dvai

I recently got a set of carbon wheels. I now wonder if I need special or specific tire levels or any other precaution when changing tires.
Im afraid I will damage the rim bead/bed or even the braking surface.

Thoughts?

drewtk

Plastic levers will be fine. I’ve never had a problem using them on my carbon wheels. The best thing I ever learned was to reinstall the tire without having to use a lever. You simply squeeze the tire around the rim to place it into the center channel of the rim; push more of the remaining tire onto the rim; then keep repeating until the tire is fully installed. Takes a little patience but works for me every time.

pickettt

Do your best to learn without using levers at all.

WhyFi

The plain ol' plastic ones next to the register at every LBS work fine - I think mine are Pedro's, but it's not terribly important. Like others, I never use/never had to use them for mounting - just getting the first part of the bead over when removing.

eduskator

Plastic ones definitively, and thick enough to not break. Your CF wheels are able to withstand the pressure applied by the lever on a specific area.

I use the TACX.

ThermionicScott 

Solid first post!

Rides4Beer

This. I've never had to use levers. For brand new tires, I lay them out in the sun for a while, def helps with the first mounting.

gurk700

I promise you don't need levers. Learn the right technique!

Marcus_Ti 

...depends on the tires and the rims.

You've read the hate-stories about GP5000?

gurk700

Why use tires that are horribly designed? I have no doubt they ride amazing but there are a lot of tires that perform just as well, look as good, cost same or less
and FIT PERFECT.

datlas 

To change a flat? Of course you need them. SMH

gurk700

Haven't carried or even owned tire levers for years. Had many flats. No issues here.

datlas 

You have stronger fingers than me! Most of us still need levers to remove a tire. Avoid them to remount, of course.

Stormsedge

I use plastic when the tires are stubborn.

mprince

As already said, plastic levers will work fine if you find you need to use them.

Marcus_Ti 

Fulcrum/Campag rims and Hutchinson tires are another entire lu-lu setup.

There are lots of setups out there that cannot be bare-handed...and I've seen over-confident wrenches get cocky over it at ride-SAGs....and then return someone's wheel an hour later, crestfallen, and with bruised hands from trying to barehand it in spite of cautions.

popeye

Easy mounting is not even on my list for tires.

gurk700

Well good news for you as you can have easy mounting without sacrificing any detectable performance difference.
If you're one of those people who claim they can tell the grip difference and roll resistance between 2 top performing tires, I'm willing to bet you ride once per week to go to coffee shop and show off to your friends.

Otherwise, like I said, you don't have to sacrifice anything as it's 2019 and you have loads of good choices.

To the ones who have weaker fingers, fair enough.

eduskator

Judging from other member's answers, it seems like one should be able to unmount one side of the tire only using its fingers.

Perhaps they're Iron Man or something, because I can tell you that my finger will break in half if I try to put it between my rim and my tire and use it to pry the sidewall out.

datlas 

Agree. Although I suppose it’s possible if you squeeze bead to middle channel of rim all around, that might buy you a few mm of play to unmount tire with fingers. I might try it sometime but SOP is to use tire lever when removing tire, and AVOID doing so when mounting. True confession, I have occasionally used the lever to remount when tire/rim combo stubborn.

ThermionicScott 

Well, of course. No smart person would do that.

What works for me is to work both beads into the center channel, pinch the tire in one spot at the sidewalls, lift, and push the tire bead over the rim sidewall.

Prying is a non-starter because you make a tight fit worse by putting something else in between. Don't do it.

ridingfool

How do u take the tire off without a tire lever never use them to put a tire on .But off is another matter always use one.

ridingfool

Will try that on next removel seems like it will work thanks for the post

pickettt

Degrees fromUsing your thumbs, push the bead off the bead seat and into the center channel of the rim. Turn the rim around and do the same to the other side. During the remainder of this process, be sure to keep the bead in the center channel. The circumference of
the tire bead is larger than that of the center channel
of the rim, and the difference will be the room you have to work with. Beginning at the valve stem, pull the beads deep into the channel, so all of the excess space is on top. Imagine two concentric circles with uniform distance between them......then, pull the outside circle up until the two touch at the bottom . What you’ll have is a much greater distance between them at 180 degrees from that contact point. This, in my experience, has been plenty of room to use the heel of your hand to roll the bead (one side or both, if you want to remove the tire entirely) over the edge of the rim. Remember: at all times during the process, check to maintain that the beads are seated in that center channel. To reinstall the tire, reverse the steps, being sure to start 180 degrees from the valve stem.
I’ve been riding, racing, and wrenching bikes for over 30 years and I’ve not used a tire lever in over the last 25 of those, even with road tubeless tires which have a shallower center channel. It’s faster, safer, and requires fewer tools to carry. Practice, follow the steps. Good luck.

ridingfool

Thanks for the detailed info. Will try on next flat or tire change been pretty lucky with flats tho well over 5000 miles between a few bikes without one thanks to conti gp4 a fan here for them just wish they lasted a little longer.