Please suggest the best bombproof totally reliable tyrelevers that absolutely can be relied upon. That is if they actually exist.
Tonight I admitted defeat fitting a tyre for the first time ever. Kryptotals onto a Bontrager Line Comp 30 rim. I tried clamps, washing up liquid, heat, persistance, another person, and innumerable levers. Surely there is a simple solution?
Pedro's DH one. Nothing else comes close. Only downside is it's not portable but for workshop use it will not be beaten
<h2>Pedro’s Downhill Tyre Lever</h2>
<h2>Caution</h2>
Maybe this lever’s biggest advantage is also a disadvantage. Having all that leverage at your disposal can be a real temptation. You just have to have a little sympathy with your rim. Getting stuck in and grabbing a big chunk of tyre may end up less than optimal results. You have been warned!
In other words, big steel lever-alloy rim, you could take an almighty chunk out if it or at best bend the hell out of it.
What you could try, is to get the beads into the rim well on the opposite end. This might give you a little extra space. You'll probably need three hands.
Some tyres/rims just arent compatible.
OK this is not what you asked for, but, the Lezyne powerlevers are not bombproof, in fact they'll usually break after a couple of years' use. But they have the best hook shape ever, and it makes tight tyres much easier to fit because it needs less slack to get them on. The tradeoff is that because it's thinner than most, it's also weaker. But it's less stressed too.
IMO the answer to really tight tyres just isn't more lever, it's smarter lever. Tyre beads are strong.
I've a Pedros tyre lever. There is no tyre it can't mount. You do have to be a wee bit judicious with it though, especially if you're using it alongside normal shorter plastic tyre levers but this
you could take an almighty chunk out if it or at best bend the hell out of it.
You can't do. The tip of it is blunt and rounded (although I've still wrapped mine with a layer of Gorilla tape) and - unless you're actually trying to, it's very very hard to bend a rim. It's also a pretty good lever for removing old wiper seals on your forks.
Schwalbe blue flat jobs same reason as northwinds. The hook makes the difference.
Standard Pedros - they will even get Schwalbe wired tyres on !
https://www.parktool.com/en-int/product/heavy-duty-steel-tire-lever-set-tl-5
Never been defeated yet....
I saw an advert for these... they made it look REALLY easy in the videos... i've no idea how good they are.. but it's a novel idea.
I would have recommended the standard Pedros levers until a week ago.
I managed to snap one fitting some Rimpact inserts. At least the lever gave rather than the rim. Maybe that's not such a bad thing after all...
Lifeline do some nice nylon coated steel levers (just search on wiggle). I have also found crank brothers speed levers really good.
I am not suggesting you don’t know how to fit a tyre at all, but once I figured out the significant difference in making sure that both beads are sat in the central channel of a rim as much as possible made a massive difference. This is especially true on wider tubeless rims which ramp up towards to edges to ensure a tight fit.
I blame it on the tubeless revolution ,and manufacturers changing tyre and rim tolerances/design.
Have used Pedros standard levers for ever and they used to manage all sorts* .
Now if all the bad planets align,it's tears and phone a friend time.
*apart from Contis,they have been utter bar stewards for a long time 😃
Alternatively, if you can get them, @Chipps thumbs are also pretty reliably good at mounting tyres.
I would have recommended the standard Pedros levers until a week ago.
I managed to snap one fitting some Rimpact inserts. At least the lever gave rather than the rim. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing after all…
That'll be technique not tyre lever deficiency. Pedros are great. For inserts though a combination of technique and the admittedly insanely expensive Cushcore lever, which makes it easier to stuff the bead down under the insert.
Been using one of these for last year and it has been great. In fact too great for one VERY hard to mount tyre as after I had mounted the tyre I realised the force I had put through it had bend the rim in a few places beyond repair!
Been using one of these for last year and it has been great. In fact too great for one VERY hard to mount tyre as after I had mounted the tyre I realised the force I had put through it had bend the rim in a few places beyond repair!
I snapped a rim wall on a brand new set of fulcrum wheels with one if those, but you know, fulcrum 🤷♂️
I've not managed to break any muc-off levers yet even with heavy workshop use
I've got a couple of sets of Topeak shuttle tyre levers and never had a problem with them. Been using them for a good few years now.
Decathlon yellow tyre levers. Very strong, and also cheap.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/pack-of-3-tyre-levers-yellow/_/R-p-120
Cheap metal ones in the kits you get in the pound shop.
I have fitted motorccle tyres with these.
Park TL-5. They'll get Minions onto a set of Sun Ditch Witches with barely any bleeding knuckles. Seriously though, they're ****ing awesome.
