Do you carry tire levers? if so, where?

[Grape_salad]

As I'm new to tubeless adventure bikes, I have a question - do you carry tire levers and spare tube in case you get a flat that you can't repair with a plug? If you do carry tire levers, any good spots you've found for storing them?

 

[bimota]

No,

to be honest don,t do off road and in 42 yrs of riding only had 2 punctures that a plug fixed

rob

 

[Jlq1969]

if you are thinking of taking levers, to remove a broken tire, the best place to take them is inside one of the two spare tires (front and rear)…….if you only think in a puncture, you should also think of the air compressor and plug

 

[OldRider]

I use a 2" piece of pvc pipe. Cap one end and put a screw off cap on the other end. There's a lot of places to zip tie a 18" long 2" pipe. I also throw in a few spokes too.

 

[lund]

I do a lot of off road, the first thing is choosing the right tire for the job, BIAS ply. Personally Mitas E07 Dakar+ are hard to beat in that department.
The only reason to use tire bars is if you opened a side wall. In this case I carry a tube. I don't carry this stuff generally unless I'm off grid for multiple days off road.

 

[RCinNC]

I wouldn't bother with it unless I was going to be riding someplace where help was a long way off, like maybe the TAT out in Utah. I do carry tools to remove both wheels, so if I did get a flat I couldn't repair, I could either hitch a ride with a passerby to a bike shop, or a riding buddy could transport the tire someplace for repair or replacement. Naturally, I do carry the tools to repair a puncture, like a string kit and a tire inflator. They've come in handy; I've had to fix three tires in the last couple years (two of mine, one for a riding buddy).

If I was going to carry levers and a spare tube, I think the best place for them is in a tool tube. That way, they're always on the bike, even if you took your panniers off to go bushwhacking. I carry all my tools in a tool tube, including the tire inflator.

I've made several different tubes for different bikes over the years. One example was from a piece of PVC pipe:

Another was made from flat sheets of ABS plastic:

There are a lot of threads on here on how to make your own, from simple designs to complex ones.

 

[cyclemike4]

I carry a hand pump and a electric pump fix a flat tire irons and patch glue with rope plugs daily. I have used them in the parking lot at work before I went home. I also carry spare valve stems. Not on a daily basis though. Or I may check they may be in there. I just carry that stuff in the bottom of the side boxes. I have torn a valve stem and broke the tire down pulled in a new one aired up and went on my way. never even pulled the wheel off for that. I have those motion pro bead breakers I carry. If you have a stiff tire that has been on the rim a long time be careful with those. the rims on my bike seem very thin and the motion pro is putting a lot of pressure in one spot. the flanges on my Super T rims are thinner than the flanges on my yz250.

 

[DamMechanic]

I do a lot of off road, the first thing is choosing the right tire for the job, BIAS ply. Personally Mitas E07 Dakar+ are hard to beat in that department.
The only reason to use tire bars is if you opened a side wall. In this case I carry a tube. I don't carry this stuff generally unless I'm off grid for multiple days off road.

+1 on what Lund said.
Breaking the bead on a tubeless tire by yourself in nowhere land is about impossible.
I took a bald Daker+ to the bandsaw to look at the construction and slicing the side wall would be amazing.
Just pack a bunch of puncture ropes in your kit and you’re good to go.
My wife filleted the sidewall on her car on both the front and rear. I put six puncture ropes in each and drove it for another 75 miles.

 

[RCinNC]

I disagree about breaking the bead being impossible in nowhere land.

This is a tool I've used for years to break the bead on motorcycle tires:

It's a plastic wedge that you drive into the area between the sidewall and rim by using a dead blow hammer. In a pinch you could use a rock to hit it. You work your way around the tire maybe once or twice, driving it in at various locations around the circumference of the rim, and eventually the tire separates from the bead channel. I'd guess I've changed about 30 tires using this. It fits easily in a tool tube, and like I said, even if you didn't carry a dead blow hammer, you could hit it with a rock. Sadly, Motion Pro seems to have stopped making them, but they're easy to replicate with a piece of UHMW cutting board.

These are my other bead breaking tools:

I just recently started using these. They don't require a hammer. The levers, when assembled and squeezed together, form a wedge that pushes the bead out of the bead channel. They would easily fit in a tool tube, and they also function as tire levers to remove the tire. Both these methods would work in the field. The levers would work best, since they don't require any additional tools. They work on heavy sidewall bias plys, like a Dakar.

