How to patch a bicycle camera: 13 steps

Imagine the following scenario: You have been cycling for 11 kilometers (7 miles) on a 24-kilometer (15-mile) route in the middle of nature when suddenly your front tire is punctured by an old, rusty nail. What are you doing? Do you walk back to the start of the route and go home, or do you repair the puncture and finish the route like a winner? If you know how to detect and patch the holes in the inner tube of your bike, and you are careful to carry a simple patch kit with you every time you ride a critical bike route, you will have the luxury of making this choice.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Find the puncture

Step 1. Remove the wheel from the bike

The first thing you should do in case a tire goes flat is to remove the wheel from the bike. Check the side of the wheel to the center of the spokes. If you have a quick release (which looks like a small lever), turn it counterclockwise to loosen it. On the other hand, if you have a nut, you will need a wrench to loosen it. Next, disengage the brakes, remove the brake pads, and remove the wheel.

• If it's the rear tire, you'll also have to deal with the chain and gears. Loosen the chain by moving it through the smallest gear set. Loosen the quick release or unscrew the nut that holds the wheel in place. If necessary, use your hands to pull back on the rear derailleur (the "arm" that the chain passes through, the one that contains the small pulleys), or remove the chain when removing the wheel.

  

Step 2. Use a crowbar to remove tires

When you have successfully removed the flat tire, remove the outer tire. For this, it may be helpful to use a lever wrench. Some bike shops sell small tools specially designed for this purpose and are known as tire remover levers. Whether you use a crowbar or any other tool, be careful not to pinch the tube and cause more damage as you work the rim off the wheel. You can leave a rim edge over the edge of the wheel when you're done to make it easier to reinstall.

• We clarify that you do not need to get a lever to remove tires. Any type of pry tool that is strong enough to get the job done can work very well. Even with unconventional tools like screwdrivers or butter knives you can do an admirable job.

  

Step 3. Locate the hole that is causing the leak

Once you've removed the tire, remove the flat tube from the tire and determine the location of the puncture. You can do it in several ways; Here are some of them:

• Inflate the chamber and visually detect holes on the rubber surface

  

• Hear any hissing noise

  

• Feel the chamber to feel the air flows

  

• Immerse the camera in a container of water and check for bubbles

  

Step 4. Mark the hole on the camera

The punctures that deflate tires can be surprisingly small. Once you've found one, you don't want to lose sight of it. Use white chalk to mark with a cross or an "x" right at the point of the puncture. If you are using a patch that requires glue, make a large mark so you can see it after you've applied the glue.

If you don't have chalk in your patch kit, you can use a pen or some other type of writing utensil. However, white chalk is preferable because it is obviously easier to see on black rubber than a blue or black pen

Part 2 of 3: Patch the hole

Step 1. Remove any foreign objects from the hole

Once you find the hole, check it carefully to see if it was caused by a foreign object (such as a broken piece of glass, a sharp stone, etc.) or if it was a pinch (resulting in a puncture similar to the bite of a snake, but it will not leave any foreign objects). Check the inside edge of the tire carefully to see if any foreign objects are sticking out, and remove them if you find them. You don't want the same object that caused the hole in the first place to re-pierce the tire because you didn't see it.

Step 2. If necessary, run the sandpaper around the hole

All patches work in different ways. Some require glue, while others do not. Some require sandpaper to be passed on, while others can gently adhere to the rubber in the inner chamber with no problem. See the instructions included in the patch kit. If sanding is suggested, use a small square of sandpaper to scrape the area around the hole, which should be almost as wide as the patch you are using. By making the rubber a little less soft you can improve the adhesion power of some adhesives.

If you're not sure about sanding, don't worry as lightly sanding is unlikely to reduce the chamber adhesion of most patches. So you better sand it just in case

Step 3. Apply the patch

Next, place the patch over the hole according to the included instructions. Some patches require glue, while others can adhere to the rim on their own. While the latter are more convenient, they can sometimes be less reliable. You can find general instructions for both types of patches below. If the instructions included in the patch are different, follow those instructions instead of the ones shown here.

• Glued patches. Apply the glue or rubber cement to the camera around the hole. Wait for the glue to dry (many glues are considered dry when they are no longer tacky, for more information see the instructions). Lastly, place the patch on the almost dry glue and hold it firmly in place for a few minutes until the leak is sealed.

