How to Change a Bike Tire (Or Maybe Not)

I’m not sure if I did it right, but I did it!  I changed my rear tire all by myself with the help of some how-to videos online. 

To start, you need to remove the wheel from the bike.  Removing rear wheels are a little tricky because of the chain, but I found a video to show me how to do it. 

Nobody said it would be pretty!

After you remove the wheel, you need to remove the tire from the wheel.  I used two tire levers to help me with this, but I read that nimble fingers work as well!

Remove the tube from the tire and discard.  Get your new tube and stick the valve through the hole in the wheel.  Inflate your tire just a bit to help with putting the tire back on. 

This part was a little tricky for me, but eventually I got it back on. 

After the tire is back on, inflate the tube to the appropriate pressure. 

After this, it’s time to get the wheel back on the bike.  If it’s a front wheel, it’ll be a piece of cake.  Unfortunately for me, it was a rear wheel, which proved to be rather difficult and a little messy with the chain.  But I figured it out and I was ready to go! 

I had been pretty tired, but I was so excited about getting my bike in working condition that I was ready to head out for a ride!  I hit the road for about 45 minutes and rode for about 10.5 miles.  The wind was a little crazy for parts of the ride but boy, my bike was fast!  I got up to 30 mph on a downhill, which was pretty nerve-wracking since it was my first time on the bike outside.  I was a little unsure of myself on the bike, but I gained confidence as the ride went on. 

It was a smooth ride, but my neck really started to hurt.  I need to learn to relax more, but I’m also going to do a little research on how to strengthen my neck muscles.  It may just require a lot of time on the bike!