 

[DamMechanic]

I didn’t say it was impossible. But I do have to ask how many of those 30 tire you change were tubeless out in nowhere land?

 

[RCinNC]

You're right. You said it was "almost" impossible. It's not almost impossible either.

All of them were tubeless. And the techniques used to remove a tire from a wheel aren't going to change because I did it in my gravel driveway, my garage, or the side of the trail. As long as you can get the wheel off, and you can break the bead, you can remove a tire or put a tire back on with three tire levers and ideally some sort of lubricant, regardless of where you are.

What circumstances would there be out out in nowhere land that would make it more difficult than doing it in my front yard?

 

[OldRider]

Knocking one out Old School in Fairbanks. (with my eyes closed)

 

[Fennellg]

I carry Stop and Go Plugs and regular plugs. I also carry a few credit cards.

 

[Wymbly1971]

I carry a Tusk Fender Pack with 2 included 10" levers (there's individual pockets on bag for the levers). I strap the pack to the crash bar when I'm going out on extended runs. I also pack tire plugs, rim protectors, a small bottle of dish soap (bead lube) and a tube repair kit. I've tested the levers to change two tires and they do work. It would be a good idea to practice with them at home as they do require some talent and finesse. I keep a 12V compressor in a side bag and carry a 19" tube.

....a credit card also helps

Bead breaking. Have seen videos of people doing it with the foot of the kickstand but I've never had to try it.

I haven't had to change tires on the trail...thankfully. I chock that up to having good tires, properly inflated...and a bit of Murphy's Law. If I didn't carry Plan B, you know I'd have a flat just out of cell range lol.

 

[2aroundtheworld]

Interesting thread.

We are heading back to Baja (Cabo) this weekend and I am debatting if I bring a spare tube/tire irons. All of our bikes have newer Heidenau K60.
The tube is pretty big/heavy.

 

[tntmo]

I have broken the bead on the ST with two tire irons. It can be done, wasn't difficult at all.

Tire irons are not large, you can hose clamp them to a frame rail somewhere if you want to carry them with you. A light duty 19" tube also doesn't take up much room, it would probably fit under the seat. I have never had to use a tube in a tubeless tire, but if I'm going to be more than a five mile walk off highway I bring one with me along with plugs and a way to air up.

 

[RCinNC]

That's why I like those Motion Pro combination tire levers/bead breakers. I've seen that bead breaking method using just tire irons, and I've seen it work; the Motion Pro levers just streamline the process a little.

I would definitely recommend that anyone who carries a spare tube with them actually practices that method under controlled circumstances before they have to rely on it in the field. I've never put a tube on a motorcycle wheel, but I've done a lot on bicycles, and it can sometimes be tricky to get a tire and tube onto a rim without biting into the tube with the tire levers. It sucks to finish the job and air up, only to find that you poked a hole in your new tube when a piece of it got caught under the tire lever as you were pushing the tire over the rim. If you carry a tube, make sure you carry a patch kit for that too.

 

[Wymbly1971]

That's why I like those Motion Pro combination tire levers/bead breakers. I've seen that bead breaking method using just tire irons, and I've seen it work; the Motion Pro levers just streamline the process a little.

I would definitely recommend that anyone who carries a spare tube with them actually practices that method under controlled circumstances before they have to rely on it in the field. I've never put a tube on a motorcycle wheel, but I've done a lot on bicycles, and it can sometimes be tricky to get a tire and tube onto a rim without biting into the tube with the tire levers. It sucks to finish the job and air up, only to find that you poked a hole in your new tube when a piece of it got caught under the tire lever as you were pushing the tire over the rim. If you carry a tube, make sure you carry a patch kit for that too.

I should add that giving the tube a good "shake 'n bake" reatment with some baby powder works wonders. Also, partially inflating the tube before levering the tires onto the rim helps prevent pinches.

 

[scott123007]

Interesting thread.

We are heading back to Baja (Cabo) this weekend and I am debatting if I bring a spare tube/tire irons. All of our bikes have newer Heidenau K60.
The tube is pretty big/heavy.

If it's any consolation, I ran a totally flat rear K-60 for about 40 miles at around 80mph without even knowing it. The sidewalls on the K60 are extremely stiff. I think if you got a flat with THAT tire, you could safely ride it to where it could be repaired, if a sticky string doesn't work.

 

[Cycledude]

It is surprising how sometimes the beads will stay attached to the rim when the tire is completely flat and the next time they won’t hold on even for a couple miles. I had 3 flats up in Canada last year and very fortunately the beads never came loose.