how to remove bike tires

If you’re packing your bike in your car or fixing a flat, you’ll need to know how to take off your bike wheels.  With a few simple tools and little practice, you will be able to remove bike tires quickly. 

This can be a fairly simple job.

Each removal will vary depending on your bike and which tire you want to remove. We

will show you how to remove front and back tires.

With a few simple tools and little practice, you will be able to remove bike tires quickly. 

If you’ve already removed your tires and need to know how to change a bike tire tube, click here. 

 

We’ll first talk about how to remove the easier of the two, the front bike tire. 

Many riders take the front wheel off of their ebike to transport to new adventures

 

How to position bike to remove tires

 

For the front tire removal, some people prefer to keep the bike right side up.

But It can be easy for the bike to tip over. 

I usually use this bike stand while I remove the front tire.

This stand keeps the bike locked into position while the wheel is removed. 

 

If you don’t have a bike stand you can also turn your bike upside down for better balance.

If you do this, make sure the shifters and brakes aren’t supporting the weight of the bike.

You can put a thick blanket under your bike when working with it upside down. 

You might want to brace the other end of the bike between two heavy objects. 

How to remove bike tires WITHOUT the bike tipping over is the goal to strive for!

For bike and ebike adventures, follow us on Instagram. 

How to remove bike tires brake

 

I highly recommend using your smartphone here. Take photos of the bolts on your wheels, the chain, and your brakes.

Photos are a great reference to check when reinstalling your wheel.

Every part will need to be  returned to the exact place it was removed, or your bike might not work correctly!

To prepare your bike for tire removal first loosen your brakes.

If you have a circle disc brake the wheel removal is straightforward.

If you have V brakes, you will squeeze the metal sides of the brakes together. This will shorten the cable between them.
Once the cable is shortened, unhook the circular metal piece as shown below in the photo.

Here’s the detailed video for how to take off bike tires. Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel. 

 

How to take off front bike tire

If you have a quick release level, wheel removal should be an easy task.

Simply, lift the lever with your right hand while holding the wheel nut with your left hand.

Once the lever is released you will begin unscrewing the bolt until it becomes loose.

 

You can leave the lever and nut attached to the wheel.

If you decide to fully remove the lever and nut place them in a safe place so  you don’t lose them! 

I prefer to put them on the shelf of my bike stand. 

Notice the position of the dropouts in your frame.

The dropout is the metal part where the bolt fits.

Look closely to see which direction you need to lift to remove your wheel. At this point, simply lift the wheel  and it should come off easily.

If it doesn’t first check to make sure the brakes aren’t catching and that the bolts are fully loosened. 

Next let’s move on to the back wheel. 

 

How to remove bike tire rear 

 

To position the bike for rear tire removal, flip the bike upside down. 

Before removing the back tire make sure to snap a quick photo of both sides of the tire for future reference. 

When removing the back wheel, the chain can get in the way.

Check out this blog on how to work with the chain 

The chain will be easiest to work with on the smallest chain right.

To get the chain in this location, pedal your bike (if front wheel is on) and shift into highest number on your right shifter.

If you have a bike stand you can do this by manually turning the pedals with your hands. 

to prevent getting grease everywhere I usually try to wear gloves when working with the chain.

 

 

If your bike has a lever, you can repeat the removal steps mentioned earlier.

If your wheel is secured with a nut you will need a ratchet, wrench, or pliers.

These bolts tend to be fairly large size and can require a bit of muscle to remove.

Using a ratchet will provide the most torque on the bolt.

On this electric bike the wires were in the way for a ratchet, so instead I used a wrench. 

 

Loosen the bolts until you see a space between the wheel and frame. Notice the position of your dropouts on the frame.

Lift the bike tire in the direction where the dropouts are not connected to frame. 

How to work with chain

If your chain get stuck while lifting the tire, you can remove the chain.

Use your right hand to move the rear deraiilieur as shown in the photo below.

This will create slack in the chain and allow you to lift it outside of your working area.

Notice in the photo below, I rested the chain on the pedals. Now your tire should be easily lifted off of the bike. 

 

We’ve figured out how to remove bike tires. Here’s a few quick tips on how to get the back tire back onto your bike. 

Put tires on bike

Turn your bike upside down.  Use one hand to gently pull the derailleur back and the other hand to insert the wheel into the dropouts.

Double check that your wheel has fully positioned itself inside the dropouts. 

 

his needs to be secure! Look to see if all washers and bolts are on the correct side of the dropouts. Tighten the bolts  to firmly secure the wheel. 

 

If you have an electric bike with a hub motor, this might be more challenging. The wheel will be more difficult to maneuver because of its weight.

The wheel might also be much wider than your standard wheel, required a bit of convincing of the frame. 

 

Notice here in the photo, I wasn’t able to fit the wheel into the dropouts until I firmly pulled the frame with both hands. Once I did this, the wheel fell right into place. 

 

Once the tire is in place, flip your bike back into upright position. Double check that everything is back in place. Perform a quick check of the brakes to make sure they are at their normal stopping power. 

Wrapping it up

Now you know how to remove bike tires.

You can now pack your bike and probably even several bikes into a car.

If you are removing bike tires because of a flat, I hope that this information helped you get on your way.

I’d be interested to hear your feedback on your struggles or successes removing your bike tires. Let me know in the comments.