Dealing with flats

I was going to tell you how to change a flat on a bike.
Nothing could be simpler. It takes,  oh, maybe ten minutes.
And then again, if you've never done it before, it could take over an hour.

This lesson was brought home to us, seasoned flat-repairers, recently as Rapid Transit Cycleshop hosted a flat-fixing workshop for some friends and their kids. We were again reminded that before you can teach someone how to fix a flat, there is a whole bunch of other stuff they should know first.
So instead of one post, we'll do a series.
Click on links below for information on:
The anatomy of a bicycle wheel
What causes flats
Types of valves
Your flat-repair kit
Removing and reinstalling the tire and tube