I found the maxalami noodlever to be a useful alternative to the cushcore dropper. After that it's new flat schwalbes.
Tyre Slider - used it to seat a brand new Big Betty on an XM481 with no bother
I've got the Park Tool steel levers and they're great. Yes, you could use them to destroy a soft alloy rim but that would be your own fault.
Hiya,
I've had problems fitting tyres since tubeless. The best technique I have found in general, is to warm the tyres first. Hence I tend to leave the tyres and rim in the house the night before fitting.
With respect to tyre levers I prefer the weldtite ones:
https://weldtite.cc/products/tyre-levers-2-0
Of all the ones I have that I hate the most the park tools ones are truely woeful and I look at them in disdain, every time I open the bike tool chest 😉
JeZ
I find technique comes before tyre lever.
I find that the blue Park ones have just worked'.
I have had a few tyres that are real gits to get on or off (WTB, 👿 ) but I have yet to be defeated or break a lever other than through being really old.
I would have recommended the standard Pedros levers until a week ago.
I managed to snap one
Same, but we snapped three or four with a particularly challenging Bontrager carbon rim & Schwalbe Supergravity Big Betty combo.
"Oh but it's your technique," I hear you say.
I dunno, some combinations are just more trouble than they're worth IME.
This is my old faithful anyway, similar to the Pedros one but with a nylon coating - which lasted for 5 or 10 tyres before the metal peeped through (but it's still going strong after about 10 years).
Pedro's for me. Strong like bull.
I've got a set I inherited off my dad. No brand, cheap plastic. They'll be over 30 years old. Still going strong!
I have had a few tyres that are real gits to get on or off (WTB, 👿
The older ones from about 5 years ago were some of the nastiest mofos I've ever encountered, but the newer ones seem pretty hassle-free.
Would others agree?
In the "I'm still standing after 15 years or so" the prize, In my toolkit anyway, goes to the halfords ones that came with the puncture repair kit, no fancy hook. got six of them (road, mtb, home) the only fancy thing on them is they have connectors so you can stick them together. Had a pair mavics with a really useful hook but brittle as **** with one broken I dare not use the other as it triples as the preload adjuster for the wheel bearings and spoke holder :/
The bead hook on the Rotae lever is brilliant:
https://www.rotae-tech.com/tyre-lever-set
And they're a nice company too. I was an early adopter and they sent me an extra set for free once they'd scaled up manufacturing. Both sets still going strong.
Hey Kerley. Where did you get those “pliers” and what brand are they please.
Cyclepal perhaps?
I have arthritic thumbs that don’t like tyre fitting.
Mind the tyre lever that REALLY beats the rest is the Cushcore head dropper. It’s SO strong. As others have said though it’s vital to get the tyre into the well first. Otherwise you risk “stretching” the bead. I’m looking at you Maxxis and Conti.
IRC tubeless levers, still going strong 💪
I use Pedro's standard plastic levers.
I've had a couple of sets of tyres that will not fit. I have the Pedro's levers on the bike as well. If it won't fit in the workshop, what happens if I have a puncture out the trail if the tyres are a pain to get off and on?
Standard Pedros – they will even get Schwalbe wired tyres on !
A pair in every saddlebag and toolkit - nice bright colours so you don't lose them if you drop them.
I have the BBB version of Kerleys pliers but don't think I've needed them at home or on a ride. Bought them to go in my ride leaders pack for emergency deployment.
The older ones from about 5 years ago were some of the nastiest mofos I’ve ever encountered, but the newer ones seem pretty hassle-free.
Would others agree?
For balance, Vittoria's TNT casing tyres of all sorts of models slide on like a glove and pop up tubeless without fault.
Hey Kerley. Where did you get those “pliers” and what brand are they please.
Think I got them from Amazon and don't have a brand I remember. Search for 'tyre seating tool' on Google and you will get a few options.
Crankbrothers Speedier Lever for me, nothing has beaten it and so easy to use
Standard Pedros plastic levers are my default.
If I fail with those, Park steel core TL6.2s - never failed to mount a tyre.
Can't believe no one has suggested the cushcore tire lever yet!
Mines has been brilliant and has gotten schwalbe tires with inserts off, plus it doesn't have so much leverage that it'll wreck the rim
Can’t believe no one has suggested the cushcore tire lever yet!
One of the early replies did, but tell us more about why it's so great anyway.
I'll happily add one to my toolbox if it's a game changer for fitting tyres & inserts (I use Rimpact though).
