How to change a bike tyre with only one lever?

May 12, 2007 10:47 AM

How do I change a mountain bike tyre with only one tyre lever?

I need to change the tyre on my bike (26X21.95 / 50-559 size) but I only have one tyre lever. The tyre seems to fit really tight, and I can't seem to get any of it over the side of the wheel with my fingers. Any ideas for handy techniques or substitutes for tyre levers?

posted by spiff101 to sports, hobbies, & recreation (11 comments total)

Umm, I usually only have used 1 tire(tyre) lever on mountain bike tires(tyres). The ideal thing to do is get it under the bead and try and slide it along the rim. You souldn't need to use your fingers much at all.

If that doesn't work, once you have the bead over the rim, you should be able to use something rigid (but not sharp) as a substitute tire(tyre) lever. Just make sure to leave that one in place and slide the "real" lever.

As a side note, it often helps to squeeze the tire opposite where you are trying to pry the bead so you can free up slack. I've seen many people change a tire(tyre) with NO levers using that method.
posted by JMOZ at 10:58 AM on May 12, 2007

I've never owned a mountain bike, but when I'd do this with a regular bike, I used to use spoons. Handle goes under the rim, bowl tucks under a spoke.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 11:04 AM on May 12, 2007

If you have an appropriately shaped one, a spoon should make a good lever substitute.
posted by Neon at 11:04 AM on May 12, 2007

If you can do this with your fingers and no levers, it's best. It's really really easy to get the tube between the lever and the rim, and pinch a hole the tube. If you use a metal lever, or a spoon or a screwdriver, it makes it even more likely you will hole the tube. Sometimes it's hard to do, though, and I always find swearing helps.
posted by vilcxjo_BLANKA at 11:09 AM on May 12, 2007

Two more levers might be a worthy investment. The plastic ones are less likely to cause damage, and cost only a few cents each.
posted by sindark at 11:39 AM on May 12, 2007

tip: before you try to lift the bead out over the rim, run a whole revolution of the tyre, pinching and stretching the tyre up off the rim bed. if your tube has been in awhile, it will 'stick' to the inside of the tyre - doing this helps 'unstick' it, and from there things always seem to go much faster.

when using a lever, stick the rim between your knees and once you have the lever under the bead, press downward and away from yourself to work the bead off. this allows you to use the physics of your skeletal mass for leverage, not muscular strength, if you get what i mean.

personally i find MTB tyres much easier and slacker to release from the rims. i generally have no problem once i've loosened the tyre from its seat in the rim (as above) to just stretch and lift the beads out over the rim using both hands and a bit of a wrist flip.

o, right: always work 180 degrees from the valve when releasing the first bit of bead. also, i've never had to use more than 1 lever for *any* tyre... and i've had some 18mm road tyres that were a real hosebeast for fit, plus i'm a girl, and not very burly, and just to add insult to injury, i'm getting old and somewhat arthritic in the knuckles as well. i've still been able to mount and remove some really stubborn tyres that had my collegiate clients swearing a blue streak, and they're hale young dudes.

removing and mounting bike tyres has little to do with strength and everything to do with technique. there's definitely a knack to it, that can't really be described in text - it helps to watch an experienced shop wrench if you can.
posted by lonefrontranger at 12:25 PM on May 12, 2007

see my comment here.
posted by sergeant sandwich at 12:33 PM on May 12, 2007

Possible subs for a tyre lever are a spoon, as others have mentioned, or the lever from your wheel quick-release skewer if you are stuck out on the trail.

It's generally recommended not to slide the lever as JMOZ suggested, as it is really easy to pinch the tube this way. But hell, if you're in a bind and the tube already has a puncture, go ahead if it helps.
posted by markr at 2:56 PM on May 12, 2007

I've used a fork at a pinch, using the tines to catch the spokes.
posted by holgate at 3:57 PM on May 12, 2007

Geez, I've been changing tires for 20+ years just using whatever cutlery was available and expendable/bendable, with no ill effects... it's not that bad a thing.
posted by Flashman at 4:01 PM on May 12, 2007

Spoons definitely the way to go, thanks to everyone for suggesting that. Also stretching the tyre all the way around, as suggested by lonefrontranger, seemed to help, and I think I've avoided pinching the tube.

Thanks all!
posted by spiff101 at 5:03 AM on May 14, 2007