How To Change Bike Bicycle Tire at Home: Steps (with Images)

A Bicycle doesn’t annoy much. It doesn’t demand much maintenance, attention to detail or knowledge about its internals from the cyclists. You can just wing it most of the times. However, though rarely, the only problem arrives in front of cyclists from time to time is the need to change their bike tires. You might need to change your bicycle tire because it got worn out, punctured or sometimes even when you need to ride on different terrain or the change in season forces you to get the bicycle tire which is best adapted to current seasons’ conditions.

So, in this guide, we will tell you the simplest ways to change your bike/bicycle tire, mostly at the comfort of your home. Whether you’re an adult, teenager or pre-teen. We have broke down the process to show your step by step method to change bicycle tire that, no matter the age group or gender, you’re able to change your bicycle tire yourself.

How to Change a Bike/Bicycle Tire

This section covers if you need to change your tire (the outermost part of the wheel) if that is worn out or inadequate for current riding conditions. If you actually mean to change the tire’s tube then scroll down to the next section, it has your answer. Now, with that out of way. Let’s address the elephant in the room. If you really need to change the tire of your bike or bicycle, follow these steps –

Flip the bike upside down so that it is standing on the the seat and handlebars.
If your wheels have brakes touching the rim, release them.
Now, most of the modern bicycles have a quick-release level. Release it and you will be able to take out the whole wheel.
If your bicycle doesn’t has it, then it has nut & bolt system. You can loosen the bolt using a wrench of correct size which will remove the rod that keeps the wheel attached to the bicycle. And hence, you’ll be able to remove bike wheel from the bicycle.

Now, if you have another spare tire, plug that in and tighten the bolt or snap the quick-release lever back. But, I’m getting the feeling that it’s not the case. And so, you need to change tire on the same wheel that you’ve taken out. So, here’s further steps in that direction –

Firstly, take the whole air out of tire that you just detached.
Grab a plastic tire lever and gently pry the tire’s edge (aka bead) from one side. Slowly, get whole one side detached.
The inner tube is visible and reachable, pull it out.
Now, you’ll able to take the other side of tire out easily and hence the old tire will be removed.
Take the new tire and fit it’s one side on the rim.
Add little air in the removed tube and put it inside the new tire.
Now, with the help of pry tool, close the tire by putting other side inside the rim too.

That’s it, now new tire is fully onto the rim. You can fit the wheel back into the cycle by reversing the steps you used to take it out.

How to Change a Bike Tire Tube

If you just need to remove the inside tube of your bicycle tire and not the whole tire or the topmost layer of the wheel then you need to follow these steps to get the old bicycle tube removed and add new tube. It will help you do that in maximum 15 minutes if you’re good in following instructions –

Firstly, turn your bike upside down and balance it on its seat and handlebar. Now, the wheels detached from the ground and facing upward.
If your rim has brakes touching the rim, release it.
Now, if your cycle has quick release level to remove the cycle wheel, release it to get the bicycle wheel out otherwise, just a wrench of correct size to loosen up & remove the tire.
Take whole air of removed tire out. Use a plastic tire level to gently pry one side of the bicycle wheel.
The inside bicycle tube should be accessible. Pull it out.
Now, if it’s punctured, you can fix it otherwise, if you have another tube that’s in good condition, use that.
Add a little air to good tube whether it’s new or repaired.
insert it into the bicycle wheel which is detached. take the valve out.
Lock the opened side of tire (aka bead) into place.
Congratulations!

Now, you’ve successfully changed your bike’s tire.

How to Change a Road Bike Tire

I’ve already covered how to change bike tire which is mostly the guide to change road bike tire as well. Check the above sections and you’ll get the exact steps on how to change your bike tires. However, there are few things that you need to keep in mind. Road bikes are narrower, tougher and have high air pressure. So, while prying the tire out or removing or inserting the tire tube, you need to have more control over your strength and techniques.

So, place your biycle upside down, remove the bicycle wheel and implement the steps I’ve told above to remove and change the road bike tire. However, make sure that you do this after wearing gloves so that you won’t get your hands dirty as well as if the pry tool fly off, it won’t hurt you.

How to Change a Mountain Bike Tire

Mountain bikes are different from normal road bikes. Which makes changing a mountain bike tire actually easier. They are flatter than road bikes, they always have quick release lever to take any tire wheel out. Now, prying them requires less strength both due to more area to work with as well as softer tire material than road bike tires.

So,

Place your bike upside down and use quick release level to take out the desired tire.
Use pry tool to remove one side of the removed wheel, deflate all the air in bicycle tube and take it out.
Now, repair or replace it and put fresh tube inside from the opened side
And just, close the opened side by force.

That’s it.

How to Change Tire by Hand

Removing tire of your bicycle only by using your hands is quite possible. However, you need a little strength, a little technique and a lot more conditions. It’s easy to change tire by hand in a mountain bike than road bike, due to more flexibility and surface area of tire. It’s easy to change tire by hand in hot weather than cold weather. It’s easy to change tire by hand in a old, worn out tire than new one. It’s easy to change tire by hand if it was already a looser fit to the rim.

So, if your situation matches most of these conditions, follow these steps to change bicycle tire only with bare hands –

Place the bicycle upside down and remove the wheel by using quick release level.
Remove all the air of the tire using its valve.
Now, press and pull each section of the tire’s outside layer, around one side. It will loosen the bead of cycle on the opposite side.
As one side is open, you can now take the tire’s tube out and put the new/repaired tube.
Now, close the bead by forcing it in the place and you’ve done it.

How Long Does it Takes to Change a Tire

If you have proper tools and you understood my instructions well then I will way, it will hardly take 15-20 mins. Otherwise, if you have to use only your hands and no help is available in reach than it will take more than 30 minutes but not any less.

How Much Does it Cost to Change a Tire

If you are ready to do it yourself, then the cost to change a tire or repair it will be around $10 to $15. If the tire is so worn out that you need to replace it then expect the cost of around $30 to $40. And if you have to go to a bike repair shop, the bike mechanic will charge you around $25 per wheel of the labor cost only, if extra parts needed, then they will set you up for a bill of $50 to $60.

I hope I have answered properly on how to change your bike tires. My recommendation is to go DIY way as the equipment required for it is not only reasonably priced but also easily available. Also, the complexity of this problem is just beginner level and, if you learn this skill, it’s gonna make your bike riding so much pleasant in the coming week. Share with the friend who need to know this.