F***ing tyres!!

Author
Discussion

TheGreatSoprendo

Original Poster:

5,286 posts

248 months

Saturday 28th March 2015
quotequote all
Having destroyed 2 Park Tools tyre levers, 2 tubes and exhausted my famously extensive vocabulary of expletives trying to fit ridiculously tight Schwalbe Ultremo ZX tyres, has anyone got any bright ideas on how I could complete this seemingly simple task? I'm down to my last tube...!

Edited by TheGreatSoprendo on Saturday 28th March 16:44

duff

976 posts

198 months

Saturday 28th March 2015
quotequote all
Some wheel/tyre combos are just really tight. I've pinched several tubes fitting Veloflex Corsa to Racing 3s.

I don't rate Parks Tools levers, Pedros levers are indestructible.

Rob_T

1,916 posts

250 months

Saturday 28th March 2015
quotequote all
Watch this:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-XUFVrl0UT4

Watch it again and then again. Pay attention!

It works. The straps arent really necessary but make it easier when you first start using this method.

No tyre levers required.

Very satisfying.

MadDad

3,834 posts

260 months

Saturday 28th March 2015
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A little bit of diluted washing up liquid has done the trick for me in the past....

TheGreatSoprendo

Original Poster:

5,286 posts

248 months

Saturday 28th March 2015
quotequote all
Rob_T said:
Watch this:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-XUFVrl0UT4

Watch it again and then again. Pay attention!

It works. The straps arent really necessary but make it easier when you first start using this method.

No tyre levers required.

Very satisfying.
I had high hopes for that, but alas, no joy and my last tube has just gone for a burton. mad

BadgerBenji

3,524 posts

217 months

Saturday 28th March 2015
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Just remember if you have to go to such effort to fit them, when you puncture on a ride, how many spare tubes do you take with you?

TheGreatSoprendo

Original Poster:

5,286 posts

248 months

Saturday 28th March 2015
quotequote all
BadgerBenji said:
Just remember if you have to go to such effort to fit them, when you puncture on a ride, how many spare tubes do you take with you?
The thought had occurred to me! I might need to hitch up a trailer!

Pit Pony

8,265 posts

120 months

Sunday 29th March 2015
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I swear by my nan's (RIP) solid silver desert spoons. Rounded handles and really strong.

mcelliott

8,626 posts

180 months

Sunday 29th March 2015
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TheGreatSoprendo said:
Schwalbe Ultremo ZX tyres
Sounds like you've had a lucky escape not being able to fit the tyres anyway - Schwalbe Ultremos are about the crappiest tyre you'd wish to fit to a wheel. Hopeless.

Get a set of Conti GP4000s - better tyre and fit far easier.

TwistingMyMelon

6,385 posts

204 months

Sunday 29th March 2015
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Work smarter not harder

Sod using tyre levers too much you will probably get a pinch punture straight away or damage the rim if using metal ones I say this from being a knob when younger

Find someone with stronger hands or use a bit of fairy on the rim and tyre lip(as per MD)
Make sure you degrease it after

Tyres that are a pita to get on usually loosen up over a few miles of you have a puncture whilst out

Ray Luxury-Yacht

8,910 posts

215 months

Sunday 29th March 2015
quotequote all
This is bizarre.

25 odd years ago, I got a part-time job in a cycle shop when I was 16. One of the first things the proprietor showed me, was how to fit tubes and tyres, without ever using tyre levers.

In the 25 years since, on a variety of bikes with a variety of tyres, I have never had to use tyre levers.

Maybe I've been lucky and not had any of these tight ones that other people have described, I dunno?

But if you use the right technique, in my experience they just aren't necessary.



frisbee

4,956 posts

109 months

Sunday 29th March 2015
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25 years ago there wasn't the internet. People don't post threads about tyres that are easy to get on, they post threads about tyres they can't get on.

There are some combinations that just don't work. Rims that are larger and tyres that are tighter.

Black can man

31,816 posts

167 months

Monday 30th March 2015
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I'm not a lover of using levers but when you're on the side of the road with freezing finger sometimes you just have to, i find the orange Continental levers pretty good & i usually buy the the inner tubes along with the case .

I find these cases extremely convenient when out on a long ride & i carry 3 at all times, two with tubes & one with allen key tool, disposable gloves & spare cleat screws. I get paranoid if i don't have two tubes on me.

anonymous-user

53 months

Monday 30th March 2015
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Without teaching you to suck eggs, when the old fella in that video is pinching the tyre around the bottom towards the top of the wheel he's making sure the bead of the tyre is in the well and not on the bead of the wheel. Basically he's moving the slack from the bottom to the top, every few mm's can help with a tight tyre.

Also once you have the tyre 75% on the rim then let some air out of the tube (not sure if the old duffer did or not?).

I've fitted 100's of bike tyres, I do it daily for the lads at work who cycle in, sometimes you get a really tight wheel/tyre combo, I've not had one yet that I've not managed to get fitted, practise makes perfect yadder yadder...

The tyre in the video looked fairly normal, thus making it look easier than it can be sometimes.

TheGreatSoprendo

Original Poster:

5,286 posts

248 months

Monday 30th March 2015
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TwistingMyMelon said:


Find someone with stronger hands
Surely when you're snapping tyre levers and still not getting the tyre on, it's more than a simple matter of hand strength?

CoinSl0t said:
Also once you have the tyre 75% on the rim then let some air out of the tube (not sure if the old duffer did or not?).
Thanks. The video didn't mention letting air out of the tyre, but that would definitely make sense.

Anyway, I'm now awaiting the arrival of these:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/pedros-tyre-lev...


these:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/airwave-road-tu...



and this:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/crank-brothers-...


so those tyres will be on next weekend by hook or by crook! Watch this space...


Edited by TheGreatSoprendo on Monday 30th March 10:35

Clinton Baptiste

657 posts

181 months

Monday 30th March 2015
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+1 for letting air out. I was having the same problem with my Conti gatorskins but after watching that video above and due to the fact they have loosened up a bit they now go on fairly easily. I still need the levers though!

TwistingMyMelon

6,385 posts

204 months

Monday 30th March 2015
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I had that Crank Bros tyre lever years ago , was handy and quite good

Still reckon you are better off lubeing up the rim and using your fingers though


TheGreatSoprendo

Original Poster:

5,286 posts

248 months

Monday 30th March 2015
quotequote all
TwistingMyMelon said:
Still reckon you are better off lubeing up the rim
Fnar! hehe

The Walrus

1,857 posts

204 months

Monday 30th March 2015
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Have you tried stretching the tyres yet ? I had to on the tubs I fitted assuming they don't have a wire rim then this also helps, the other method is to pop a tube in the tyre and blow it up to stretch the tyre.

I have not watched the vid but I am guessing it is the squat technique were they roll on the tyre bit by bit ? if so it does work just have patience

JRM

2,043 posts

231 months

Monday 30th March 2015
quotequote all
mcelliott said:
TheGreatSoprendo said:
Schwalbe Ultremo ZX tyres
Sounds like you've had a lucky escape not being able to fit the tyres anyway - Schwalbe Ultremos are about the crappiest tyre you'd wish to fit to a wheel. Hopeless.

Get a set of Conti GP4000s - better tyre and fit far easier.
Why do you say that? I'm curious because I'm using Ultremo ZX at the moment due to lack of supply of Conti GPIIs