I was just looking at the "what's in your bag" thread and most carry tire levers.
I have two bikes, one has 1.75X26 and the other 38X700 and I have no problems getting the tires off with my hands. Just bend the side over a little and push it off the rim, they just pop back on.
Am I missing something or doing it wrong??
It is a small town and I am always within four miles of my house or my folks house, so I don't even carry a patch kit. Worst case, lock the bike up and go home and get the trailer.
Many tires will go on by hand, but some are difficult even with levers. Definitely nicer to have a lever in the bag rather than sitting in the cold working your fingers raw trying to get the tire off.
I have the most trouble with new tires, but they stretch a little and loosen up after they've been removed a few times.
Your not missing anything. Most MTB tires come off and go on with no tools; as do some road tires, must road tires require levers to get them started, but some road tires are so stiff (or rim and tire are not [FONT=times new roman]compatible[/FONT]) like the Specialized Aramadillos you need a special tool called the VAR. Most of the time I get it started with tire irons then insert the Quik Stik and rip the tire off in seconds.
The components used on discount store bikes like Huffy are chosen based upon price but also to be quickly assembled to help cut costs. If you change to a different brand of tire, you will probably need tire levers. Also, tire levers tend to be required for tires that are more narrow than the 38's that you are running on your road bike as there is less room in the rim for the uninflated tire to drop in.
