Tire tools I can carry with me for stubborn tires?

[accordvsick]

I switched over to light bicycle carbon wheels along with pirelli pzero road tires a while back. I am running tubes and when I first installed the tires I remember they were pretty challenging to get the last section of bead over the rim. I ended up buying a var tool to keep in my saddle bag. I have a big ride coming up so I decided to see how much effort it would be to change a tube. Wholly molly I could not get the tire to unbead from the hook of the rim. What finally worked was using my park work stand and essentially squeezed the tire then I was able to get the tire off the rim. I’m worried a bit about getting a flat out on the road and being able to fix quickly. Are there any compact tools I can carry which will help with the disengagement? I see tire jacks on Amazon, but I don’t think I have that issue. I need something that can squeeze the tire enough to pop off the rim hook. Tires are pretty new so would want to avoid replacement if possible.

[Spaghetti Legs]

Typically, with some use the tires will stretch a little and get easier to unmount/mount. I carry two levers, at least one with the little hook to go around a spoke. If one of the levers is longer that will help but I don’t typically carry one of those. Patience and the motivation of being stuck on the side of the road usually overcome the problem.

[gravelreformist]

I'm surprised you had that much trouble. Most of my tires - even the really challenging ones to mount initially, once mounted, are pretty easy to change thereafter. Was the problem breaking the bead from the hook, or getting the tire lever under the bead once it was broken? Worst-case scenario, I would consider different tires. Some rim/tire combinations the tolerances stack in such a way they aren't very compatible.

Alternatively, tubeless doesn't generally have this problem - with a bacon strip it's unusual to need to dismount a tire to fix a flat on the road.

[charliedid]

It can be a real drag for sure. Tubeless ready...even with tubes.

Let all the air out and either sitting or crouching lay the wheel in your lap. Hands on the opposite side of the wheel, grab the tire with both hands pinching the tire with palms on the face of the rim and pull back towards you to dislodge the tire from the bead and into the channel. Trying to doing the opposite way with your thumbs (at least for me) is much more difficult.

Hope this makes sense.....still drinking coffee.

[helldriven]

What has worked for me in the past is prop one side of the wheel up so the hub is off the ground, then use your foot to step down on the tire that is touching the ground and pull the rim up towards you. Once you unseat the bead from the rim continue working around the wheel until it is fully unseated. Work two tire levers under the bead about 4" apart and then together pop the bead over the rim. Hope that helps.

[Turkle]

I don't know anything about those wheels, but as others have alluded to, tubeless-ready wheels and tires require a very different technique from clinchers.

On mine, I start at the bottom of the wheel at the valve stem and pinch the tire to get it down in the center channel. Pulling the tire away upwards away from the valve stem, I continue pinching the sidewalls and putting them in the center channel. When I do it right, by the time I get to the top of the wheel I barely even need to use a tire lever, I can take the tire right off the rim.

It's hard to explain via text, but once you do it correctly one time, you'll see how easy it is.

[Bob Ross]

OP, I feel your pain: My wife owns two sets of wheels that, whenever she gets a flat, quickly provoke a roadside He-Man contest to see whether any of the other cyclists she can flag down have the strength or ingenuity to remove the bead from the rim and thus rule all of England.

I've taken to carrying a Kool-Stop bead jack with me. It's big and sometimes feels a bit like bringing a bazooka to a knife fight...except when I have to deal with Ms. Thing's wheels, and then it's the only tool that works. [edit: for getting the bead back on the rim. Still haven't figured out an easy & reliable way to get the bead off in the first place.]

I've been tempted by the VAR lever, just because it's so much more compact than this Kool-Stop monstrosity, but I'm also not convinced that they work with such recalcitrant rims.

I did also just recently came across this Tyre Monkey thing recently, and it looked even more tempting than the VAR...so much so that I ordered one from Amazon. Should arrive next week. I'll post back if it's a gamechanger; I'll send it back if it isn't.

[Wunder]

Not sure, where you're having the issue. I've never had trouble getting a tire to unseat from the bead shelf provided I fully air it out and push hard. As noted it is critical to get the tire fully off the shelf and into the center channel to provide slack to remove the tire.

Once off the shelf I've always had best luck with a pair of Pedro's levers. I also own the Kool stop bead jack but have only ever used that at home for mounting to pull the last few inches of bead up over the side.

[Nomadmax]

My modified bead jack fits in my seat bag or jersey pocket and still works perfectly. I NEVER ride one of my road bikes without it.

[Mikej]

Get both beads in the center channel then with both hands starting at the valve at the top, squeezing the tire together and pushing downward like you are stretching the tire along the circumference, maybe do it 2x, then get the lever in, the key is keeping the bead in the channel and stretching.

[MikeD]

There's no tool available that you can use out on the road that can pop the tire off the beads. Go around the rim and maybe you can find a spot where it's easier. Maybe try the thinnest rim strip you can get away with.

[tellyho]

I carry the Var bead jack with me on every ride since I first bought Pacenti SL-23s. I mostly don't need it these days but good to be prepared.

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by Wunder

Not sure, where you're having the issue. I've never had trouble getting a tire to unseat from the bead shelf provided I fully air it out and push hard. As noted it is critical to get the tire fully off the shelf and into the center channel to provide slack to remove the tire.

Once off the shelf I've always had best luck with a pair of Pedro's levers. I also own the Kool stop bead jack but have only ever used that at home for mounting to pull the last few inches of bead up over the side.

The rims that have bead retention humps in the rim bed can be especially hard to pop the bead, especially if the tires fit tightly. Also, if your running tubless and you let the sealant dry, the dry sealant will glue the tire to the rim.

[deluz]

I usually use a bead jack on new tires. But after that just normal tires levers like Pedros work for me. It might help to practice removing and installing the tire a few times and build up strength in your thumb and hands. Another key thing is to keep the tire in the center channel away from the sides of the rim when installing. Do your rims have thin rim tape like Stan's? A thicker rim tape will make things difficult.

[gravelreformist]

It sounds like the problem was getting the tire off the rim? Not sure how a bead jack helps with that problem?