Gears & Gadgets: Get Some Leverage!
by David Cohen, Maryland National Capital Park Police Reserve Unit
They say in this world only three things are certain: death, taxes, and that all public safety cyclists will get flat tires. Given the number of miles and the type of terrain most public safety cyclists cover, the question is not so much as, “Will you get a flat?” as it is, “When will you get a flat?” or “How frequently will you get flats?”
Changing a flat tire is a fairly straightforward operation that is taught in every IPMBA Cyclist Course. The ease with which the flat tire can be changed is affected by two factors (in addition to rider skill and amount of practice): the type of tire and the type of tire lever. As someone who rides a variety of bicycles, I’ve encountered everything from tires that I can remove without the use of tire levers to tires that just didn’t want to come off the rim with anything short of a pry bar.
In December 2020, I had the opportunity to observe the maintenance section of an IPMBA Instructor Course. One of the topics covered was, of course, changing a flat tire. Almost all the officers were equipped with basic tire levers, either the Park Tool TL-1.2 or various other cheap knock-offs. The predominant tire choice among the bikes was the Continental Town & Country (T&C). The T&C is a good tire that checks off all the boxes for public safety riding: long tread life, good traction, and a fairly reasonable price point. The T&C’s weak spot is that it is an absolute bear to remove and reinstall. When it came to the low-budget tire levers versus the T&C, the T&C invariably won, and the training area was littered with bent or broken tire levers.
For years, my tire lever of choice has been the Park Tool TL-2.0. It is twice as wide as the typical tire lever and is made from a much stiffer plastic. The wider lever gives you more leverage to remove more stubborn tires. I have also bought much cheaper sets. I still have the 2.0s, but all the knock-offs have broken. When it comes to bike tools, it is definitely worth the extra dollars to go for high-quality. It saves you time, aggravation, and money in the long run.
The latest version of the wider tire lever is the Park Tool TL-4.2. The 4.2 is a greatly improved version of the 2.0. It still has the wider tip and is still made from the harder plastic. The truly neat improvement to the 4.2 is that it also has a spoke hook. That means you can break the bead with one lever, then lock it to a spoke as you go around the tire, continuing to break the bead. No more “bead chasing” that happens with some tires. The best part is the TL-4.2 retails at US $4.49, which is the same price as the entry level TL 1.2. At that price, there is absolutely no reason that this lever shouldn’t be part of every public safety cyclist’s tool kit.
I ordered a set of 4.2s and immediately put them through their paces. Like most Park Tool offerings, they work as advertised. The TL 4.2 made short work out of just about every tire/rim combination sitting in my garage. The greater width gives you a considerable advantage over standard tire levers.
If you are so inclined, there is even an upgrade to the 4.2. The TL-6.2 is a metal tire lever coated in plastic so that it won’t scratch or nick the rims. The 6.2 doesn’t have the spoke hook, but at five inches (12.7 cm) in length, it probably doesn’t need it. However, the 6.2 carries a US $18.95 retail price. One could purchase four sets of the TL-4.2 for the cost of one single set of the TL-6.2
The “Mother of All Tire Levers” is the Park Tool TL-5. This is a full steel tire lever. The levers are eight inches (20.32 cm) long and have more than enough leverage to pop any tire off the rim. Care must be taken, however, as the metal levers can damage the wheels if not used properly. The TL-5 is really not a practical choice as part of the portable repair kit each public safety cyclist carries. It is better used as part of a maintenance officer’s tool kit for when all other levers fail to remove a tire from the rim. The TL-5 retails at US $25.95, or nearly six sets of the TL-4.2.
Tire levers are one of those things you really don’t think much about until you need them. When you do need them, though, the difference between a good tire lever and a poor one can mean the difference between getting back on the road after a quick fix or an exercise in frustration. The beauty of the TL-4.2 is that it does the job better than standard tire levers at the same price point. There’s absolutely no reason these levers shouldn’t be part of every public safety cyclist’s tool kit.
About the author: David Cohen is a 12-year volunteer with the Maryland-National Capital Park Police. When he isn’t riding or tinkering with bicycles, David can be found tinkering with vintage cars or World War II airplanes. An avid historian, David enjoys researching and writing as well. He can be reached at onyxsax@aol.com.
Gears & Gadgets is a blog written by David Cohen #1116. It features various repair tips and tricks that David has picked up in nearly 25 years of cycling, including 12 years of public safety cycling. Gears & Gadgets will also periodically review some of the latest “gadget” items of potential interest to public safety cyclists. The advice and opinions in this column are solely the author’s and should not be interpreted as IPMBA mandates or recommendations unless explicitly stated.
Photos courtesy David Cohen.