Whats the secret with fitting tyres with a stiff bead?

[longers]

Stiff soled shoes help.

 

[jimboalee]

Are your 'summer' tyres lower width than your winter tyres?

Have you got the appropriately sized tubes for each pair?


Trick 1. Put the tyres behind a hot radiator or in the airing cupboard ( or if the heating system is off, in a slow oven ); and the rims outside in the cold.

 

[Amanda P]

Another vote for the VAR tool. It's light and easy to carry with you. It's virtually impossible to get Conti Sport Contacts onto my 'bent's 26" or 20" wheel without it - but the winter/touring Marathons go on easily.

 

[gaz]

The secret you ask?
get someone else to do it for you.

 

[Globalti]

This is all you need.

 

[Amanda P]

Yeah.... but you get much more kudos asking in your local bike shop for a VAR tyre lever than you do asking for a tub of Johnson's Baby Powder.

That is, I would imagine you do...

 

[ChrisKH]

Just fitted Michelin's to my new rims using a combination of the VAR tyre lever for the hard work of lifting and the Crank Bros Speed Lever to keep the tyre in place. As I got an additional centimetre over the rim, I just squeezed the Speed lever further up against the tyre sitting outside the rim. It seemed to work ok and I had no pinch punctures. Plenty of talc used. I'm hoping that a bit of warmer weather and a stretch on the rims will mean a roadside repair will be less arduous. But I'm kidding myself right?

 

[addictfreak]

I have had the same problems lately. With all the potholes around I have punctured about 4 times (perviously not had one in a year).

Anyway I usually change tubes straight away and dont have any trouble replacing tyre and away we go.
The other day I was about 5 minutes (walking time) from work when I punctured. I thought sod it, i'll walk and fix the puncture later.
That turned out to be a bad move, I just could not replaced the tyre without pinch puncturing. The tyre seemed as though it had shrunk!
Got it done eventually, but I'll never leave one again it will be done immediately.

 

[tyred]

This is all you need.

No, no NO!

You gotta insist on only using genuine Shimano talcum powder

 

[Kestevan]

Somebody will be along in a minute to insist that Shimano talcum powder is crap, and that proper/serious cyclists only ever use Campagnolo talc....

 

[bauldbairn]

ICETOOLZ DH (Downhill) carbon/alu rim tyre lever for me.

Looks like a flathead screwdriver that's been rounded and plastic coated - works a treat on stubborn beads!