What to do when you break a tyre lever?

Ryaner

So while trying to fit a tyre, one of by tyre levers snapped. It came apart where the rim presses against the lever too which I found strange.

But my question is what do you do if you are out of the road on your own and this happens? Getting the gatorskins back on will be hard with only one lever but the GP4000s would be impossible.

Actually is this why alot of the sets have 3 levers instead of two?

Home:Ballyhoura

This once happened to me actually! Haha, I had to call and get someone to drop one out to me (thank god it was only a very short distance away), however in the meantime I actually managed to get it off and on without using any tyre levers. I must admit the Michelin Pro 3 races are probably a lot easier to fit than a lot of other tyres so that helped. Then when I told the LBS owner he laughed at the story. He told me a little trick that he had hidden up his sleeve. He asked me, there are tyre levers hidden on almost every bike, have a look and see can you find them... What?!?! Go on, tell me, surely you are just pulling my arm.

Try and work it out for yourself, if not, reveal the spoiler to get his answer!

Then he pointed down to the quick release skewers. Look there (see picture attached below), they are the perfect shape to get a tyre off a rim and most actually do the job perfectly

so never be stuck like that again he said! Haha, just my 2c

paddyduc

How do you get home if you break one of those?

Jumpy

paddyduc wrote: »

How do you get home if you break one of those?

clickclicklclickclick*grumble*clickclicklclickclick*grumble*clickclicklclickclickclickclicklclickclickclickclicklclickclick*grumble*clickclicklclickclick*grumble*clickclick*swear*clickclicklclickclickclickclicklclickclick*adjust bike on shoulders**swear again*clickclicklclickclickclickclicklclickclickclickclicklclickclick

Beasty

paddyduc wrote: »

How do you get home if you break one of those?

Just carry a battery powered dremel with you, and you can convert one of your tyre levers to do the job:)

Junior

Have ye never heard of mobile phones ?

*ring* *ring*

Hello - come pick me up..

Beasty

Junior wrote: »

Have ye never heard of mobile phones ?

*ring* *ring*

Hello - come pick me up..

Yea, but what if the transmitters get taken out in an electric storm - you've got to be properly prepared for all eventualities:)

Tonyandthewhale

I use the handle off an aul spoon, longer so more leverage and I've never had one break.

Beasty

Tonyandthewhale wrote: »

I use the handle off an aul spoon, longer so more leverage and I've never had one break.

There are plenty of "unbreakable" options. The main problem with the metal ones is the potential damage to the rim or tube. (Hence a general preference for (sturdy) plastic ones)

IM0

use the other one









Ive only ever needed to use one

Beasty

me@ucd wrote: »

use the other one









Ive only ever needed to use one

Depends on the tyre - sometimes just use my hands, but turbo tyres are notoriously difficult to get on - need 2 or 3 levers with them

Ryaner

Home:Ballyhoura wrote: »

This once happened to me actually! Haha, I had to call and get someone to drop one out to me (thank god it was only a very short distance away), however in the meantime I actually managed to get it off and on without using any tyre levers. I must admit the Michelin Pro 3 races are probably a lot easier to fit than a lot of other tyres so that helped. Then when I told the LBS owner he laughed at the story. He told me a little trick that he had hidden up his sleeve. He asked me, there are tyre levers hidden on almost every bike, have a look and see can you find them... What?!?! Go on, tell me, surely you are just pulling my arm.

Try and work it out for yourself, if not, reveal the spoiler to get his answer!

Then he pointed down to the quick release skewers. Look there (see picture attached below), they are the perfect shape to get a tyre off a rim and most actually do the job perfectly

so never be stuck like that again he said! Haha, just my 2c

Thanks for this. Def something to remember. Not sure if it'd work on the Cosmics I put together tonight however if the tyres don't loosen up some, I doubt I'd actually be able to get them on on the side of the road.

To those who say you don't need them, it depends on the wheel and tyre. My original Kenda tyres and Giant wheels went together without tyre levers. The wire gatorskins go on easy enough too. The folding ones required the levers but usually get on without much hassle.
My new cosmics and GP4000s, well I nearly didn't get it on, thus the broken lever. Hell it took nearly 10 minutes just to get the supplied rim strip onto the wheels. Nearly sure they are slightly bigger than normal just to make things harder

IM0

Ryaner wrote: »

it depends on the wheel and tyre

and the technique of the guy/gall putting them on

blorg

I used to use spoons and forks but to be honest tyre levers do work better and are not exactly expensive.

