I'm looking for one of these bead breaker tools
 

Hi Guys

I’ve been looking for one of these in the UK, only found it on this US site.

http://www.jpcycles.com/productgroup.aspx?GID=A43FBB4C-54AE-4657-A4C4-68B4A6A3E231

Looks like it might make life a bit simpler on the road, or in the garden at home. Has anybody got something similar? Only things I can find are BIG tools that weigh a ton, this little puppy looks just the job.

Thanks
Shaun

I will add a pic of my set up when I can, I've got it here somewhere. Pic is worth 1000 words.

There was a thread here about half a year ago about bead braking methods on the road with and without special tools.

If for your garden, as you say, look at the simple home made breaker in this video. (Not my choice of music though!)

Tutorial on changing sportbike motorcycle tires

When at home if I need to break the bead I use a good old garden spade
Not much good when traveling but I bet some one brings a spade with them, saw a guy with a fold up chair and a large mallet for tent pegs on an Africa twin.

thank you
 

Thanks for the input and the links.

Don’t think I will be getting one now :) like you say Patrick, save money and the weight.

Shaun

Might come in handy for the daily pit toilet ;-)

I like product reviews that tell it like it is, short and sweet.

There are always exceptions to the rule, unless the tyre has been on a long long time I find that tubed tyre beads are easy to break. And in most cases it breaks as the tyre runs flat. It is tubless tyres that are a bugger to break, and if you are lucky that only needs to be done when changing the tyre.

Steve

Bead breaking
 

If tire has been on a long time: possibly, trouble.

If you are with two bikes: use the side stand of the bike w/o flat tire to break the bead on the handicapped one: place end of sidestand on th tire wall, lift bike and voila.

If you are alone: remove wheel. Remove air (essential obviously). Put wheel down flat. Jump on tire wall with your heavy boots.
If that does not work; open bead as far as it goes and pour in water as lubricant. Repeat jumping.
A hammer on the sidewall will also work. Keep tension on the bead with your tire lever and hit the sidewall with a hammer, as close to the rim as possible.
If that does not work; install wheel again. Drive 10 meters ... voila.

Before you travel, as you practice tire changing anyway, install th tire with this special tire grease that professionals use to lubricate the edge of the tire to make it fit in place easier. This stuff avoids that the bead sticks to the rim after a while.

All this applies to tubed wheels. I have no experience with tubeless.
Auke

This is a good point I got a tub of tyre soap from the local garage and use that during instlation and it does help when it comes to seating the tyre and breaking the bead later.

Steve

K.I.S.S. me quick
 

I find that a readily available and highly effective alternative to 'tyre grease' (DO NOT use any actual grease, tyre grease is not grease per se) is fairy liquid.

Duck tape is cheaper and better than rim tape

The best bead breaker I have used 'out on the trail' has been a good solide MX boot, whichshould be worn anyway. To break the bead put a boot on each foot, put something under your wheel to protect the hub, place wheel on said item, jump up and down on tyre. As if by magic the bead is broken.

How about these?
 

I bought one of these on ebay:
http://ngvi.ebay.co.uk/vi?ngvi&backt...Jf%2F0BNHfA%3D

No idea if it works, yet and frankly I've only ever changed the tyre on my bicycle!

Having said that would a G-clamp not work if fed over the bead from the spoke side of the rim, rather than over the whole tyre profile? Never tried that either, although they are easy to pack if not a bit heavy for the size.... Someone one here may have tried this already. If so, the fact it has not been mentioned probably means it doesn't work :D

G-clamps do work, but are a bit fiddly compared with stamping on it. Stamping is also good cathartic therapy for having to change a tyre, which is a huge ball-ache of a job no-matter how you look at it....

One small item that is useful is an off-cut of 2" angle iron - place it on the tyre (having ground off any sharp edges) so that it is not quite touching the rim, back of the angle facing up (so that one edge is pushing down near the bead). Then just welly the back with a big rock/hammer/tree/boot. Costs about 15p, takes up very little space and if you need it you have scrap angle (frame repairs etc)

That made I laugh out loud!!

I found quite a lot of corrosion on some alloy rims when I removed some tyres that had been fitted with fairy. On the trail I us WD40, in the workshop I use windowlene. Unless I'm fitting mousses in which case everything gets covered in mousse lube whether I intend to or not. I MEAN EVERYTHING