Fix It, Inflate It, and Hit the Road: Repairing Your E-bike's Punctured Tire

There's little more frustrating than a flat tire when you're on a ride. If you lack the necessary tools or knowledge, a flat tire can leave you stranded and incredibly inconvenient. So, here's our guide to repairing your e-bike's punctured tire.

What causes punctures?

Let's start with what causes punctures, as a bit of knowledge will help prevent them. 

Sharp Objects

Something penetrating the tire is the most obvious cause. For example, you could ride over a thorn or sharp object that pierces your tire, letting the air out.

Snakebite Punctures

Another possible cause is a pinch-flat or snake bite puncture. This occurs when you ride over a hard and sharp object or land from a jump with lots of force. The force squashes the tire, creating two small punctures in your innertube. This usually occurs when you ride with tire pressures that are too low, which can also damage your wheels.

By avoiding harsh obstacles, you stand a better chance of keeping your tires inflated. Try to avoid smashing your wheels into curbs, rocks, and logs. Pick a smoother line and learn how to negotiate obstacles in a way that is kinder to your bike.

Old or incorrect tires

Electric bikes require specific tires that are more rugged than those for regular bikes. They have stiffer sidewalls to cope with the extra weight, as well as tougher compounds to deal with the motor's power.

Riding an e-bike with regular tires is possible, but you'll notice a lack of stopping performance, grip, and longevity. Therefore, it's best to ensure your electric bike has appropriate tires.

Old and worn-out tires are vulnerable to punctures. So, regularly checking your tires' condition is a good idea to ensure you can keep riding uninterrupted.

A Ripped Sidewall

If you ride technical terrain on an electric mountain bike, you may rip a tire's sidewall. This doesn't happen often, but a sharp rock can penetrate the side of a tire, causing a puncture. You can do little to prevent this, as it's usually just bad luck. But if it happens several times, you may need to choose more robust tires, perhaps ones with "downhill casings."

Incorrectly Inflated Tires

You can reduce the likelihood of punctures by inflating your e-bike's tires to the correct pressure. Tires work best at specific pressures indicated by manufacturers, and sticking to their recommendations will improve handling, braking, tire wear, battery range, and puncture resistance.

Repairing Your E-Bike's Punctured Tire

You can repair a puncture if you get one during a ride to continue your journey in a couple of ways. Here's how:

Replace your damaged innertube.

To replace a damaged inner tube, you need a set of tire levers, a pump, and, of course, a spare tube.

• Switch off your electric bike's power to prevent injury.
• Remove the wheel with the punctured tire from the bike.
• Use the tire levers to pull the tire off one side of the rim.
• Unscrew the nut on the valve stem.
• Remove the inner tube. You can dispose of it or fix it later if the damage isn't too bad.
• Check the inside of the tire for sharp objects that may have caused the puncture, and put a hole in the replacement.
• Semi-inflate the new inner tube.
• Insert the new innertube into the tire, ensuring the valve is located in the wheel's hole.
• Re-seat the tire onto the rim, taking care not to pinch the new innertube with the tire levers.
• Re-inflate the tire to the correct pressure, or until it is hard enough to ride on.
• Replace the valve nut.
• Re-mount the wheel onto your bike.

 Use a tire plug.

A tire plug is a great way of repairing your e-bike's punctured tire if you run a tubeless setup (we'll go into this more later). Here's how it works:

• Turn off your e-bike's power.
• Locate the puncture by rotating the tire and listening for air escaping. You may be able to locate the puncture more easily by wetting the tire and looking for air bubbles.
• Thread a tire pug into the insertion tool it comes with, but leave a small piece hanging out.
• Push the plug firmly into the hole until only a small portion remains visible.
• Trim the excess material off the plug.
• Re-inflate your tire.

Should You Ride With Tubeless Tires?

As the name suggests, tubeless tires work without an innertube. Instead, the system comprises special "tubeless-ready" tires, rim tape, a tubeless valve, and tire sealant. 

The rim tape runs around the inside of the wheel, creating an airtight seal, and the valve fits into the wheel. The tire sealant is poured into the tire before it is fully seated on the rim and pumped to high pressure.

As you ride, the sealant fills any puncture holes you may find. Most of the time, you won't know that something has pierced your tire, so you can just continue riding.

The only real downside to riding tubeless is that the initial setup can be a messy process. However, it's worth the effort for convenience and stress-free rides. At this point, it's worth noting that tire sealant can only do so much. It won't fill large holes or rips in the sidewall. You'll need to fit an innertube for these significant punctures to continue your ride.

If you ride an electric mountain bike on technical terrain, we recommend that you go for a tubeless setup. Aside from the puncture resistance, it allows you to ride with lower tire pressures, which gives you more grip on all surfaces. 

A tubeless setup will also benefit you if you ride an electric commuter bike in urban areas. However, the environment makes punctures less likely, so going tubeless is more of a personal preference in this case. 

Final Thoughts on Repairing Your E-Bike's Punctured Tire

As you can see, repairing your e-bike's punctured tire is relatively easy. Remember to take the necessary tools and a spare tube on every ride. Alternatively, you can ride with a tubeless setup to prevent most punctures. If you want to avoid the hassle of setting up your bike for tubeless, a good bike shop will do it for you without too much expense.