Wire tyer pain

[flyby]

I have just brought a new road bike, Bianchi c2c (2nd hand) and on getting my first puncher had great difficulty in getting the tyre off. The issue was the wire edges of the tyre which made it really hard to lift off. Am I missing a trick with these tires or are they just an pain, if so what’s the benefit of them?

I’m wanting to use the bike for triathlons, so obviously wasting time faffing with these wire tyres is not what I want to be doing when a puncher bites! Am I better to just get some normal all rubber tyres?

 

[Randochap]

What are you using to try to remove the tyre? Even folding (kevlar bead) tyres can be difficult, if you happen to have a slightly large rim w/ a slightly small tyre.

Putting the tyre back on is usually where most people run into trouble. Try not to use irons to do this. Use thumbs and work the tyre around the rim.

If you are planning to ride triathlons, surely you would want a kevlar folding tyre.

Practice makes perfect.

 

[RedBike]

There are two main types of tyre, Clincher (what you have) and tubular.

Tubulars tyres are glued onto a different style of rim. To mend a tubular tyre once you've struggled to get it off the rim you then have to unsew the tyre to get at the tube. If you think mending a puncture in your tyres is hard then you aint seen anything yet! If any of these riders puncture they'll be walking back!
However, you'll probably find that nearly everyone running deep sectioned carbon wheels are using tubulars.

Clincher tyres have a 'bead' at either side that hooks under a lip in the rim. On your tyres this bead was made of steel. The all rubber tyres you're refering to have a bead made from Kevlar. Kevlar beads are lighter and foldable (and more expensive). But just because the tyre bead is made from kevlar doesn't nessassarily make it easier to fit.

Different brands / makes of tyres (and rims) are very slightly different sizes. So some combinations of rim and tyre are very tight.

The more puncture protection a tyre has the higher it's weight, cost and rolling resistance. For Triathlons I would fit a set of 'race' tyres, Mitchelin Pro 3 or veloflex black and learn to live with the odd puncture.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Simple answer some beaded tyres are easier to remove / fit than others. Virgin (new) tyres are worst of all as the beading as not been stretched at all. If you have to repeat the P*&%t$£e repair process several times you should find that the removal / refitting process becomes a lot easier.

 

[asterix]

Recently I had to fix a flat on my new bike with 700c Panaracers. Altho' I use panaracers on another bike and fixed flats without a problem, in case I had a real struggle and bust a couple of levers (I have industrial strength hands!).

My idea was to put a light smear of waxoyl on the aluminium rim to stop the new tyre's rubber dragging. The tyre then went on with little trouble. I was of course careful to keep the waxoyl off the breaking surfaces. I'm not aware of any damage waxoyl might do to tyres - no worse than any other stuff to be found on the roads, I suspect.

Yesterday I put a new pair of 700c Schwalbe marathons on some new wheels and noticed that the beads of these tyres have have a waxy surface and could be fitted easily.

 

[xpc316e]

There are a few tricks of the trade: start opposite the valve when removing a tyre and ensure the you have seated the bead of the tyre down into the well of the rim near the valve - this will make it easier to get the tyre off. Do the reverse when fitting it - fit the valve area first and get it seated down into the rim. The advice about not using levers to get the tyre back on is good - do try to use just your thumbs. Make sure that you buy some decent levers - not the plastic variety - get the steel ones that have a plastic outer cover, because they will not break. The other thing is that it will get easier to do once the tyre has been on and off a few times, so just keep trying.

 

[jimboalee]

Another tip when levering a tyre off.

Unseat the tyre bead all the way round the rim and push the tyre deep into the rim OPPOSITE where you lever.

If you do this, some tyres roll off the rim without levers.

 

[flyby]

Cheers guys much appreciated. Think I’ll go get me some Kevlar tyres…