Really tight tyres - any tips for easier changing?

[Markymark]

I find swearing helps.

 

[biking_fox]

My best tip (and I ride with Marathons) is to work the tyre a bit. I've always used levers. But sometime a tyre is well set in teh rim. Insert the lever and just lift the bead a bit. Let it go back in and move round the wheel, just lifting and relaxing the bead. When you're back at the start do it for real hooking the bead out with the lever. You should find it much easier now as the bead has stretched a bit.

 

[CUBE CRD]

I bought some of these to carry in the bag for helping get the tyre back on - just one wrapped around the tyre will let you work back round,and in the case of my Marathon + a little bit of assistance from a tyre lever and job done.No need for a lever with my Rubinos.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fisual-Chunky-Reuseable-Hook-Cable-black/dp/B001RPWPQE

 

[Smurfy]

Those look pretty decisive! I'll see how I get on the with speedier and VAR combo when the time comes - hopefully those will suffice as I reckon I can a) fit them in my little saddle bag and b) get away with using them on the road without losing too many man points. I reckon if I whipped out the Tyre Mate on a group ride that would be a definite man-point reducer! Do you know how big it is? The website doesn't seem to list dimensions - looks maybe like more of a pannier than mini saddle pouch job? Cheers.

Total length 225mm, handle diameter 25mm. That's for the old design, but the koolstop one is probably very similar. Mine fits easily in a hydration pack, but it would probably attach to the bottom of a seat pack with a velcro strap. I'm sure the VAR works for most, but some people have reported snapping them for very tight tyre/rim combinations.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

With regard to tyre-levers, I have some of the (blue) Schwalbe levers, & they're great
Whether that's due to the 'proper' bead hook on them, or the widith/sturdiness??
http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m2b6s72p1044

I also bought some of the B'Twinn levers when I was down at Decathlon (Sheffield), but haven't used them yet, but they should be as good?
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/tyre-lever-yellow-id_8329609.html

 

[vickster]

Tip for easy changing - call taxi (or join ETA), take bike to bike shop, pay bike shop

I may have to take my wheels to an LBS tomorrow having completely failed to get new Vittoria rubino pros on fulcrum 5 rims. My thumbs hurt, my shoulder hurts and my knee hurts from bracing and I've got oil on my trousers from the cassette. Quite annoyed now slow puncture or I wouldn't have even thought about it grrr

I've ordered a VAR tool as recommended above!

 

[fossyant]

Talc and more talc.

 

[vickster]

Doesn't seem to help, the bead is just too stiffen get over the rim. About 20 minutes and I made no progress except with thumb blisters

 

[potsy]

Doesn't seem to help, the bead is just too stiffen get over the rim. About 20 minutes and I made no progress except with thumb blisters

Definitely worth giving the Var a go, just make sure the tube is fully inside the tyre then slide the lever carefully to help push the tyre over the edge of the rim.
Worked for me on my Ultegra wheels that I've always struggled with

 

[vickster]

I need the bike ready by Saturday. So if my expert support has no joy tomorrow, I'll be driving to the LBS!

 

[fossyant]

Tyres off. Talc the whole inside of tyre. Talc the whole innertube.

PS do it outside.

Works !!!!

 

[Ticktockmy]

I need the bike ready by Saturday. So if my expert support has no joy tomorrow, I'll be driving to the LBS!

The problem if you don't learn to get your tyre on and off easy and take it too the LSB, sods law says that when you are at the furthest point from home ans help you will get a visit from the puncture fairy. best to learn to do it yourself. I use Marathon XR, and they are well known for being a pain in the arse to get on. But I spent time well lots of time before I found the knack of putting them back on.

 

[Tojo]

Doesn't seem to help, the bead is just too stiffen get over the rim. About 20 minutes and I made no progress except with thumb blisters

Eh........do you plan your route near to your local LBS's in case you get a puncture, and you are giving advice to other people on mechanical issues and bike choices on this forum and you can't even repair your own puctures......

