A flat tire doesn't have to catch you flat-footed. Sure, they're frustrating, but with a little bit of know-how, you can get back to riding Rad in no time.

In the spirit of keeping you on the trail, we launched Rad Academy, a series of basic electric bike maintenance classes that give riders a chance to hone their skills with our team of resident experts.

If you missed this month's livestream, you can still catch Service Excellence Manager Fritz's walkthrough on IGTV. 

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Here are a few of Fritz's tips: 

• Make sure you stock up on the right tools and supplies. This includes a replacement tube, a tire lever, a pump or CO2 inflator, and a pick, knifepoint, or similar poking tool. If you're working on your rear wheel, you'll also need your battery key, an adjustable 18mm wrench, a 4mm hex wrench, zip ties, and a cutting tool. If you really want to make sure you’re good to go, a tire pressure gauge is also a huge help.

   

• Remove your battery. It makes your bike easier to flip over and ensures your safety. Before you begin, discharge your bike fully. Once the battery’s off, hold down the power button to make sure you get rid of any stored electricity.

   

• You don’t need to fully remove the axle nuts to replace your tire. You can just loosen them.

• After you remove the wheel, make sure you don’t damage your motor wire you just unplugged or the round, thin steel brake rotor. 

   

• Gently nudge the tire off the rim to create some slack before you use your tire lever.

   

• Make sure there is some air in the new tube so that it will hold its shape when you’re installing it back into the tire. This will save you a lot of effort and time since it will be less unwieldy. 

   

• Once you've removed the debris from the inside and around the outside of your tire, you’re probably still good to use it if you aren’t able to directly see the threads or casing.

Don't feel comfortable performing your own maintenance? No worries! Check out our full selection of service options. Want to learn more about our tires? Take a look at how we're changing the game.