The patch is on. Rocket bounces on his toes. "Put it back! I want to ride!"
Raven holds up the shop notebook. "What do you notice? We have not tested it yet."
Nova hovers by the valve. "How will you know the patch holds?" she asks.
Rocket thinks. "We fill it up and watch for a leak!"
A grown-up pushes the tube back under the tire.
They work the tire back onto the rim, starting at the valve.
They check that the tube is not poking out anywhere.
Then they fill the tire with a pump.
The right air pressure is printed on the side of the tire.
A grown-up uses a pressure gauge to check it.
Engineers test a fix to see if it works.
A test can find a weak spot, called a failure point.
Then you know what to improve.
For a flat, the test is simple: does the tire stay firm?
| Time after the fix | Tire A (made-up practice data) | Tire B (made-up practice data) |
|---|---|---|
| right away | firm | firm |
| 1 hour later | firm | a little soft |
| next morning | firm | flat |
| Week check | True or false? |
|---|---|
| Bubbles in water show where air leaks. | ? |
| A grown-up checks the tire for sharp things. | ? |
| The glue goes on after the patch. | ? |
| A test can show what to improve. | ? |
Case solved, detectives! Tomorrow is Bike Shop Day: a bubble hunt with your family.