Using tire levers for tubeless
- Thread starter teedubb
- Start date
I don't know where you heard it, but I use them...
It F-s up the tape in my experience, especially when you have just set the tape and it's not as well sealed, but some of the tubeless tires are so freaking tight there appears to be no other way to get them on, then you end up using tire levers that scrape the tape when you pry the damn things on.
That said, I've gotten much better at it over the years and once a tire is mounted it usually loosens up some. Some of the tire-rim combinations were invented satan though and you have to resort to things like using the heat-gun/hair-drier on the tire to get it to expand some, lots of soap and water, mechanix gloves to pull the bead over, etc.
That said, I've gotten much better at it over the years and once a tire is mounted it usually loosens up some. Some of the tire-rim combinations were invented satan though and you have to resort to things like using the heat-gun/hair-drier on the tire to get it to expand some, lots of soap and water, mechanix gloves to pull the bead over, etc.
Next time I have a tire off my Tracer, I'll inspect the tape.
i have a buddy who swears by using hand clamps like this:
he actually had to use a bench vice to set a tire on his fat bike the other day
Good ideai have a buddy who swears by using hand clamps like this:
is he using the clamp to grab the tire and then pull it onto the bead?i have a buddy who swears by using hand clamps like this:
Correct. He doesn't use them on the rims. Because carbon.
no. just certain rim/tire combos that are a huge pain. between he and his wife they have something like 13 or 14 bikes. and with no kids they're constantly changing things up.
Anyone remember the Trek Matrix rims from the nineties?
There were certain tire combinations that simply would. Not. Work. With those, I was a shop guy, and dreaded seeing those things...
I don't remember, it was so long ago. That was before I got all "AM" like, I think I had the Matrix on my specialized hardrock or something when I must killed the original. I thought I had a badass bike too, because it was a 1995 or so hardrock ULTRA, got some sweet stuff on it like an LX derailleur and some wicked Scott bars. I remember those parts. I also remember grey specialized tires that looked tits, they don't make em like they used to.
Not long after I got my first FS and then started getting heavier duty stuff with, moving to dual crowns, mammoth rims, tioga DH tires, etc.
Not long after I got my first FS and then started getting heavier duty stuff with, moving to dual crowns, mammoth rims, tioga DH tires, etc.
The no tire lever statement stems from OG UST rim and tire combos. There it was mandatory to not use them, otherwise the air would never stay inside. The shop I used to work during university sold a lot of high end racing stuff, the owner was an ex-pro and his brother still is a pro roadie. I remember carbon wheels, where we had to wrestle as a tag team to get the tires on without a lever...
Michelin C16 and Mavic D321 were also a PITA some time. The trick was always to get the tire beads centered in the rims channel and start opposite the vent.
With modern rims and folding bead tires I never have any difficulties getting the tires on and off without a lever.
Michelin C16 and Mavic D321 were also a PITA some time. The trick was always to get the tire beads centered in the rims channel and start opposite the vent.
With modern rims and folding bead tires I never have any difficulties getting the tires on and off without a lever.