Getting a flat tire is an inevitable part of cycling, and there’s only so many times you can get away with walking your bike into a shop or having a buddy on a group ride fix it for you. An essential part of knowing how to fix a flat is also knowing how to use tire levers, so there’s no time like the present to learn.
If you don’t have tire levers, don’t try using other available tools (like a flathead screwdriver) as substitutes. They could easily damage the tube, tire, or worse, the rim. Tire levers are designed specifically for removing and installing tires without damaging anything in the process, so stick with those to be safe.
Below, we explain how to use a tire lever, along with tips for dealing with tricky tires.
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How to Use a Tire Lever
Many tire levers are made out of hard plastic and sold in sets of two or three. You can also find levers made out of steel or with a steel core for tires that are harder to remove. All tire levers feature a curved end for slipping under the lip of the tire; depending on the brand, it could be fully rounded or squared. Many tire levers, though not all, come with a small hook on the other end so you can secure it to a spoke for leverage.
Removing a Tire
Start with the tire deflated. Pick a spot along the edge of the rim that lines up with a spoke. Pull back the tire away from the rim and fit the curved end of the lever under the edge of the tire. With the tip of the lever under the tire’s edge, press down on the lever using the rim for leverage and secure the hooked end onto the spoke. The lever should lift the edge of the tire up and over the outside of the rim and hold it in place.
Take a second tire lever and fit the curved end under the tire’s edge in the gap created by the first lever. Work the second lever along the edge of the rim by sliding it laterally with the end under the tire lip until the tire comes free of the rim on one side. This step can be hard to do with tight tires—try pushing on the second lever with both thumbs.
If the tire won’t budge using the second lever, check out our tips below. You don’t want to risk injuring yourself by using so much force that your hand slips off the lever. Alternatively, sometimes a tire can be removed using just one lever. If the tire seems loose enough after freeing the initial section with the first lever, go ahead and see if you can easily push the lever around the rim to remove the rest of the tire.
Installing a Tire
Putting a tire onto a rim is typically a bit easier than removing one, but using a tire lever might still be necessary. Fit one side of the tire onto the rim first. (If you’re using a tube, you’ll want to put that in next.) Now, start fitting the other side of the tire onto the rim. You’ll reach a point where this becomes difficult to do because the final section of tire is too tight, leaving a small section outside the rim. You should try to intentionally leave the final section of tire to be mounted on the rim by the valve if possible.
The next step is where your lever comes in. Place the curved end of the tire lever under the remaining section of tire with the curve facing down, hugging the inside of the rim. Lift the opposite end of the lever up while keeping the curved end planted firmly on the inside of the rim, pulling the rest of the tire onto the rim.
If there’s a larger section of tire stuck outside the rim after installing what you could with your hands, you’ll have to repeat this step on smaller sections.
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Tricks for Stubborn Tires
Still having trouble installing or removing a tire? Some tires are especially stubborn. To make it easier on yourself, here are some tricks you can try (or don’t try).
→ First, what you shouldn’t do: You may have heard of some weird tricks that supposedly help with stretching a tight tire, such as throwing it in the dryer for a few minutes or using another heat source. That can end up doing more harm than good.
“Unless you know at exactly what temperature the tire’s bonding agents, rubber, and nylon start to delaminate, etc., you should not do this,” says Bicycling mechanic Joël Nankman. Instead he suggests using a little soapy water to help slip the tire into place. Just don’t get it on your hands.
→ Another pro tip from former Bicycling test editor Dan Roe: “A mechanic once showed me that you should make sure the bead core is sitting deep into the rim, rather than just resting on the hook. That makes the diameter of the rim slightly smaller and can make the difference with a really tight bead.”
→ Misplaced your tire levers? You can sometimes just use your hands with the right technique and practice, especially with tires that aren’t very tight. Seasoned pros like mechanics might hardly ever use tire levers. The trick here is to use the palms of your hands to work the tire off or on instead of your thumbs since they’re stronger, Nankman says.
Still, injuring yourself this way from slipping, especially with sweaty hands during a midride tire repair, is no fun. (Trust us, we’ve been there.) So it’s best to have a set of tire levers on hand anyway. Of all the bike tools out there, they’re one of the most affordable and easily portable options to keep in a saddle bag or in your toolbox.
When she’s not out riding her mountain bike, Jessica is an editor for Popular Mechanics. She was previously an editor for Bicycling magazine.
