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| Archives - Tool Tips |
Tool Tips: Bead Popper By Steve Lita Now that you’ve learned more about your tires, you may have decided it’s time to mount some new rubber. If you don’t have easy access to a sophisticated tire machine, or if you’re a die-hard do-it-yourselfer, the Bead Popper will help you get the job started. After you’ve removed the wheel from your bike and released all the air in the tire, you can use the Bead Popper to help loosen the tire’s grip on the wheel. It’s not exactly easy work, however, as you’ll be wielding a hammer. (By the way, be sure to use a soft-faced dead-blow hammer; that’s all you’ll need on the high-density-plastic Popper.) Start by finding a point on the tire away from any possible bead locks, and persuade the tire into the rim with a blow to the Bead Popper. Then move 180 degrees to the other side, and give it another whack. Once that point is done, move 90 degrees around the tire, and then finally another 180. This procedure sends you around the entire wheel at least once, hopefully loosening the bead enough so you can get your tire spoons in there. SOURCES Bead Popper $19.95 Race Tools 121 Lincoln Ave. |
