Originally Posted by
Bob Dopolina
Yeah, that's pretty much bass ackwards from what I would suggest.
I don't know what tire rim combo you are using but there is no way I could pop off the first bead by hand. That what the levers are for. Then I put them away as I never use levers to install a tire.
Not the first bead. Around here, we pop the whole thing off at once, both beads with the tube inside. It's not hard. I've done it with pretty much any rim and tire combo on which I've happened to change a tube. Exception for an early Cane Creek wheel that was almost impossible with levers.
It's just ordinary tribal behavior. We carry on the traditions of our elders.