Bead Breaker

Afraid so. Like I said, I know it's been done single-handedly. In my Cross days - I actually came on a CR 400 Husky rider [almost exactly like mine] that just finishing up replacing a rear tube on his bike, that did exactly that.

For those that aren't aware, the CR 400 has tire/rim support locks bolted through the rims to make sure the tires don't slip or roll off when they go flat. Once they've been on the rim a while - those tire beads are on there to stay - even without the tire locks being bolted on.

For me, had I not had help, I never would have been able to make it work.

I had a chance to give the Motion Pro breaker set a test removing the Heidenau K60s from my F800GS wheels last week. The very stiff sidewall rear was a bit of work to get broke loose, but I was able to get it done with just the breaker set. I had to work around a short distance of the bead, going back and forth over it to get it to finally let loose. I also applied a bit of lube along the bead as I worked it down to aid in the process. The front tire was much less work to get done, I would expect most street tires with a softer carcass would also be easier to break loose.

I also tried using them as levers to remove the tires. They did not work as well for this function, so I,I'll be sticking with the levers I currently carry. The bead breaker is a keeper though for it's primary function, at least as a roadside tool. I won't be using them routinely to change tires at home, my tire changer works much easier there.

At the end of the job, the breaker set showed no sign of damage or failure other than some marks in the finish where they lever against each other. I had to apply significant force to the rear tire to break the bead on it, and the levers withstood that without bending.

I give these tools a passing grade for use in roadside repairs. I think there are better options for the shop where size and weight for portability aren't requirements.

I'm considering an ATL-to-San Antonio trip and back. First trip that I couldn't complete in one 12 hour day. Filing all this info away for good measure.