So I just came into the bike scene recently. I’ve changed a few flats and have not yet used levers. Is the purpose of levers simply speed or am I doing potential harm to the tire / tube by stretching it off by hand?
I have not yet changed a flat on my new tri bike so I ask before I do something dumb 
with the right technique and finger strength, they are rarely necessary.
they often make it a lot easier.
you probably just happen to have a tire/wheel combo that is easy. some are very very hard.
My Michelins say to not use a tire lever. But I can’t seem to muster the strength to do a change over without them. I can get the tire on but end up pinching the tube with their preferred technique and wasting tubes. A lever makes my job so much easier.
you probably just happen to have a tire/wheel combo that is easy. some are very very hard.
Exactly. In my early days of MTB, I broke 2 tire levers before I got a wire bead Conti on a Mavic rim. Those French and Germans still don’t like to play nice…
I can only get away with using just my hands if I’m changing a flat on my daily training tires (Conti 4000s with a thousand or two miles on them). However, if I’m changing to a tire that isn’t warm and hasn’t been mounted under full pressure for a while, I almost always have to use levers.
Brand new Vittoria open corsas…you are probably gonna need levers on any rim. It just depends.
-Physiojoe
once you get new tires you will need the levers.
OK, looks like I better learn to use levers then thanks!
Depends on your wheel and tire… often times not difficult sometimes hard to do even with a tire lever.
Keep up your endurance training. You’ll lose all your strength and need those levers eventually.
Well I have the SC 7.5 and all original components so I have no idea until I try to change one I guess.
Brand new Vittoria open corsas...you are probably gonna need levers on any rim. It just depends.
Indeed - it depends on the tire/rim combo. Some are easy to deal with others are *absolutely brutal. *My current every-day ride set-up is with Vittoria EVO CX’s and Botranger RaceLite XXX alu rims. The first time I put on the tire it’s a bit of a challenge, but after it’s been on a bit, the on/off routine ie very easy. In fact, I just had two flats while riding out in Penticton while out there for IMC, and I changed both flats in a a few minutes with minimal problems and was on my way. I find that I need one tire level to get the tire off the rim, and then I put it back on easily with the new tube with my bare hands.
Perhaps a Highjack, but some of these post seem to be saying to use levers to put the tire back on after changing the tubes. Maybe I’ve been lucky, but have always been able to just use my fingers. Are there cases where you need the levers to replace tires or was I reading some of the replies wrong? What is the technique if you do use a lever to replace?
Definitely depends on the tire. I have a set of very used Vittorias on my Felt and they can easily be put on by hand, but on my other, newer set, are virtually impossible to put on without a lever.
Definitely appreciated that you asked.
It seems that the concensus is to know your equipment and what you need for R&R.
Not to Hi-Jack from the OP, I have the SC7.0 had to change the front tire went the R3’s, easy tire to change (fingers only).
When I put my studded tires on my commuter I have no choice they are tight, but I use levers to put most tires one, call me lazy. As for technique I put one all the tire I can on, usually all of one side and most of the the other then I slide the lever under the tire and hook it on the top of the rim, make sure I’m not pinching the tube and lift it will pop back on the rim, then check for tube pinches and fill as normal.
Depends, Michelin ProRace3 on my Reynolds definitely require levers… I have even snapped the plastic ones… Pro race 3s on my Mavic Open Pros I can generally do by hand and sometimes the levers just make it a little quicker if it is a new tire
I generally remove the tire using a lever, after all the tube is already flat. Even if I’m not changing a flat, but simply switching rubber on a good tube (from training to racing or back), I will use a lever for removal as it it fairly safe.
I always try and reinstall the tire without a lever. If I can’t, then I will use the lever. This is where I feel I have the most chance of damaging a tube with a lever, which is why I try not to use one.