Tyre levers on board.

[Grey alp]

Coming riding season I want tyres levers and inner tubes along on the bike because most longer rides will be solo.
I do have an assistance insurance so when they haul me to a nearby tyre center i know i have the correct inner tubes on board.
Just in case of bad need i can change the tyres myself (not keen on that).
Like some info on what tire levers are suitable for a TA 700 rim.
-any perticuar mark or brand?
-what length should the levers at least be.
-what material should they be made of.
-and what do I use to protect the rim when removing/replacing the tyre.

Is it possible to get a tyre back under enough pressure using a compact handpump ,i read somewhere that a new tube sometimes needs 5 to 6 bar to get everything popt out.



Enjoy

[bluestoesonnose]

Dunno about the tyre levers, but I have just used a Bike Pump to inflate the tyres on my XR600, I have a Mountain Morph

[twistgrip]

First off consider tyreweld or a similar product as a first aid measure. These will do a temporary repair to allow you to get somewhere safe to replace the tube. Regards levers 12inch/300mm should be ok and you will preferably need some rim soap of some sort. Regards inflating look at the canisters of air you get for tubeless repairs. You will not need a lot of overinflation if you use a rim soap. You could use a cycle pump but it's hard work. Watch out for trapping the tube and tearing or pucturing it. It does take some practice and the side walls on off road type tyres tend to be quite stiff compared to road tyres. Best to blag an old wheel and practice before the trip.

[piguglyshandydrinker]

I find 200mm/8" tyre levers are fine, I have a few different ones but Budezzi (I think they are called) seem the best as some others are too thick/heavy.

For rim protectors cut plastic strips from an old oil container about 1" by 2", they work far better & are easier to use than the ready made protectors.

You will need some lube, either tyre soap - shampoo or normal soap is fine as a get you by.

Breaking the bead can be done with the heel of your boot.

Personally I have never had any success with the get you home foam tins, they just make a mess of your rim & render your tuber irrepairable!

Dunno whether a small hand pump would seat the bead - you'd certainly work up a sweat trying!!!
A small 12 compressor can be bought for below £10

Phil

[Grey alp]

[/QUOTE]

the side walls on off road type tyres tend to be quite stiff compared to road tyres.

Riding BW 501/502 now

Best to blag an old wheel and practice before the trip.

Indeed a good idea

Breaking the bead can be done with the heel of your boot.

Seen someone using his sidestand for that

A small 12 compressor can be bought for below £10

Would save a lot of sweating but i was told it takes ages and would draine the battery. Could offcourse keep the engine going but a running engine for lets say 10 to 15 minuts whitout moving is'nt a good idea either i guess.

Enjoy

[cbrpaddy]

I carry levers and have managed to get the front tyre off and fix flats a few times in the wild, but have never ever managed to break the bead on the rear (Heidenau K60s) enough to get it off, even at home. I have a fairly large hand beadbreaker which can't manage it, neither did walking on it for an hour, using the sidestand, driving over it with the car or any other suggestion I've gotten ! If it ever goes flat I'll just ride on it til the bead breaks, that's gotta work

However I always carry a cheap 12v compressor. I took mine out of the plastic case so it's seriously portable, and never had any problems with batteries, it's never taken more than 5-6 mins to get up to full pressure. I previously tried bicycle pumps and big foot pumps but unless you want to spend your entire holiday getting cramps I'd forget about them.

[El Vencejo]

If you must, compressed air with valve adaptor is the thing; 3 small cylinders will give plenty of psi without carrying half your workshop with you. Go to your local bikeshop and ask for rim protectors, they're ready-made in plastic and cost less than a pint of Guiness for a pair!
The right size tubes for 17" and 21" are available from Hackney to Hyderabad.
Bike insurance and mobile phone , don't bother carrying all that weight.
I may be lucky, but in car and on bike I've covered way past a million miles mixed on and off road over 40 years. Had 3 punctures.

[Mudwiz]

What Phil said. Those levers are ace.
A mini pump will seat everything enough if you're using tubes, not sure if the 700 runs tubeless?
WD40 makes a great lube, and is probably in your kit anyway. If you're worried about the rims, a bit of gaffertape on the lever works too, and is again probably in the kit.

[Treadtrader]

First things first, avoid punctures by making sure everything is fitted correctly, clean wheel rim, no sharp edges or twists in rim tape, no grit inside tyre and fit quality tubes. I use Michelin motocross tubes in Anakee tyres, thicker and more resistant to small punctures.

On a trip check your tyres on a regular basis for foreign objects in the tread. Easier to fix when you've stopped for the night.

Areosol tyre weld type cans can work in tubed tyres if they've only gone soft. Did this to a Superten rear in Spain and it lasted until we were back in blighty.

Invest in a 12volt pump and fit a ciggy socket. If you have a slow puncture you can get away with pumping it up occasionally. C02 canisters only work once.

I use 200mm/8" Gedore 38/8 levers, had em years, top quality kit, not sure if still available. Some of the levers i've seen on fleebay and at autojumbles look and feel cr*p. Find good ones.
I carry a small can of WD40 for lubricant, it has other uses of course. Washing-up liquid or just soapy water is great if you have it.
Valve key type caps on the valves are a must.
My pump is a Slime, very compact and quite quick, lot of guys on here have them. Can also inflate air beds.

As to technique, can't really help much, propstand works as a bead breaker, and just take it easy.

Finally, as advised, practice makes perfect. But only use what you carry to practice with.

This is my kit.







Hope this helps.

[Grey alp]

Thanks for the usefull info so far.

Bike insurance and mobile phone , don't bother carrying all that weight.

Have both ,but when there's no phone reach ,like i had a while ago in the middle of nowhere in the south of France ,your on your owne.

Treadtrader ,where did you buy your little "Slime Inflator"?.
Besides the American manufacter i can't find a webshop to buy one in Europe!.

Enjoy