Boardman rim/Michelin tyre/involuntary alopecia

[Twilkes]

Trying to fit a 25mm Pro4 Endurance tyre to a Boardman SLR rim. Previously had 28mm Rubinos on it and the internal rim width seems to be 19mm which checks out okay for 25mm tyres.

But my god they don't go on easy. Same tyres on my previous Cannondale wheels were fine - with these rims I've got a blister the size of a jellybean on the side of my thumb, and then when they're finally on, some of the bead seems to sit in the little groove in the middle of the rim tape and I've managed to pinch THREE inner tubes trying to get them seated and inflated. Putting the Rubino back on for now, as even if I got the Michelin up and running there's no way I want to deal with this if I got a flat out in the wild.

Anyone had experience of these wheels? The rims are tubeless ready, would that affect how a clincher tyre would sit on them? Are some rims/tyres just a bad combination?

 

[vickster]

Sounds like a similar issue to that which people have with putting tubed tyres on the tubeless ready rims on the decathlon RC520 bike

 

[fossyant]

did you use talk or soapy water - talc if running tubes ! If not, why not.

 

[fossyant]

Ah inner tubes. Talc the inside of the tyre and the tube. Also leave the tyre somewhere warm first !

 

[cyberknight]

Im of the opinion if you struggle to get a tyre on/off and need various tricks besides tyre levers then its not a tyre i would want to try to be changing when on the road having been stuck in the middle of the night pissing it down .
The new tyre glider might be worth a shot ?

 

[Twilkes]

I missed a bit out of the OP - even when I get the tyre on and manage to pump it up there are flat spots every time, probably due to the bead sitting down in the groove rather than right up next to the rim. Tried it three times with the same result.

Shame as I like those tyres. The Rubino was about as hard to get on but didn't have the seating problem, a couple of pops from the tyre moving itself into place as it got up to pressure though which I've never had on any previous wheel.

I wonder how many tubeless-ready stock road wheels are ever switched to tubeless, am betting not many...

 

[Ian H]

The profile of tubeless rims means the tyre bead won't easily move to the well when you're fitting them. As you work the bead over the rim you have to go round at intervals pushing the mounted part into the centre. You also might have to initially over-inflate the tyre to get it to pop on to the shoulders of the rim.

 

[Twilkes]

The profile of tubeless rims means the tyre bead won't easily move to the well when you're fitting them. As you work the bead over the rim you have to go round at intervals pushing the mounted part into the centre. You also might have to initially over-inflate the tyre to get it to pop on to the shoulders of the rim.

How does the profile differ?

When you say 'well' do you mean the whole section between the rim walls, or just the lower channel that runs through the middle of it? That lower channel is where my bead was getting stuck, and i don't think it was supposed to. The 28mm Rubinos didn't seem to be a problem in this regard.

 

[Ian H]

How does the profile differ?

When you say 'well' do you mean the whole section between the rim walls, or just the lower channel that runs through the middle of it? That lower channel is where my bead was getting stuck, and i don't think it was supposed to. The 28mm Rubinos didn't seem to be a problem in this regard.

A traditional rim doesn't have the flat seating for the tyre bead, so is just a gentle U-shape.
Yes the 'lower channel' is the well. And note my suggestion for over-inflation to pop the tyre out of it.

 

[fossyant]

Over inflation is the way to do it - I get it on some of my TR and standard tyres if not over inflated.

 

[matticus]

You also might have to initially over-inflate the tyre to get it to pop on to the shoulders of the rim.

Although I don't fully understand the process, this has definitely worked for me a few times. The POP is very satisfying!
[in eliminiting flat-spots/ non-roundness ]

(Can we agree that "tubeless-ready" is not a great thing - if you're not running tubeless? :-/ )

 

[Twilkes]

Okay so a set of 28mm P Zero Velo 4S went on by hand, total contrast to the other two tyres - the sidewalls feel like they're probably made of the same material that that old guy's Geronimo condom was made out of so I hope they still hold up well, not ridden them yet.

Maximum inflation (110psi as per sidewall text) did indeed result in a few clangs of rubber as the tyre seated itself - is that something you tend to only need to do at the beginning to get the tyre into shape and it'll then settle in, or is it likely to act the same if I got a puncture in a couple of months time?