How to Fix a Flat on a Kids' Bike (No Experience Needed)

Flats are the most common kids' bike repair and the easiest to learn. With tire levers, a spare tube, and a pump, you'll be done in fifteen minutes — here's the walkthrough.

Step 1: remove the wheel (loosen the axle nuts or open the quick-release; on coaster-brake bikes, unhook the brake arm). Step 2: deflate fully and squeeze the tire; push one tire lever under the bead and hook the spoke, then run a second lever around. Step 3: pull out the tube.

Find the culprit before the new tube goes in.

Step 4 — the critical step: run your fingers inside the tire and find what caused the flat (thorn, glass shard, spoke end). Miss this and the new tube flats in a day. Step 5: inflate the new tube just enough to hold shape, seat it inside the tire starting at the valve, and lever the last of the bead back on by hand.

Step 6: pump to sidewall pressure, remount the wheel, spin and brake-test. Pro tips: carry a tube sized to your child's bike on rides — a 16-inch tube like those inside the Girls Bike with Basket & Doll Seat – Pink | XJD wheels is pocket-sized — and patch kits at home turn punctured tubes into spare parts.