DIY Tyre changing

[the cueball]

I'm thinking about getting some equipment to start doing this... things like the ABBA bead breaker/tyre balancer (other colours/names are available I guess)..

If there is anyone else currently DIY'ing it... where do you get your weights/paste/other bits n bobs from??

I have a few things sitting in my Evil Bay basket, but just wondering if there is a better place that everyone knows about.....

cheers...

[SBDJ]

Weights I'm still working through a bunch a mate gave me, but historically I've just bought weights and paste from eBay/Amazon. They're cheap.

Until the start of this year I was changing tyres every 4-6 weeks; I bought a decent tyre bar (I've got one of these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tyre-bar-lever-Manual-m... and one of these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WHEELMATE-UNIQUE-MANUAL... ) and a eBay special tyre changer (like this one: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Manual-Motorcycle-Mini-... ) to clamp the wheel. Already had a compressor that I could use for bead seating.

It's easy once you've done it a couple of times - just make sure you push the tyre down into the drop on the opposite side as you pull the tyre on and it takes much less effort than you might expect.

Edited by SBDJ on Wednesday 14th October 11:14

[trickywoo]

Unless you have a petrol station with a tyre pump near by or at least one convenient you will also need a compressor for seating the bead.

Unless you are doing it a lot I don't really think its worth DIYing.

[BugLebowski]

Interested in this too. I've a decent compressor for seating the bead, but I imagine it's a bit of a pain getting the tyre on and off the rim so I'm looking for a decent set of tyre leavers that aren't made of chinesium.

For balancing I was going to try Dyna beads to start with and if they're rubbish then I'll get a static balancing stand. Looking at the tyre that's on at the minute there's only a few weights on anyway.

[CAPP0]

It’s still as much of a massive PITA as it was last time we discussed this! (I know the search doesn’t work). Hardly worth it unless you have a particular need to change tyres on a frequent basis.

[Krikkit]

SBDJ said:

Weights I'm still working through a bunch a mate gave me, but historically I've just bought weights and paste from eBay/Amazon. They're cheap.

Until the start of this year I was changing tyres every 4-6 weeks; I bought a decent tyre bar (I've got one of these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tyre-bar-lever-Manual-m... and one of these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WHEELMATE-UNIQUE-MANUAL... ) and a eBay special tyre changer (like this one: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Manual-Motorcycle-Mini-... ) to clamp the wheel. Already had a compressor that I could use for bead seating.

It's easy once you've done it a couple of times - just make sure you push the tyre down into the drop on the opposite side as you pull the tyre on and it takes much less effort than you might expect.

So call it £250 for the right kit, rounded up with weights and lube, that's 20 tyre changes (assuming equal front:rear split) from my local bike shop.

Every 4 weeks is obviously a bit of an outlier, but I bet you could negotiate with a local place for a bit of a frequency discount.

[John Laverick]

We used to do it on our track bike .... it was a pain in the are and I wouldn't personally bother if no were you.

Some tyre / wheel combos are extremely tight.

We used to break the bead by running over the tyre with the car!!

[V8RX7]

I do.

I off road and run mousses plus I already have a compressor and the car gear (tyre machine and balancer) as I buy / sell / swap wheels regularly.

TBH for bike tyres you don't need much at all but read up / look at a few youtube videos

For both cars and bikes I buy everything off ebay - check the quantities, it's frequently pennies to buy much more: valves, weights etc

I don't know how people manage without a compressor - car / bike tyres, inflatable toys for the pool, sprayed my fence, dry my bike after cleaning it...

Edited by V8RX7 on Wednesday 14th October 13:30

[AdamIndy]

I do my own. I have a abba bead breaker and balancer. I got the lube(giggidy) from eBay and I have a mate that works in a tyre place so get the weights and valves from him for nothing.

It takes a bit of practise but once you have it mastered it's quite simple.

My advice would be get some decent levers, none of those stty 12" long ones, go big or go home. Also get some plastic rim protectors too. I only have a track bike now so I'm not too worried about marking the wheels.

Over the years I bet I've saved hundreds of pounds.

[MotorsportTom]

£200 for kit? Eh?

My stand and bead breaker cost me 30quid and my balancer another 30quid.

I've changed 2 tyres with it using the zip tie method and popping to the local garage to pump the tyres up. It's dead easy and has easily paid for half my kit plus I don't have to drive wheels over to someone in my working hours and pay for the privellege

[SBDJ]

Krikkit said:

So call it £250 for the right kit, rounded up with weights and lube, that's 20 tyre changes (assuming equal front:rear split) from my local bike shop.

Every 4 weeks is obviously a bit of an outlier, but I bet you could negotiate with a local place for a bit of a frequency discount.

Not sure where you got £250 from - you only need one of those bars so closer to £160. Neither of those bits of kit are essential either. Cheaper options available or you could just use tyre levers and make something to hold the the wheel.

For me ultimately convenience won out - I knew I could get in from work at 8pm and if I had killed a tyre that day I could swap it there and then instead of waiting until the weekend.

Now bikes are once again purely pleasure riding I haven't changed a single tyre this year!

[bluezedd]

My tyre fitting equipment has paid for itself many times over so far, and has definitely been worth the hassle. I find the biggest saving though isn't the cost of fitting, but on the price of the tyres themselves.

I buy part worn car tyres as and when they come up on gumtree, and I buy brand new bike tyres for a decent price online from the likes of oponeo. A local supplier may be £40 more for a pair of tyres, so hasn't taken long for my equipment to pay off.

I'll admit though that fitting car tyres isn't as easy as bike tyres, and probably isn't for everyone.

[Krikkit]

SBDJ said:

Not sure where you got £250 from - you only need one of those bars so closer to £160.

Fair enough, I read it wrong then, I thought you were saying two bars plus the kit.

[Prof Prolapse]

Around these parts it takes a week of waiting, an hour of sitting on your arse, and £70 to get a set of tyres fitted. I learned through desperation how to fit tyres.

I'd say it's not hard, but it's a bit of a dark art, it will take you a few attempts no matter how many youtube videos you watch and it is very easy to scratch a wheel. You will also get the odd bd tyre as well which will just be a to get on or off for no obvious reason (a tip is too keep it warm and not use too much, or too little, lube).

You need;

-Small compressor
-Rim guards (snigger)
-Levers (motion bead pro is what I use, very good quality and has bead breakers built in).
-Bead breakers
-Balance tool
-Weights

Mine cost about ~£200, so for me that was about two seasons riding, and it's paid up.

I'd do it myself for the convenience alone these days but if I had a friendly motorcycle garage nearby I would honestly not bother.

[Krikkit]

Prof Prolapse said:

Around these parts it takes a week of waiting, an hour of sitting on your arse, and £70 to get a set of tyres fitted. I learned through desperation how to fit tyres.

Crikey, sounds like an opportunity to run a profitable small business.

[boyse7en]

Krikkit said:

Prof Prolapse said:

Around these parts it takes a week of waiting, an hour of sitting on your arse, and £70 to get a set of tyres fitted. I learned through desperation how to fit tyres.

Crikey, sounds like an opportunity to run a profitable small business.

Similar here, due to lack of competition (only two bike shops within reasonable distance). It's £50 to fit two tyres on loose wheels. £75 if the wheels are still on the bike. Oddly enough it is exactly the same price at both places...

[Prof Prolapse]

Krikkit said:

Crikey, sounds like an opportunity to run a profitable small business.

For someone, for sure.

There's basically just two places to take your bike in Edinburgh, one large Honda franchise, and one multiple brand franchise.

Both fine, but neither suit me.

[the cueball]

Cheers all..

I'll stick with the evil bay basket then..