Bicycle Mechanics - tire levers

what tire levers do you use and are they good? i saw the levers they use at my bike shop, they are pen sized with a handle and the actual part that un-beads the tire is very thick. they also come in many different colors. anybody know what they are? i know not very descriptive but anyways?

Tire levers are tire levers. Stay away from metal, and you should be fine.

I myself use the cheapo kevlar levers from Performance.

I like the steel core Soma brand.

I bought some at walmart and they work fine.

The little blue park ones are good, and so are the steel park "shop" levers. Depends on the application

The ones that you described sound like "Quick Sticks". I've got a variety of tire removal tools but a Quick Stick is my weapon of choice.

thanks retro grouch quick sticks are exactly what i was looking for thanks

my problem is that the tires i run on my P.2 are at at least 60 psi, maybe 80 not sure, but they seat them selves very well and i couldn't get them out with my pedros.

You're supposed to push the bead towards the center of the rim with your thumbs before you use the tire levers.

yeah thats how the guy got it out at the bike shop

I like the steel core Soma brand.

+1

One big caution is to never use the levers to mount the tire, only to remove.

i used them to mount tires, its not possible without tire levers

My Soma tire levers just arrived from Calhoun Cycle yesterday.

Nick

i used them to mount tires, its not possible without tire levers

Perhaps never was too strong a word, but using tire levers to mount tires causes a significant risk of pinching the tube and even marring the rim if the levers are metal. If one uses proper technigue it is rare that levers are needed.

When mounting the tire start on the other side of the wheel from the valve, push the tire bead in toward the center of the rim and then "scrub" your hands around the tire as you push the bead over the rim with your thumbs. When you are most of the way there remove any remaining air you can from the tube. Finish at or near the stem, pushing the bead over the rim with your thumbs and the heel of your hands. Push the stem up into the tire and then pull back out again. Make sure no portion of the tube is sitting under the tire bead and then inflate, checking seating as you go.

Using the above technique in mounting thousands of tires I have had to use levers to finish the job on probably less than ten.

I too second the QuikStiks, their fast on anything but tough tight stubborn tires. The steel core Soma levers are also probably the best standard tire lever on the market. The QuikStik makes fast work of removing a tire in less then 30 seconds. I start out dismounting the tire by first inserting a tire lever into the tire and lift the bead off the rim and lock the lever onto a spoke, then insert another lever about 3 inches from the first and lock it to a spoke, then insert the QuikStik between the two levers and remove the second lever, then just quickly slide the QuikStik around the rim and presto one side of the tire is off.

BUT typically you shouldn't even need tire levers to install tires; using the above post example from CNY-BIKEMAN is the perfect way to do it. Using a tire lever to install tires gives you the chance to pinch a tube then you have start all over because you'll have to repair or replace the tube.

The only thing that I would add to CNY-BIKEMAN is in the inflation area; I always inflate the tire to about 30 psi check the beat seating then deflate, then reinflate to about 30 psi and recheck the seating, and then continue inflating to about 60psi and recheck the seating again, then go to my preferred max pressure and recheck the seating just to be safe.

BUT typically you shouldn't even need tire levers to install tires

I used to say that too. But it 's almost possible to mount some types of new tires on deep aero rims with using a lever to finish the job. Between sweaty hands and the beginning formation of blisters on thumbs, it's often better to resort to a lever.

Without tire levers i could have never gotten my Continental Gatorskins (wire bead) onto my Velocity Deep-V wheels... I only use them for that last bit that i can't get by hand though.

I've used the levers that came with my Blackburn Toolmanator and Park Tool levers both of which have worked well. I just picked up a single Pedros lever to stick in my saddle pouch just-in-case. :)

Tire levers are tire levers. Stay away from metal, and you should be fine.

I myself use the cheapo kevlar levers from Performance.

Stay AWAY from metal????? You mean stay away from plastic that breaks in your hand time and time again.

Plastic tyre levers should be banned. Metal is the best, and if you are worried about scratching your rims, maybe look for coated metal levers or something.

Plastic absolutely sucks - I have broken too many to feel anything for plastic.

Plastic tyre levers should be banned. Metal is the best, and if you are worried about scratching your rims, maybe look for coated metal levers or something.
That's what the Soma levers are - plastic-coated metal.

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u94/donnambr/yhst-3773699254952_1953_3279209.jpg

I used to say that too. But it 's almost possible to mount some types of new tires on deep aero rims with using a lever to finish the job. Between sweaty hands and the beginning formation of blisters on thumbs, it's often better to resort to a lever.


That's why I said "typically", because most of time on most tires you shouldn't have to use a lever at all...BUT sometimes it's necessary.