We’ve all been there, and some of us literally have the scars to prove it. You know – the stubborn tyre that won’t budge during removal or squeeze over the bead during fitment. Most of the time, it can turn ugly very quickly unless you’ve got wrists, forearms and biceps the size of John Cena. While tight beads usually come down to the secure fit required by modern tubeless tyre systems, not to mention the rise of wider rim widths and tighter manufacturing tolerances, if you’re a prolific rider and log thousands of miles a year, chances are you’ve faced this agonisingly frustrating issue.
Thankfully, there is a solution: the Smart Lever created by Mark Searles of Bicycle Innovations. Despite the name, the lever is not digital but rather a reimagined, time-saving, less painful way to fit and remove bicycle tyres.
The Smart Lever is manufactured in England and comprises a stainless-steel handle with replaceable articulated composite parts
(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Design details
At first glance, the Smart Lever looks unlike any other tyre lever on the market and, to some, might even seem overengineered. However, there’s a purpose behind its unique design, which I’ll get into later. In terms of materials, the Smart Lever is constructed from stainless steel, with replaceable purple-coloured composite sections at each end. At 15g, it’s particularly heavy when compared to the average 8g weight of a standard plastic tyre lever, but the extra heft helps its purpose and ability to streamline tubeless tyre installation and reduce the risk of snapping a lever – like most of us have experienced at one point or another.
That small ‘cut-out’ hooks onto the rim edge, while a roller skims the outside of the rim, doubling up to force and lift stubborn tyre beads over the edge
(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
The Smart Lever has been designed to be ergonomic and easy on the hands, something some standard tyre levers fail to address due to their rudimentary design. A lot of thought has gone into its design. On one end, it has a traditional tyre lever scoop, and on the other is the device’s party trick – a clever roller/lever-style system that fits on both the inside and outside of the rim, effectively coaxing the tyre into place without much fuss.
The lever doubles as both a traditional tyre lever and a solution for mounting even the most stubborn tyre beads, regardless of the discipline. It even has an integrated valve core remover. Available as a separate purchase (£19.50 / $29.95 / €22.90) is a bead lever tool designed to work alongside the tyre lever, quickly separating stuck bicycle tyres from the wheel rim side wall.
At the moment, it’s right-hand only, but a left-hand option is in the pipeline.
Push the thumb press forward and guide the lever around the rim – it’s that easy
(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Performance
The Smart Lever is not the easiest product to get your head around, and you’ll need to read the included instructions thoroughly and watch a video tutorial to understand how it works, as there are many swivelling and moving parts that can initially be confusing.
I suggest playing around with it for a while and practising fitting and removing tyres to familiarise yourself with everything, as things just get super easy from there.
In simple terms, the Smart Lever lifts the bead and pushes it smoothly and friction-free over the rim. To start, place the shoe (the L-shaped swivel) on the inside of the rim – you’ll see a small ‘cut-out’ when looking at it in profile, which hooks onto the rim edge. At the same time, make sure the roller sits on the outside of the rim just below the bead and push the thumb press forward, guiding the lever around the rim. It still requires some force, but the tyre will eventually slide over the rim wall and into position.
A closer look at how the Smart Lever fits onto the wheel
(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Depending on the tyre/rim interface, you might need to put in some extra elbow grease, but most of the best tubeless road bike tyre options should go on without a hitch. I used the lever across disciplines and was blown away by its ease of use. For the few tyres I fitted with inner tubes, the extra space created by the way the lever mounts to the wheel made it easy to position the tube to prevent pinching. For stubborn tyres, the company recommends placing the beads in the rim centre channel, as this provides extra slack.
There were a couple of instances that required me to lift the roller up by pushing down on the lever (to lift the bead) and slide it forward to pry it over the outside and onto the rim. While it required some solid force, I managed to sort it without extra tyre levers and help.
Removing a tyre is much easier and not unlike a traditional lever. Simply release the air from the tyre, and manoeuvre the lever underneath the tyre in line with the handle. Once you’ve managed this and are sure you’ve not hooked a tube (if you’re running inner tubes), swivel the handle at a right angle to the hook and push. The tyre should unhook as you slide the lever around the rim.
Here you can clearly see how it works: the L-shaped swivel hooks inside the rim and the roller on the outside, which lifts the bead and pushes it over the rim smoothly and friction-free
(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Value
I hear you – £22.50 / $34.50 / €26.50 is a lot of money for a tyre lever, considering you can pick up a traditional lever for less than £3, but the Smart lever should be considered an investment to help with tyre fitment and bike maintenance. It’s strong, durable and designed to go the distance, regardless of discipline and rim width.
The Smart Lever is initially quite a complicated tool to operate, mainly because it’s so different from the simple tyre lever of old, and the provided instructions aren’t the easiest to follow. It takes time to master, but once you’re familiar with how it works, you’ll never go back to the old way of mounting tyres.
It’s also worth noting that due to Royal Mail now adding USA tariffs, the dollar price of the Smart Lever has increased. This, however, has no bearing on UK and European costs, which remain the same.
Tech spec
- Price: £22.50 / $34.50 / €26.50
- Weight: 15g
- Material: Stainless steel/composite sections
- Size: 140mm long, 23mm deep
