Tire Iron - Bicycle Tire Irons

Bicycle Tire Irons

Tire irons for bicycles are usually referred to as tire levers, as they are often made of plastic, not metal.

Tire levers for bicycle tires have one end that is tapered and slightly curved. The other end is usually hooked so that it can be hooked around a spoke to keep the tire bead free of the rim at one point, allowing a second lever to be manipulated forward, progressively loosening a larger segment of the tire bead from the rim.

A common feature of tire levers is the lack of sharp edges. The slightest pinch of an inner tube by a lever can weaken or puncture it. It is good practice to examine a set of tire levers for any sharp edges and file them smooth and round. Classically tire levers were made of metal. However plastic ones are now manufactured which are even less sharp and less likely to puncture the tube. There are also some single lever varieties, which can be popped under the bead at one point then quickly pushed around the rim to pop the bead off.

Tire levers are not necessary or desirable in all cases. In some cases, the tire can be reinserted on the rim, and sometimes removed from the rim, without the use of tire levers. This reduces the chance of puncture caused by pinching the tube between the rim and the tire bead. Sometimes they are used to fit the tire back on, but this can be done without the levers.