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Reviews
Park TL-5 Heavy Duty Tire Lever Set
By Paul Mirtschin
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Anyone who has ever done their own bike maintenance knows that some tyres are easy to change, some are difficult, and some are downright nasty. And although you shouldn't use metal tyre levers, sometimes you just don't have a choice.
Park realised this and decided to manufacture the mother of all tyre levers. These are the levers that mountainbike wheels fear, and that road wheels have taken a restraining order out on. And they couldn't have come at a better time. You see, in my collection of bikes and wheels I have a wheelset built around Mavic's 321 downhill rims. Very strong, and sometimes not the easiest to get tyres onto. Add to that a pair of Tioga White Tiger Pro tyres and we are entering a world of pain and rude language; I just knew they would not be matched up without a fight. Not even my metal levers were up to the job.
Enter the Park TL-5 Heavy Duty Tire Lever Set. Eight inches long, and more than enough leverage to change almost any tyre out there. My first thought on these levers was not a good one, as they had fallen out of the box and landed on my toe. But after the pain had subsided I was quite impressed with the feel of the levers. So off I went to see just how good these levers would be.
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Removal of tyres is a cinch, with the extra leverage making short work of most tyres. However, do not use them if you have pretty rims and are worried about scratching. Metal on metal means that your pristine rims won't be for long. And don't let go of the levers either. Unlike lightweight plastic levers, these are heavy enough to catch the notice of gravity, and the tyre won't be enough to hold the lever to the wheel. Also, wear solid shoes; that's now two bruised toes.
Fitting tyres to wheels is where you really need to be careful. The extra leverage that is so useful also means that you won't feel when the tube is trapped between the lever and the rim. And if you are running a downhill width tube it is hard not to pinch the tube. On the wheels in question, I managed to hole my 2.7" tubes far to many times. Replacing with a thinner 2.3" tube was the answer. Maybe replacing with a tyre that was easier to fit would have been an answer too.
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Nevertheless, the TL-5's managed to fit a tyre to a rim that was impossible using standard sized plastic levers. This is exactly what Park designed them for. If you don't think you need that huge amount of leverage, then Park's TL-1 or TL-2 levers are your best bet. However, for the downhillers out there, then a set of these at home can be very handy.
Just remember to wear solid shoes.
Weight: 353g
Recommended retail price: US$13.95
Pro: Gives you more than enough leverage for any tyre/rim combination
Con: Overkill for most situations
More information: Park Tool's
website
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