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.