  

• Glueless patches (also known as "self-adhesive patches"). Simply remove the patch from its packaging and place it over the sanded hole as a sticker. Press hard to secure it and, if necessary, wait until it dries before riding the bike.

  

Step 4. Learn when it's time to replace the camera; this is a smarter option

In situations where you have a severely damaged camera, you may not want to waste your patch and simply choose to replace the camera. Tubes that have severe damage cannot stay inflated for long with the patch, so it is not worth wearing. A better option would be to replace the camera entirely. If you can get yourself a new camera, the process of replacing the old one is not difficult. Here are some types of camera damage that may indicate that it is best to forgo the patch:

• Multiple holes
• Large tears
• Air leak even after applying the patch.

Part 3 of 3: Put the wheel back

Step 1. Put the tube back on the rim

After the patch sets, take the repaired tube and carefully place it on the inside of the tire. This is usually easier if you inflate the tube slightly and slide one side inside first, then insert the rest. When you're done, check one more time to make sure neither side of the tube is hanging off the rim.

• Make sure the inflation valve is pointing inward (away from the tire) when you place the tube on the tire, so that you can eventually inflate the tube.

  

Step 2. Place the tire with the tube on the wheel

Use your thumbs to slide the tire (which contains the partially inflated tube) onto the wheel. Press the outer edges of the tire onto the metal edge of the wheel so they "lock" securely into place. Be careful not to pinch the tube between the rim and the edge of the wheel. You may need to use the crowbar or another tool to help you with the last part of the tire (which can often be difficult to slide over the edge of the wheel).

• Keep in mind that some high-end tires are designed to turn only in one direction. In this case, the intended direction of rotation is usually indicated by small arrows on the sidewalls of the rims. Never install tires backwards. This can reduce the performance of the bike and cause the tire to wear incorrectly.
• Don't forget to remove the valve cap before putting the tube back on the wheel. The inflation valve (without the cap) should slide through a circle-shaped hole in the wheel so that the wheel can be easily accessed to inflate the tube.

Step 3. Inflate the tube gradually so that it locks into place inside the tire

Use an automatic or manually operated inflator and begin to inflate the tire little by little. You need to inflate a little at a time so that the tube moves and settles inside the tire as it expands. When it is fully inflated, push the tire down; Let the bike sit for a few minutes, and then press the tire again. If the second grip feels as firm as the first, then you are good to go.

If you are concerned that the tube will not settle properly inside the tire, you can inflate it before putting the tire back on the wheel. However, keep in mind that this can make it difficult for the tire to slip back into place

Step 4. Put the wheel on the bike

You are almost done. All you have to do now is slide the wheel onto the bike. Secure the quick release or bolt on the wheel nut. Reattach the brakes, and voila (unless you've been working on the rear wheel, in which case, you need to carefully re-buckle the chain around the gears). Pedal cautiously until you feel confident that the patch is not going to pop out all of a sudden. Now, you can handle your bike as you normally do.

Step 5. Consider buying a new camera as soon as you can

While inner chamber patches are very useful, they are not necessarily meant to last forever. These patches are good for pulling you out of the woods when a tire goes flat and you don't have a replacement, but they are not a good long-term solution for a punctured inner tube. While good quality patches are very close to new camera reliability, others may leak shortly after placement or may offer only temporary protection. You cannot compare one of these solutions to a new camera; so you should at least buy one when you have the opportunity, so that you have it on hand if you suffer another puncture in the future.

Advice

• Some cameras come with a liquid inside that fills the hole and automatically repairs it. Sometimes this does not work. One thing you can do is remove the inner tube and inflate it with enough air for the liquid to come out. If it doesn't, then you need to clean the dirt around the hole so the liquid can come out. If it does, then simply put the inner chamber back in place, inflate it, and ride in peace. If you can't see the liquid, it's time to get a new camera or patch it in the usual way.
• Glueless patch kits usually work for a short time, until the air from the hole is able to pass through the patch itself. However, glue patch kits chemically fuse the patch to the chamber, avoiding this situation.
• The glue that comes with the patch kit is safe for your skin, so don't be afraid to touch it.

Warnings