A new take on the humble tyre lever

jerrysimon

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 27, 2009
3,292
112
Cambridge, UK
I only ever use a tyre lever to remove them as using them to fit tyres can easily damage the tube. When fitting, if you work the beads into the centre of the rim well both sides then it gives sufficient slack to get it over the rim edge at the end. You also need to not inflate the tube too much at the beginning.

Took me quite a while fitting tyres to get this technique perfected, but I am yet to be defeated by a rim or a tyre even MP ones on a 16" Brompton rim.

Before I mastered this technique, I used washing up liquid, talcolm powder and ended up with very sore thumbs.

Now I don't need any of them :p
 

Danidl

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 29, 2016
8,611
12,256
73
Ireland
I only ever use a tyre lever to remove them as using them to fit tyres can easily damage the tube. When fitting, if you work the beads into the centre of the rim well both sides then it gives sufficient slack to get it over the rim edge at the end. You also need to not inflate the tube too much at the beginning.

Took me quite a while fitting tyres to get this technique perfected, but I am yet to be defeated by a rim or a tyre even MP ones on a 16" Brompton rim.

Before I mastered this technique, I used washing up liquid, talcolm powder and ended up with very sore thumbs.

Now I don't need any of them :p
Thumbs?
 

jerrysimon

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 27, 2009
3,292
112
Cambridge, UK
Yer still need thumbs lol but no longer sore ;)
 
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Reactions: flecc

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,830
30,392
Before I mastered this technique, I used washing up liquid
Funny story attached to this. I'd borrowed an old car off a friend to fill a transport gap, but it soon became apparent a front wheel was out of balance. So I dropped into a lesser tyre repair place to have it balanced, which they duly did, adding one weight.

But when they checked the balance after adding the weight, it was out in another direction, so on went another weight. That didn't work either so off came both weights and another fitted in their place.

Still no joy, so they took the tyre off to find out what was going on, and out poured at least half a pint of soapy water!

Yes, my pal had fitted the tyre himself using the soapy water method a bit too enthusiastically.
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