Lessons learnt today

[EasyPeez]

Bad luck there.

I don't think many tyres would have survived that, so no bad reflection on the 4 Seasons.

A good quality frame-mount mini pump is a must on all journeys for me.

Also +1 for the Crank Bros Speedier lever. I've never had an issue getting a tyre off with some cheap metal tyre levers, and carry 3 of those for that job, but my Fulcrum DB Sport rims and Conti Grandsport tyres were a horrific combo for getting the last couple of inches of bead back into the rim - virtually impossible without some kind of tool, warm hands or no. Crank Bros never let me down on that score.

Also impressed by OP's calm post shortly after the debacle

I'm more impressed he can just sack off work for the day. Not sure my boss would be so understanding!

 

[mjr]

Also +1 for the Crank Bros Speedier lever

I got one, partly on the strength of forum recommendations. It works well getting tyres off but it seems too thin to help put them on but maybe it's for racing snakes and not chunky steel rims.

 

[EasyPeez]

I got one, partly on the strength of forum recommendations. It works well getting tyres off but it seems too thin to help put them on but maybe it's for racing snakes and not chunky steel rims.

TBH the Fulcrum Racing DB/Conti 25mms combo was a nightmare whatever I used. It took me an hour to get the tyre back on the first time, and my thumbs were just bloody stumps by the end of that. So following some advice on here I went out and got both a Speedier and one of these -
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/var-tyre-levers-prod27539/
The VAR is quite a cool idea as you hook it under the tyre and 'pop' the thing back onto the rim, rather than running it around the edge. In theory anyway, though I could never quite get it to finish the job with my Contis.
With my other 3 punctures it took me about 25 mins in total to fix, and a combination of the two 'fancy' levers to get the tyre back on, but it was always the Speedier that managed to get the last couple of inches back in.

I've also replaced Rapid Robs with some 35mm Marathons on my CX and removing and re-fitting was a 10-minute doddle with the Speedier.