2torial #0707:
Learn2 Fix a Bike Flat (continued)

Remove the wheel

Wheels are generally attached to the bike frame through one of two mechanisms--the standard nut or the quick-release mechanism. Here's how to use both:

• If your bike has standard nuts holding the wheel on, use the wrench to turn each nut counterclockwise. Alternate between the two nuts until both are loose, but not removed from the wheel. There may be a metal security device which you'll need to pull away from the slots in the bike frame where the wheel's hub is attached. You need to release these before you can free the wheel.

• If you have a quick-release mechanism, just grip the lever and pull the end away from the wheel to loosen it. Now hold the other side of the wheel steady, and turn the lever counterclockwise a few times to loosen it a bit more.

Once the wheel is ready to drop out of the frame, you'll also need to open the brakes wide enough to let the tire pass through. Many bikes have some sort of quick-release mechanism just above the brake pads to help you do this. It often looks like a small lever, and sometimes takes the form of a metal tube seated horizontally inside a rubber boot. If yours has neither, you should still be able to squeeze the brake pads close to the wheel, and then pull one end of the brake cable free of the metal arm. You'll know you've done it right when the brakes open much wider than usual.

If you're removing the rear wheel of a multi-speed bike, shift the gears until the chain is sitting on the largest cog on the chain ring near the pedals and the smallest cog (the one farthest from the wheel itself) on the rear wheel. This will allow for easier removal and replacement of the rear wheel.