- Getting a race day puncture can be really frustrating,
but it shouldn't be the end to your day.
They can be quick to fix,
providing you have the tools for the job.
And there are a couple of methods for fixing a puncture.
So today, I'm gonna run through how to do that
for a clincher tyre.
And to start with, we're gonna do the basic,
and possibly the most fail-safe solution,
which is a full inner tube replacement.
For this, you're going to need an inner tube,
a set of tyre levers,
and then a means of pumping the tube up.
That can be a mini pump or a CO2 cartridge.
Now if you're running deep section wheels,
you need a valve extender on the tube.
Obviously, you can just take the valve
off your old, punctured tube.
Or, something that I've found really helpful over the years
is to actually have a spare already set up
on the new tube so you're all ready to go.
To change the tube, and first of all, it may seem obvious,
but remove the wheel from the bike.
Then check whether there's anything obvious
sticking out of the wheel.
If there is, just remove it carefully.
Now release the valve and deflate the tyre fully.
Then, using your tyre levers,
just pull one side off the rim.
(rubber and tyre rim squeaking)
Then remove the inner tube.
Now it's important that you check the inside of the tyre
for the source of the puncture, too.
So just gently run your fingers
around the inside of the tyre.
Now with the new tube, you'll want to open up the valve
and put a little air in it.
You can do that using your mini pump
or if you're choosing to just use CO2 canisters,
and you want to save that,
you can actually do it by blowing into the valve yourself.
Now we're on to placing the new tube into the tyre.
To start off with, we want to place the valve
into the valve hole.
Now I want to seat the tube in the tyre
and just tuck it under.
Now that you've got the tube seated,
start putting tyre back over the rim by hand.
When you get towards the end
and it's hard to pull the tyre over,
you can start using the tyre levers.
Whilst you're putting the tyre back on,
try not to pinch the tube.
Then just to double-check once it's all on,
just run 'round the tyre and just make sure
that the tube isn't pinched
between bead of the tyre and the rim.
Now you're ready to pump up the tyre.
For that you can use a mini pump or
a quick option is to use a CO2 canister.
Another, and possibly slightly quicker, option
is to use something like a sealant.
This isn't going to be permanent fix
but it will get you to the end of the race.
Actually, it's something the pros use quite a lot.
It works be releasing a liquid latex
and propane repellent into the tube
sealing the point of puncture and then filling the tube.
It works mostly on punctures
around a one millimetre wide or less.
So if you have something like a nail sticking out,
I wouldn't rely on this.
So you will still need to bring something else along
to fix that puncture.
In the heat of the race, it's not uncommon
to see someone having a little foam party with one of these.
They do require a little delicacy\ (laughing)
so here is a step-by-step guide on how to use them.
As we did with replacing the tube,
just check there isn't anything obvious
sticking out of the tyre.
Now release the valve and deflate the tyre fully.
Then you want to line up the valve
with the nozzle of the sealant.
Then to fill the tube, just push the sealant
straight onto the valve
and refrain from tilting the nozzle at all.
Now once it's fully released,
just grab hold of the nozzle and pull straight down,
and then clean off any residue
and then close the valve.
Then quickly rotate the wheel to make sure
that the sealant is well-dispersed.
It is an expanding latex solution that, in theory,
a whole canister should get to 110 psi.
But should you need to top up further,
you can just use a CO2 canister or your mini pump.
So we go, that is how to fix a race day puncture
for a clincher tyre.
Clearly, one option is quicker than the other,
but it is just a temporary fix.
It is worth taking all the tools to make sure
that all eventualities are covered.
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