Tires and Tubes
Tire types, tube sizes, puncture repair, installation, and inflation best practices.
Lesson Details
Skills to cover in the shop
- Proper removal of front and rear wheel
- Proper removal of tire and tube
- Proper installation of tire on tube
- Proper installation of front and rear wheel
Supporting videos
Key procedures / notes
- Wheel removal (open dropouts): shift to outermost rear cog / innermost front ring; release brake QR if present; open axle QR or loosen nuts; guide wheel out (pull derailleur back for rear).
- Tire/tube removal: fully deflate; push sidewalls toward center; use two tire levers to lift bead; remove tube starting opposite the valve; inspect inside of tire for debris.
- Installation: check direction arrows; inflate tube just enough to hold shape; place valve through rim hole straight; seat beads carefully without pinching the tube.
Skill Check: 4 Tire & Tube Skill Check. See Table 2.1 for common tire sizing and sidewall markings.
Assignments & Resources
What you’ll do
Follow the procedures in the lesson document. Complete any note guides or worksheets, then perform the hands-on skill check.
Support materials
Recommended reading
Park Tool Big Blue Book: pages 12–26 (Chapter 2). Stop at the top of page 26 (tubeless systems).