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So what is the correct number of quick sticks to swiftly change the tube? I had always thought that the answer is of course 2, but :

I can do it twice as fast with one Quik Stick as you can with a handful of levers. – Daniel R Hicks

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  • 1
    A Quik Stick is not a conventional tire lever. It's rounded, made of a relatively "slippery" plastic, and designed to slide smoothly along the rim. You can sometimes do this with a conventional lever but not nearly as easily, and you risk damaging tire and tube.
    – Daniel R Hicks
    May 30, 2013 at 15:33
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    I use a single Pedro tire lever and can change most road tubes in about 3 minutes without rushing (remove from bike; change tube; inflate; back on bike). The key is repetition. If you want to get good at changing tubes, practice at every commercial break while watching TV.
    – Ken Hiatt
    May 30, 2013 at 17:48

1 Answer 1

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I only ever use one tire lever.

  1. Deflate the tube
  2. Use the lever to pull the tire lip over the rim opposite the stem
  3. Slide (with a little force) the lever around the rim until the entire lip is free
  4. Keep the other lip in the rim and remove the tube
  5. Slightly inflate the new tube and place it in the tire
  6. Shimmy the tire into place
  7. Start seating the lip from the stem and work around to the opposite side
  8. Use the tire lever (if necessary) to pry the lip back
  9. Inflate the tube and make sure the lib is clenched all around

I suppose that there could be a reason that this is the wrong approach. There may be a reason that using two levers is better. BUT, I always use one and haven't noticed a problem.

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  • If I am at home I use 2 levers, if I am out on a ride it's always 1 lever just due to space constraints. Takes maybe an extra 30 seconds with 1 vs 2 levers.
    – sevargdcg
    May 30, 2013 at 15:28
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    Good list, once you get more practice, I'd remove 5 (I like an non-inflated tube) and 8 (use a towel wringing motion to roll the tube into place).
    – Ken Hiatt
    May 30, 2013 at 17:50
  • @KenHiatt Yeah, "towel wringing" is a great way to explain my "if necessary" comment... I couldn't articulate it so I let it be. Half the time, I can get it to seat with the "towel wringing" method. I prefer that to using a lever because I'm always afraid of pinching my tube with the lever.
    – Brian Genisio
    May 30, 2013 at 18:19
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    Thanks, Brian Genisio and Daniel R Hicks. Now my backpack is ~10 grams lighter :)
    – Vorac
    Jun 4, 2013 at 12:33

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