MTB - tyres not true

[Mr Gearchange]

I droppped my bike in for a sevice over the weekend and asked that they trued the wheels as they were well out and the bike felt very 'lumpy'.

LBS has phoned me back this morning to say that the wheels are true (good news) but the tyres are well out...

Tyres have been fully deflated, beads all cleaned up and pumped back up to 45psi but they are still out by quite a bit.

Anyone else had this issue? They are a 2.4" Continental Mountain King/ Rubber Queen.

I don't particularly want to spend 100 quid on two new tyres which have very little wear - anyone got any ideas how to fix them?

[shouldbworking]

I don't think I've ever had a completely true set of mtb tyres. I just check the bead isn't kinked and is seated as well as possible, and ride on.

[Mr Gearchange]

They aren't just a bit out - they are well out and there is a very noticable wobble to both wheels that you can feel when you are riding

I swear that it was actually effecting the cornering performance last time I was out on on it - the bike would kind of 'buck' in the really hard corners which made it noticeably unstable.

My would have though that overinflating them for a good while would have helped but LBS says the improvement has only been marginal

Would sticking them in bowl of very hot water help - you know, like we used to do with buckled Skyways as kids? (did that actually ever work?)

[P-Jay]

My 2.2 Rubber Queens aren't straight either, however the Black Chilli version I run up front is better than the Taiwanese one I run on the back.

They shouldn't effect your ride much as they're be deformed at the point of contact anyway, but if you're running light rims I guess you'll feel the wobble!

Lumpy tubes perhaps causing problems?

[TwistingMyMelon]

I would replace the tubes, refit, triple checking that they are aligned as much as possible

I would then do 10 miles on road with them at a decent pressure and if they are still out then ouch!

HAve they been left standing for a while? Or deflated

Had a slick 26" tyre that buckled after being stored for a few years and then put on, it was in a bad state so replaced it

[Mr Gearchange]

They are tubeless - and on heavy duty AM type rims.
Bike gets ridden a lot - but it was much more noticable having spend a morning on the jump track which made me figure it was the rims

I'll overinflated them and do a good few miles of non-punishing riding and see how I get on

Edited by Mr Gearchange on Tuesday 18th March 10:59

[Justin S]

Is it the bead against the rim that isn't straight or the actual tyre itself that's deformed? If its the tyre on the rim bead, then a sprayer with washing up liquid re aligns it well.

[Mr Gearchange]

Bike is at the shop - but the mechanic says the beads are fine, so it sounds like the tyre itself has deformed.

The bike has had a few landings that weren't quite straight ( you could hear the tyre rubbing against the rear triangle) on impact - so I suspect that was the cause

[Matt London]

I had this happen after changing rims. The old tyres were unusable on the new slimmer rims.

[neenaw]

I had this happen once on a set of Continental something or others. The bike was awful to ride with the tyres on so in the end they were binned and a new set bought to replace them.
I know a coupes of other people who've had the same problem with Continentals so I avoid them now.

[AndrewEH1]

I had that one a Conti Rubber Queen aswell, although the Black Chilli version I have on the front wheel seems to be okay. Bad quality from China?

It isn't too bad so for the moment I'm just cracking on with it.

[P-Jay]

AndrewEH1 said:

I had that one a Conti Rubber Queen aswell, although the Black Chilli version I have on the front wheel seems to be okay. Bad quality from China?

It isn't too bad so for the moment I'm just cracking on with it.

Might be that, the OE ones (non-German made, non blackchilli) are all wire bead I believe, if the wire isn't perfectly inline with the edge of the rubber, it won't matter what you do, they won't sit straight.

[Mr Gearchange]

They have been on the bike for 6 months.

Front one started going out immediately after I had a bit of a comedy crash at Cannock - two fairly innocuous jumps - bad line approaching the first one - landed well off line for the second, decided to jump it anyway and my bad line choice was just exacerbated going into the jump and i had a heavy, off centre landing on the front wheel which resulted in a brilliant slow motion OTB.

The rear one went after some well dodgy landings on a jump track.

Sounds like it's a issue with Continental tyres - shame as I was really getting on with them...

[BadgerBenji]

Had some continental road tyres which went out of shape, wasn't particularly noticable on the road, but on the rollers it was horrendous.

[BOBTEE]

I haven't worn the tread out on a Conti tyre yet, it's the sidewalls every time and I've had one go wonky as you mention... nearly had me off it got that bad!

I still ride them though, can't find anything as good

[P-Jay]

BOBTEE said:

I haven't worn the tread out on a Conti tyre yet, it's the sidewalls every time and I've had one go wonky as you mention... nearly had me off it got that bad!

I still ride them though, can't find anything as good

Yep, had two go unexpectedly - thankfully the tube held up.

[joema]

Try pumping them up while seating them.

chances are youve stretched the bead somehow and the only way to cure it is a new tyre.

I have had plenty of tyres that seem perfecly good buck have fked beads where theyve been blown off.

[Smartboy]

Do you think that running them with inner-tubes would make any difference?

Might be worth a try to save shelling out on another pair of tyres?

Maybe take them off and swap them around front to rear (if the tyres are the same)?