It’s a beautiful sunny day, and you and your child are out on a bike ride. Smiles abound. Laughter fills the air. Life couldn’t get much better. But then all that fun comes to a screeching halt. A thorn picked up on the side of the trail has resulted in a flat tire. Now pedaling is replaced with plodding as you carry your kid’s now non-functioning bike back to the house. That great day on the bike quickly becomes a distant memory.

It didn’t have to end this way. While the occasional flat tire is unavoidable, that long walk is not. All you need are the skills and tools to fix the problem, and you’ll quickly be pedaling — and laughing — again. That’s where this post comes in. Keep reading to find out what you need to know about flats, tires, tubes, and more. We’ll walk you through the different types of flats, what you can do to prevent them, and how you can be better prepared. By the end, you’ll be a virtuoso of all things tires, and more importantly, a smarter bike owner who knows how to prevent flat tires (and the associated headaches) before they happen.

To better understand how flat tires happen — and how you can prevent them — it helps to know how a bike’s tire works, which is often misunderstood. All woom bikes are outfitted with standard tube/tire combinations mounted on aluminum rims. The tube, which is made of rubber and resides inside your tire, inflates (or deflates) via pneumatic (air) pressure. The tire serves as protection for the tube, preventing damage or puncture — most of the time.

Though you might think all flat tires are the same, there are actually some notable differences. This list of culprits most frequently includes puncture by a sharp object, failure of or damage to inflation valve, over inflation, pinch flat, tire or tube wear, and severe road/trail hazards such as potholes or rocks.

Some causes are fairly self-explanatory. If you run over a piece of glass or a nail, there’s a high likelihood of getting a flat tire. The same goes for smashing into a giant pothole or plowing over a sharp rock at high speed. Your best bet for avoiding a flat in all these cases is obstacle avoidance. Steer around that broken soda bottle in the street. Pick a cleaner line through the gnarly rock garden.

Proper tire inflation and occasional equipment inspection is arguably your best bet for avoiding flat tires. Like your automobile, all tires have a recommended inflation range, which is typically printed on the tire’s sidewall and included in the set-up instructions. Heed this advice, and you’ll avoid blowouts from over inflation and pinch flats from putting too little air in, which can allow the tube to slip between the tire and rim, resulting in an aptly named snake bite where there are two holes on corresponding sides of the tube.

Your tire inspection list should include assuring proper inflation before every ride, which is most often done using a pump with a gauge that tells you how much air pressure is in your tire and whether you need to add or remove air. Checking for excessive tire wear is also vitally important. Worn out tires are more susceptible to puncture and should be replaced. Also, make sure there are no embedded objects in your tires. A thorn that’s just barely stuck into your tire now could soon penetrate far enough to relive your tube of its precious air.

Once you’ve removed the tube, you can either replace it with a new one or repair the damaged tube. When out riding, most people will simply install a spare. To make this process a little easier, inflate the tube slightly to give it some shape, then insert it into the tire. You may choose to repair the old tube using a patch kit at home, which will include all necessary instructions.

Once you have a new (or repaired tube in place), install the tire bead back over the rim using tire levers, being sure not to pinch the tube on the rim under the tire. Next, inflate slowly at first to set the bead and ensure proper installation. The sound of the tire bead popping into place is normal. Just make sure the tire is even relative to the rim. Check this by rotating the wheel and assuring it spins true with no bias. Lastly, reinstall the wheel, and if applicable, the brake cable.

Finally, make sure to check that the quick release is tight, the wheel spins true, the brakes are aligned, and the wheel is installed in the proper direction by checking the directional arrow printed on the tire’s sidewall. If everything looks good, you’re ready to get back on your bike and on with that great ride with your Rider.