I've never had an issue with Park Tools TL-1.2C
They're rigid & thicker than most - I have never seen one even slightly bend let alone consider snapping
They're by far the best for non-breakability, but at the cost of being a bit uncomfortable
Those cush ones look very luxury! Very interesting
One of the early replies did, but tell us more about why it’s so great anyway.
It's great for fitting/removing inserts because it has a big, round handle that means you can apply pressure downwards to stuff the bead of the tyre under the insert, which is basically what you need to do. The actual lever blade bit is like a sort of stronger, beefed-up Pedros lever, but basically it's what you need if you have problems with inserts. Not so much for general use though - the tip is quite thick, which isn't really what you need, though it would be hard to break I guess. It's basically all about the ease of applying force in a downwards direction if that makes sense.
https://www.silverfish-uk.com/products/COMPONENTS/Tyres/CC80001_CushCore-Bead-dropper
Can’t believe no one has suggested the cushcore tire lever yet!
I did.
I also use the Pedro's one
Park tool, think mine are 10 years old and good as new.
I've got a mixture of the basic Park ones and some of the Halfords black things, never failed to get a tyre on or off with either in 20+ years. The toughest were Magic Mary Supergravity on Hope 35W rims but they gave in eventually.
Pedros for me, cheap as chips, and very effective. I've snapped a couple of very old ones, trying to use brute strength over technic, but considering they cost a £5, I was more than happy just to buy more. I avoid steel core one as the plastic just snaps off. I do feel tempted by the likes of new fangled designs, but pedro's work extremely well and their cheap...
Best cheat I know of for fitting tyres (assuming your at home, not out on the trails), is to simply warm the tyre as much as possible before trying to fit it. I normally use a bucket of hot water or put the tyre next to a radiator, if their on.
I usually use the blue Schwalbe ones. They have that great feature of the clip that holds the already mounted bead on while you work the other end.
The other day I splashed out on a [url= https://www.merlincycles.com/wolf-tooth-8-bit-tyre-lever-rim-dent-remover-multi-tool-244240.html ]Wolf Tooth thing[/url] - cos I wanted the ding straightener bit (my son is bloody hard on rims!). I used the lever and it was unexpectedly brilliant (so was the ding part). So if you need a ding straightener and a lever, I'd recommend one!
The answer is DT rims.
A mate got a Bontrager wheel when he smashed his original wheel on a boys trip. It took 4 people to get a Michelin DH tyre on it. He's just taken it to a shop to get another one put on & they had a nightmare getting it seated.
I've got the same tyre on & off a DT rim with no levers.
It’s great for fitting/removing inserts because it has a big, round handle that means you can apply pressure downwards to stuff the bead of the tyre under the insert, which is basically what you need to do. The actual lever blade bit is like a sort of stronger, beefed-up Pedros lever, but basically it’s what you need if you have problems with inserts. Not so much for general use though – the tip is quite thick, which isn’t really what you need, though it would be hard to break I guess. It’s basically all about the ease of applying force in a downwards direction if that makes sense.
Great cheers, I'll probably pick one up soon.
I'm also a fan of the steel core nylon jobs that don't cost much. They're thinner than the "unbreakable" plastic ones like the Parks, and when you're wrestling with a tight fit, a thick lever isn't helping.
All bets are off when the tyre has a tight bead and the rim a shallow well.
I have Pirelli somethings on my road bike,they were an absolute nightmare to fit.
I am so scared of getting stranded with a puncture I always take one of those tyre tools that Kersey posted.
Cushcore Bead Dropper is immense. As well as levering you can use it to push / force / batter the bead over the rim.
Without it I would never have got the 2.3” dhr2 on my XM481 rim with a rimpact in there too. Worst combination I’ve had so far. Without the rimpact that tyre flies on that rim……
I also had a slight battle with a 2.6 forecaster onto an xm481 again with a rimpact, and a 2.6” slaughter onto an xm421. Without the rimpact those tyres are both fairly easy.
I do know have a wobbly beaded Forekaster though 🫣
Update. Wheel taken into shop by Mrs A today to have tyre fitted. It took them 15 mins, two mechanics and a wide variety of tools I'm told. Fitting and sealant cost £5:00, a bargain. I hope they offer a recovery service if I trash the tyre somewhere remote.
Cheers for the recommendations for levers folks, I think I might have to get something totally reliable like the Pedro's DH or the Park steel levers. I'll just have to suck up the extra weight because my dodgy hip stops me walking any great distance. Arthritis sucks tbh.
Ambrose
Spoons man.....
If in doubt, use a bigger spoon.
Pedros.
Mainly because they only fail just before you break or bend the rim.
