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Cyclists have been told a simple method involving washing up liquid and water can help you locate punctures. In many cases, bicycle wheels are made up of three components, the tyre, the inner tube, and the rim which holds them together.

The tyre is the hard outer layer that meets the road, and within it is the inner tube, which you inflate with a pump. When properly inflated it pushes against the tyre, giving you a nice stable and firm wheel all the way around. Some bikes are tubeless and the tyre itself is inflated. But if you happen to run over a sharp object and it pierces through the tyre and/or inner tube, you'll find the wheel will quickly become flat.

Often these nicks can be tiny and almost impossible to spot with the naked eye, but will still cause you to lose pressure in no time.

Cyclists have various techniques for finding them, with some recommending turning the bike over and slowly rotating the wheel close to your cheek until the you feel the tiny jet of air against your skin.

Others recommend using a washing up solution to identify the air jets. One, writing on bicycles.stackexchange.com, a Q&A website about bikes said that before they fill up air on a tyre or tube, they get an empty refillable spray bottle and "add about a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid" before slowly filling the bottle with water so it doesn't fill it with bubbles.

"I like to use the spray bottles that have a straight stream." This solution is then sprayed over the tyre as you spin it, and will help you see where the air is coming out.

"The mist type creates fine bubbles that can work if the leak is big enough, but if it's a small leak, then it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack or in this case a bubble in a bubble bath," they explained.

"Also find a light colored crayon or wax pencil or even liquid paper so you can mark the location of your leak once you find it."

Water on its own is said to be less effective because it has a high surface tension, meaning the air quickly passes through it.

But the addition of washing up reduces surface tension, and the bubbles it creates make it easier to spot the air escaping.

It's just one of a number of hacks some cyclists swear by. However, it's always best to consult a professional to get tips specific to your tyres to avoid the risk of causing further damage.