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There are two types of cyclists, those who have had a flat tire and those who will have a flat tire. There is just no way around it, but the good news is that will just a few tools and a little practice it can be a very simple fix. But be careful changing just the tube may not fix the overall problem. Flats can be very frustrating but with enough knowledge and preparation they can be just a minor annoyance.

The hardest part is being prepared. First you will need the right tools like a Pump, spare tube, tire levers, boot material, and possibly wrenches. You need to be prepared before you head out for a ride. Once out on the road or trails (assuming you're outside and not in your garage) don't expect to flat in front of a bike store.

This starts with knowing your bicycle. Do you have a road bike, mountain bike, unicycle? This will determine what kind of tube you need. There should be a label on the tire somewhere that will tell you its size like "700x23" or "26 x 1.95". The fist number will be the diameter of the tire the second is the width. There are also two types of valves, presta and schrader. Schrader is the type of valve your car will have. The other is thinner and is called a presta valve. Again be sure to have the correct tube for diameter, width, and valve type. Having some baby powder will also come in handy. For on the road/trail fixes keep your tube in a zip lock bag with a little baby powder. The baby powder allows the tube to slide around the tire a bit and it also keeps the tube from sticking to the tire.

You will also need a source of air, you can use a pump or a co2 inflater. The pump is the better option as it can be used again and again. The Co2 inflater's are small and very portable but also expensive. If at home you should invest in and use a floor pump. While out on the road or trail a frame pump, which can attach to your frame is the best option. You should try and avoid air compressors at all costs they are designed to inflate car tires and will blow your bicycle tube and tire up easily, which could cause damage to your wheel also.

Two more items you will need are tire levers, which are used to pry the tire off the rim. Also a boot will come in useful if your out on the trail or road. Use plastic tire levers as they will not damage your tire or rim like metal ones will. Plastic levers can and will break, but it's better than damaging an expensive rim. For a boot you can use a dollar bill, wax paper, Energy bar wrapper.

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