I did ruin a few spoons or forks in the process admittedly, they were not great cutlery to begin with. Fine for eating but not the process of tyre removal.

tyler71

Could anybody recommend any good techniques for putting the tyre back on? It always takes me ages with plastic tyre levers, although no problem with metal ones but as has been mentioned then you have the problem about damaging the tyre/tube. Guy down the LBS recommended lubing the rim which makes things a bit easier but not in the middle of a long ride (or race) when you don't have anything with you. Seen a couple of vidoes on Youtube that just make me sick, they seem to assume you can just push the tyre home with your fingers, which has NOT been my experience. Had a real nightmare last summer with three punctures on a race, so would really appreciate any technical tips on this, I know practice makes perfect but you need to have the right technique to start with!

blorg

tyler71 wrote: »

Could anybody recommend any good techniques for putting the tyre back on? It always takes me ages with plastic tyre levers, although no problem with metal ones but as has been mentioned then you have the problem about damaging the tyre/tube. Guy down the LBS recommended lubing the rim which makes things a bit easier but not in the middle of a long ride (or race) when you don't have anything with you. Seen a couple of vidoes on Youtube that just make me sick, they seem to assume you can just push the tyre home with your fingers, which has NOT been my experience. Had a real nightmare last summer with three punctures on a race, so would really appreciate any technical tips on this, I know practice makes perfect but you need to have the right technique to start with!

It really does depend on the rim-tyre combo but a Speed Lever is great for both quick off and on. Some rim/tyres you will be challeged though! To an extent I think I am pretty much as quick now with traditional levers but the Speedlever is really a revalation.

EDIT: Given the thread theme worth mentioning I did break one so always keep a standby pair in case... They have a lifetime warranty but not much use if you are stuck.

Ryaner

blorg wrote: »

It really does depend on the rim-tyre combo but a Speed Lever is great for both quick off and on. Some rim/tyres you will be challeged though! To an extent I think I am pretty much as quick now with traditional levers but the Speedlever is really a revalation.

EDIT: Given the thread theme worth mentioning I did break one so always keep a standby pair in case... They have a lifetime warranty but not much use if you are stuck.

Can you really get a tight tyre on with only the one lever? I've been using two as the tyre tends to slip on the rim when going on, but only on the tight tyre/wheel combos.

blorg

Ryaner wrote: »

Can you really get a tight tyre on with only the one lever? I've been using two as the tyre tends to slip on the rim when going on, but only on the tight tyre/wheel combos.

The SpeedLever works in a different way to normal levers, you sort of slide it around the wheel, it is possible to get a tyre on with just it. These days though I tend to use the SpeedLever to hold the tyre in place as I go around by hand and use a conventional lever to do the last bit, or sometimes the SpeedLever, depending on how it is going.

Signal_ rabbit

I once broke a tyre lever too, managed to get it off with the quick release wheel lever, crude but effective.

penexpers

tyler71 wrote: »

Could anybody recommend any good techniques for putting the tyre back on? It always takes me ages with plastic tyre levers, although no problem with metal ones but as has been mentioned then you have the problem about damaging the tyre/tube. Guy down the LBS recommended lubing the rim which makes things a bit easier but not in the middle of a long ride (or race) when you don't have anything with you. Seen a couple of vidoes on Youtube that just make me sick, they seem to assume you can just push the tyre home with your fingers, which has NOT been my experience. Had a real nightmare last summer with three punctures on a race, so would really appreciate any technical tips on this, I know practice makes perfect but you need to have the right technique to start with!

Getting most of the tire on (except for the last bit) should be easy enough.

For the last bit, I hold the wheel hortizontally and push it in against my body (usually the stomach area) with the bit you are trying to get in furthest away from the body. This loosens up the other side a bit and then I use the heel of my hand to push the tire in.

http://sheldonbrown.com/flats.html#tireinstallation

tomasrojo

I can get thin-walled tyres on without levers. I can't get Specialized Armadillos on without levers. Indeed, the only time in years I broke a plastic lever was trying to get an Armadillo back on by the roadside. Getting it on with the one remaining lever was tricky too.

Al Wright

I've broken numerous plastic levers in taking off tyres, now I always carry a steel one, I never use a tyre lever to put the tyre back on.
Some colleagues swear by the this one;
http://www.bikeplus.co.uk/cgi-bin/quikstore.pl?product=TYS42&and=1

blorg

Put a turbo tyre on last night, it was a lot easier than I was expecting. (That is not to say it was "easy" )