Cycle Repairing and Adjusting
With a Chapter on building a Bicycle from a Set of Parts

TYRE TUBE REPAIRING 55 of failures are through not giving sufficient time. Ten or even twenty minutes may with advantage be given. Changing Position of Valve.—If the inner tube has suffered badly in the way of punctures round about the valve$ or is found to leak under the old seating, it is best to select a new place for the seating. To remove the old valve, take off the two lock nuts and plug, unscrew the nut, and take off the metal washer ; the valve stem now can be easily pulled out. Solution over the hole a patch a little larger than the old seating. When the new position of the valve has been selected, cut a hole about in. in diameter, in the centre of the under side of the air tube ; cut a piece of patching rubber, about 2| in. by 1^ in., to the shape of an elongated diamond, and cut a T\-in. hole in the centre of it. Clean thoroughly on both sides, and also the surface of the air tube where the rubber patch is to go, with petrol. Solution the patch on one side, and the surface of the air tube round the hole to correspond. When nearly dry, press the two together, with the hole in the patch true with the hole in the air tube. The head of the valve may now be wetted (to assist insertion) and pushed into the air tube, and the metal washer put on and the nut screwed up tight. The job will be strengthened by soluti oning a piece of thin linen fabric over the patch before putting on the washer and nut. Leaky Joints.—It will sometimes happen that a joint in the tube is faulty and consequently leaks. Do not be tempted to repair this with a patch, as it seldom holds, the air escaping along the edge under the patch. The best way to effect this repair, other than taking the joint apart