Just after New Years, I swapped tires on my Lightning. The 406 front wheel has a Velocity razor rim on a Chris King Hub. The tire I removed was my touring tire used this summer in Denmark and new before that trip. The tire I replaced it with was a new Conti GP. I broke 4 levers getting either the Vred tire off or the Conti onto the rim. The broken levers were labeled 'ProPatch' or a Made In Holland brand labeled 'Dremefa'(?) I also tried some Park Plastic levers that were useless and bent rather than lever the bead off of the rim.
Now I know that different rim/tire combinations can be problematic. But I am willing to accept this for at least as long as I have these (expensive) rims. I like both the Continental and the Vredesteins and each works well for my purposes - touring or going fast. I think I know and use most of the tricks for getting a tire mounted or unmounted. Most of the time, I never need a tire lever to mount a tire.
I would like some suggestions of some 'never fail' tire levers. I don't think metal levers will work without damaging the rim. I would like something suitable for packing with a patch kit.
-- Cletus D. Lee Bacchetta Giro Lightning Voyager clee.orgclee.orgOpen ↗ - Bellaire, TX USA -
Hmm thats a tough one. I use metal tire levers with my S-Licks and I get dents in the alu rims. Looks awful but I doubt it harms the rim. Something tougher than plastic but softer than aluminium.
Hmm thats a tough one. I use metal tire levers with my S-Licks and I get dents in the alu rims. Looks awful but I doubt it harms the rim. Something tougher than plastic but softer than aluminium.
Okay I'm talking to myself again but metal tire levers with a bit of plastic or similar ductttaped to the offending part of them (there the lever presses on the rim) might do the trick. I will try this next time.
Just after New Years, I swapped tires on my Lightning. The 406 front wheel has a Velocity razor rim on a Chris King Hub. The tire I removed was my touring tire used this summer in Denmark and new before that trip. The tire I replaced it with was a new Conti GP. I broke 4 levers getting either the Vred tire off or the Conti onto the rim. The broken levers were labeled 'ProPatch' or a Made In Holland brand labeled 'Dremefa'(?) I also tried some Park Plastic levers that were useless and bent rather than lever the bead off of the rim.
Now I know that different rim/tire combinations can be problematic. But I am willing to accept this for at least as long as I have these (expensive) rims. I like both the Continental and the Vredesteins and each works well for my purposes - touring or going fast. I think I know and use most of the tricks for getting a tire mounted or unmounted. Most of the time, I never need a tire lever to mount a tire.
I would like some suggestions of some 'never fail' tire levers. I don't think metal levers will work without damaging the rim. I would like something suitable for packing with a patch kit.
I have not used the Kool Stop "Tire Bead Jack" [1], but it has been recommended by other for difficult to mount/dismount tires.
IIRC, some Velocity Razor rims were recalled for having a bead seat diameter slightly larger than 406-mm.
In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...
Quoted message said:
Cletus D. Lee said:
I would like some suggestions of some 'never fail' tire levers. I don't think metal levers will work without damaging the rim. I would like something suitable for packing with a patch kit.
I have not used the Kool Stop "Tire Bead Jack" [1], but it has been recommended by other for difficult to mount/dismount tires.
I would like some suggestions of some 'never fail' tire levers. I don't think metal levers will work without damaging the rim. I would like something suitable for packing with a patch kit.
I've had good success with these plastic Zefal levers:
On Sat, 3 Jan 2004 14:38:50 -0600, Cletus D. Lee <[email hidden]>
Quoted message said:
I broke 4 levers getting either the Vred tire off or the Conti onto the rim.
There's plastic levers and plastic levers, IME. I have a very old set of no-name plastic levers which have outlasted three more expensive sets and still work on my 406 rims with Vredesteins and Stelvios.
I have also bent metal levers before now with a tight bead on a 700c wheel. But they were cheap.
I never use a lever to mount a tyre, as every time I try I end up killing the tube. So I work around and get the bead in the bottom of the rim, deflating the partially-inflated tube where necessary. I've tried the various magic tools and really don't get on with them (though others do).
In extremis the old standby of a spoon handle (of a really thick handled old serving spoon) can work wonders.
My apologies if this is a repeat of another message that I might or might not have sent. I use the Kool Stop Tire Jack Bead tool that Tom mentions in an earlier message. It's great. It makes getting S-licks on my Stratus MUCH LESS of a hassle than without using it. While it's not small, I care it on my bike. Speaking of S-licks. The black-walled, made in Holland S-licks were great. However, I've had problems with the reflective side-walled, made in Indonesia S-licks. Specifically, the edges of the tires tear. I had to throw one away, but was able to salvage the second when the tear was small by reinforcing it with a Park tire boot. So, I'm switching to Schwalbe Marathon slicks. Anyone else have problems with the new S-Licks? paul
Cletus D. Lee <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...
Quoted message said:
Just after New Years, I swapped tires on my Lightning. The 406 front wheel has a Velocity razor rim on a Chris King Hub. The tire I removed was my touring tire used this summer in Denmark and new before that trip. The tire I replaced it with was a new Conti GP. I broke 4 levers getting either the Vred tire off or the Conti onto the rim. The broken levers were labeled 'ProPatch' or a Made In Holland brand labeled 'Dremefa'(?) I also tried some Park Plastic levers that were useless and bent rather than lever the bead off of the rim.
Now I know that different rim/tire combinations can be problematic. But I am willing to accept this for at least as long as I have these (expensive) rims. I like both the Continental and the Vredesteins and each works well for my purposes - touring or going fast. I think I know and use most of the tricks for getting a tire mounted or unmounted. Most of the time, I never need a tire lever to mount a tire.
I would like some suggestions of some 'never fail' tire levers. I don't think metal levers will work without damaging the rim. I would like something suitable for packing with a patch kit.
Originally posted by Cletus D . Lee I would like some suggestions of some 'never fail' tire levers. I don't think metal levers will work without damaging the rim.
