How the ******* hell do I get this tyre off?

[jpembroke]

Always been a bit of a nightmare this combination (Campag Proton wheels and Vredestein Fortezza tyres) but I've never had this much bother before. I have spent 2 hours this morning trying to get the tyre off the back wheel so I can fix a broken spoke but it just won't budge. Haven't even got close. What's really frustrating is that I've had this tyre off before so I have no idea why it's being so stubborn.

Any ideas/advice?

 

[MacB]

No idea, but 2 hours!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[andrew-the-tortoise]

Warm the tyre up a bit [leave wheel next to radiator, or borrow a hairdryer.]

 

[jpembroke]

Warm the tyre up a bit [leave wheel next to radiator, or borrow a hairdryer.]

Tried that. Sat it on the radiator for about 45 mins. No joy! This is nuts. I've had this tyre off at the roadside twice in the last few months without to much bother. I'm probably going to buy new wheels anyway (keep breaking spokes on rear wheel) but having to buy a new tyre and tube as well just because I can't remove them from the old wheel is seriously irritating.

 

[jpembroke]

No idea, but 2 hours!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know

 

[MacB]

I know

you're more patient than me, I'd have had the junior hacksaw out after an hour

 

[Ian H]

A few suggestions, just in case: make sure the beads are pushed right into the central well of the rim. Use one lever initially just to 'stretch' the tyre - again pushing the tyre beads to the centre. Then two levers about 4 - 5" apart and lever until the bead pops over and the rest can be removed by hand. Good quality thin levers will help.

 

[jpembroke]

Done it! Had to use a metal tyre lever (I don't like metal tyre levers) to force the tyre up in order to get another (plastic) tyre lever in. It was a case of working the 2nd lever a few mm at a time before it pinged out. I kid you not, I had to wear the industrial gauntlets we use for opening the stove in order to protect my hands every time my hand slipped (I still managed to get a bad bruise on my thumb from where it smacked in to the rim and spokes but that's better than losing blood I suppose).

Well, there's a couple of hours of my life i'll never get back.

 

[jpembroke]

A few suggestions, just in case: make sure the beads are pushed right into the central well of the rim. Use one lever initially just to 'stretch' the tyre - again pushing the tyre beads to the centre. Then two levers about 4 - 5" apart and lever until the bead pops over and the rest can be removed by hand. Good quality thin levers will help.

Thanks Ian H but I already tried all those things. I couldn't get two levers in next to one another let alone 4-5" apart. The metal lever I used in the end just about managed to lever the tyre up enough to get a 2nd lever in but didn't actually manage to lever it over the rim.

Anyway, it's done.

I'm bl**dy knackered now!

 

[magnatom]

Well, there's a couple of hours of my life i'll never get back.

But you have gained a wonderful story to tell the grandkids....

 

[jpembroke]

But you have gained a wonderful story to tell the grandkids....

Well, my wife and children have gone out and left me to it. Not sure the language was suitable for a little ones. As for recounting it to my grandchildren, I'm afraid it was all too traumatic and I'll now have to blank it from my memory.

S*dding Campag wheels!!!!!!

 

[Campfire]

Mr Campfire had that problem with getting a Schwalbe Marathon off my Birdy. He did it eventually but I was worried he'd have another heart attack doing so. The original Birdy tyres weren't much cop but at I least I could get them off myself reasonably easily! I've now bought a Var (???) lever from Spa Cycles but not used it yet.

 

[ColinJ]

I've had that problem, only I was at the side of the road halfway down a mountain on the Costa Blanca! Being tired didn't help. I had visions of still being there when it got dark...

My findings:

Make sure that there is no air left in the tube or you'll never get the damn tyre off.

I know what you mean about the difficulty of getting two levers in at once - you need to put them both in at the same time. If you put one in and lever the bead out, you will really struggle with the second one.

I think lubricating the tyre bead helps. On the roadside, I just spat on it. (Certainly made me feel better, anyway!)





By the way - where are you getting your Proton spares from? The cones in my rear Proton are pitted so they need replacing.

 

[02GF74]

that's crap that is ..... don't fit the tyre since you'll go thorughthe pain all over again .... but makes no sense since you had it off (ooh err!!) before with no probs.

I had same with mtb tyte, from wilkinson, now replaced with schwalbe - had enough of trying to remove it, but not 2 hourts like you.

 

[jpembroke]

By the way - where are you getting your Proton spares from? The cones in my rear Proton are pitted so they need replacing.

Only place I can find so far is here:

http://www.totalcycling.com/index.p...gnolo/?shopsession=g6u6k5jbso22h7tf2atbcs6a33

But they don't have proton spokes listed. I think that Neutron wheels are pretty much identical though, in terms of spoke patterns etc.

Probably the best place to try is Italian Cycle Products. They specialise in Campag spares. Nothing on their website so i'll try calling them tomorrow. Fingers crossed.