 

[vickster]

I've never had this issue before and I've fixed a few punctures or changed a few tyres. I've always managed to get the other tyres on. These are brand new, a different make and have proved an issue for some reason! I fixed a friends puncture a couple of weeks ago, no issues whatsoever.

I rarely stray that far from home or a railway station when on my own, and I have ETA cover to get me home, transport or a shop in case of unresolvable problems. And I always carry an Oyster card, money and a credit card to pay for whatever. I probably come within half a mile or less of about 10 bike shops on my local cycle routes. No planning, built up area, cycling very popular in SW London

I have tendonitis in my shoulder which isn't helping matters as trying to push the tyre on actually hurts physically. I'm not prepared to exacerbate the problem after a lot of physiotherapy!

If I wish to take the wheels to a bike shop because I can't get the tyres on, then I will, I'm sure they'll be grateful for the custom

And when do I actually give advice on mechanical issues? I might make a suggestion based on what I have seen, read or done, but typically if people are struggling, I'd suggest a trip to an LBS

Yes I can suggest options to people on bike choice based on my own experience, but at the end of the day, it's down to them to try a bike out and make their own informed decision.

Oh and thanks for the support do you adopt the same helpful tone with your wife/sister/mother/female friends/customers etc.

At least I tried, I had no trouble getting the old tyres on these rims, but they weren't new

And what on earth has suggesting a bike got to do with the failure to get a new pair of tyres on rims...new bikes come with new tyres already

 

[Herbie]

Hi,

Had my second puncture in 2,500 miles today, and the first that I had to change alone. I am ashamed to admit that it took me well over an hour to fix, and my thumbs are now blistered pulps

I have changed tyres on my old MTB loads of times without probs, and had no trouble this morning...until it came to getting the tyre back on the wheel! Man, was that hard! I am running Fulcrum DB Sport CX disc-brake wheels with quite deep rims (30mm) and Conti Grand Sport race tyres (25mm wide).

I have tried watching a few vids just now to see where I was going wrong and one thing I've picked up straight away is that I need to push the bead down into the trough of the rim as I go around, which I wasn't doing.
I've also seen this advice -

• For the other bead, start opposite the valve and work your way up to it. Since the valve occupies the lowest section of the rim, if you start there you give yourself a huge disadvantage.

I was doing the opposite by starting to pop the bead back into the rim at the valve rather than opposite it, though I don't see how that would make any difference as the depth of my rims is the same all the way around as far as I can tell?

In the end I had to use the tyre levers off my Top Peak multi-tool (http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/...gclid=CIPx9Zba2sYCFeXLtAodCnYNSA&gclsrc=aw.ds) to slide the bead back over the rim, but "slide" doesn't do it justice really as it was still a nightmare and took ages, with much struggling and swearing. Is it right that using levers to run the bead back inside the rim is a bad idea? I was being very careful and don't see how it would have been possible without them. Do other people use any kind of tool to help get the tyre on the rim?
Even with the levers it was a nightmare though, so if anyone can offer advice or suggestions of better tools for the job easier I'd be very grateful.

I've watched these 2 vids, which are helpful re: the bead into the trough thing, but it's immediately obvious that neither of these guys are up against the same level of struggle I was - their rims are much smaller and there's obviously far more give in their tyres.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XUFVrl0UT4&feature=youtu.be

http://www.artscyclery.com/learningcenter/changingaflattire.html

Maybe I just have a really bad rim/tyre combo?

Cheers, Andy

sorry to hear your trouble...recently my son bought Marathon plus tyres from Edinburgh bike cooperative and i told him to ask them to fit them as they have a reputation for bring hard to fit and they charged just a fiver to fit them...they said it would take them about 15 minutes to fit so he went and had a cuppa ....he returned 20 minutes later to find 3 assistants and the shop manager toiling to get them on ....it took them an hour and a few burst tubes to complete the job . hope your thumbs have recovered