New inner tube
- Tire levers (recommended)
- bike pump
Step 1: perceive the scale of your bike trailer wheels (16 or 20 inches)
Bike trailers are available either 16 inches or 20 inches. You could locate the scale of the tire with the aid of either looking at the label at the side of the tire or just measuring the diameter of the wheel.
Step 2: buy a replacement inner tube
I might propose getting at least two tubes so that you continually have a spare.
The links beneath are from a few call-logo and low-priced tubes on amazon by using bell.
Get sixteen-inch tubes here
Get 20-inch tubes here
Different places to get tubes
You may also locate tubes at a nearby bike store, walmart, target, or another vicinity that sells bike.
Step 3: get rid of the tire from the wheel
You don’t need to put off the complete tire. You just need to cast off 1/2 of the tire simply so you can dispose of the vintage inner tube and update it with a new one.
You could dispose of the tires from the wheel the use of your fingers or the use of tire levers. Doing away with the tire by means of hand may be appreciably more difficult if the tire is on tight. Commonly, taking the tire off (and re-attaching it) by way of hand might be loads tougher to do with out a tire lever. Because of this, i particularly endorse getting a couple of robust tire levers (like these ones i like from amazon).
Ensure there’s no air left in the tube earlier than doing away with the tire. It is going to be a good deal easier to cast off the tire if there’s no air left within the tube.
Removing a tire with tire levers
To remove a tire with tire levers, area one tire lever under one cease of the tire. Then raise just one side of the tire up over the rim of the wheel by propping it up with the tire lever .
With one tire lever still underneath the tire, take every other lever and place it below the tire around the equal region. Then, with the authentic lever nevertheless beneath the tire, work the second lever around the rim till the complete tire comes off.
If you can’t get the first tire lever beneath the tire, then strive moving the tire round and squeezing it with your fingers to present the lever a touch more area to get under the tire.
Removing a tire by hand
To eliminate a tire by means of hand, squeeze the tire at one stop of the wheel and push the tire along with your thumbs up over the wheel’s rim till it comes off. When you get one cease of the tire off, it is going to be clean to simply push the relaxation of the tire absolutely off.
In case you can’t push one give up of the tire over the rim, then it means the tire runs tight in opposition to the wheel, so you will need to use tire levers.
Step 4: Remove the old inner tube
Again, you do now not need to take away the whole tire to get the tube out. You just want to get rid of it 1/2-way.
Step 5: Insert the new inner tube
Before placing the brand new tube, it’s nice to pump up the tube simply sufficient to offer it a form. Doing so will make it easier to insert beneath the tire.
To insert the new tube, first insert the valve into the valve hole on the rim.
Then insert the relaxation of the tube. As soon as you’ve got the tube firmly beneath the tire, release the air from the tube.
Step 6: Attach the tire to the wheel
Attaching the tire lower back onto the rim is the most tough part of fixing a flat tire. But if you follow a number of the pointers under, it have to be as a substitute easy to do.
On account that bike trailers are commonly no longer very tight, you must be capable of get the tire lower back on simply using your arms. You can push the tire over the rim with each of your thumbs. Begin at one stop of the wheel and paintings your way all the manner round to the other end.
If you can’t get the remaining bit of tire over the rim, then use tire levers to prop the tire over the rim.
Just be careful now not to pinch the new tube with the tire lever when you pull on the lever. A pinch within the tube will result in every other undesirable hollow! I’ve pinched so many tubes whilst trying to get the tire lower back on with levers, so agree with me once I say be cautious. If you may, attempt to get the tire lower back on with simply your arms first.
If you have stubborn tires
Bike trailer tires are generally no longer very tight, so that you need to be capable of get it on simply great by way of the use of some tire levers. But if your tire is very cussed and also you just can’t get the last bit of tire returned on the rim, then there are some matters you can strive.
1.Make sure the let all of the air out of the tire.
Having any air left inside the tire will make the tire more difficult to get on.
2.Use two tire levers to get more leverage
With one tire lever preserving the tire from coming off, prop the tire over the rim little by little whilst operating your way across the rim.
Here’s a beneficial video by means of gcn on a way to get a stubborn tire on.
Step 7: pump up the tire
Once you’ve got the new music in region and the tire again on, you’re equipped to pump it up and begin using again!
Be sure to take a look at the recommended tire strain (psi) this is labeled on the facet of the tire.
How to prevent a flat bike trailer tire
The excellent manner to save you a flat bike tire is to recognise the maximum common causes of apartments.
The maximum common causes of a flat are (1) incorrect tire strain and (2) sharp gadgets.
Wrong air stress
If the tire pressure is just too high, it could purpose the tube to pop when you hit a pothole or massive rock or trip over a diminish. Any surprising impact to the tire can motive it to go flat while the tire is over inflated.
On the other facet of the spectrum, if the tire pressure is simply too low, then the dearth of air stress inside the tube can bring about a pinch flat (additionally known as snake bites).
Which means, the under inflation of the tire consequences within the rim and street pinching the tube until it rips the tube. This is also not unusual whilst the tire comes into sudden impact on the street.
Sharp objects
Even though it’s hard to assume while you may roll over a piece of glass or a nail, what you may do is appearance out for sharp gadgets in positive regions which might be more at risk of having sharp matters mendacity round.
For example, a big metropolis is much more likely to have glass and sharp things on the road than different locations which have greenways and motorcycle paths.
But, i wouldn’t individually worry too much approximately coming across sharp objects. It’s just one of these matters this is very difficult to predict and also you’re higher off just now not stressful about it. If you do hit a pointy object, then don’t forget it horrific good fortune, fix it up, and keep riding.
My recommended bike trailer: schwinn joyrider
My recommended trailer for the majority is the scwhinn joyrider, that’s an less expensive double-seater that converts fantastically to a stroller.
Take a look at out the closing manual to shopping for a bike trailer for more assist with selecting a trailer.
I additionally have compiled a listing of the top bike trailers for every common scenario, which you could test out here.
Trip on!
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