Have you ever been defeated by a tyre?

[simonineaston]

I pray to god I never get a p******e on my Moulton Safari. I made wheels from Sun CR18 rims, bought those little plastic plugs that are supposed to make like you've got no rim tape, I swear to the aforementioned that I had to use about a bucket-load of Fairy Liquid and the metal tyre levers from my BMW motorcycle toolkit to get the Schwalbe Marathons on - I do not know how the rims survived!!

[MikeDee]

I pray to god I never get a p******e on my Moulton Safari. I made wheels from Sun CR18 rims, bought those little plastic plugs that are supposed to make like you've got no rim tape, I swear to the aforementioned that I had to use about a bucket-load of Fairy Liquid and the metal tyre levers from my BMW motorcycle toolkit to get the Schwalbe Marathons on - I do not know how the rims survived!!

Don't those plugs sit proud of the rim bed? I'm not convinced that they make it easier to mount/dismount a tire over a thin rim strip.

[simonineaston]

Well the makers claim they should make it easier... plus I save 30 grams

...from Veloplug advert

[Mick F]

Velo plugs.
Useless for Moulton 406 rims.

I have a thread discussing the subject including my tyre woes.
Scroll though this lot regarding my tyres.
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=109442

[st599_uk]

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

Uses two old toe straps.

[philvantwo]

Never had any problems fitting tyres, you lot must have weak hands, mind you, being a carpenter for the last 40yrs might be the answer.

[MikeDee]

Damage to a Mavic rim from the use of steel levers.

[iandusud]

Fitting or removing tyres for that matter does not require tyre levers or particular strength - it's all about technique. I'm often called upon to intervene on club runs when some poor soul is struggling to get their tyre off, sometimes breaking tyre levers in the process. My club mates look at me like I'm from another planet when I apparently effortlessly take the tyre off without levers. Fitting is no harder in fact it's easier. I've been told that tubeless rims are more difficult, that GP4000 tyres are impossible etc. Not so. I have tubeless rims and and GP4000s and have no trouble. I even posted a demonstration on one forum because someone didn't believe me.

So here you go: https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipP ... MsBL2s0Ti7

Note that the secret is to get the bead of the tyre into the well of the rim (it's not really a secret it's the reason why wheel rims are designed with well).

[Anthony_]

I have a hard-to-fit pair of Continental Gator Hardshell tyres. I tried for 30 minutes to get one of them over the rim. Then I followed a suggestion here and used a bit of talc. It just slipped over. I would never have believed it was only being stopped by friction.

[mattsccm]

I know it is obvious but take tiny bites. Literally one lever next to the other.
You can get plastic cover levers.

[iandusud]

I know it is obvious but take tiny bites. Literally one lever next to the other.
You can get plastic cover levers.

I presume you are referring to removing tyres and not to fitting (never use levers to fit a tyre). However the same principle applies to removing tyres with levers - if it gets tight go back round the tyre pinching it to get the bead into the well and when you get back to where it was tight miraculously you'll find that it isn't!

[Scottish.cyclist.lad]

Why do some tyre require much more effort to fit than others?

Are some tyres just impossible to fit?

Have you ever called it quits?

I did, with my schwalbe g-one all-round. I had a puncture a few months ago, I found it almost impossible to even take the schwalbe tyres off. No tyre levers worked, I only managed with a flat head screwdriver. The bead was so freaking tight. Changed the inner tube, tried to fit the schwalbe back on and it was just not possible. I tried for an hour and nothing. I felt emasculated, totally inadequate

I tried all the tricks in the book, even left them on the radiator because heat makes rubber relax and expand.

Went to my LBS and I was expecting to see the mechanic just fit them in 10 seconds, laughing me out of the shop, but he couldn't fit them either! That made me feel a bit better.

So I went back home, ordered a pair of Continental GP5000 (for a change) and managed to fit them in 2 minutes with no tyre levers required.

Why do those schwalbe have a problem with me?

[thirdcrank]

It sounds as though somebody fitted it in the first place.

[Jdsk]

Do you already know about:
* Dropping the bead into the well?
* Using ties or straps?
* Specialised tools?

Jonathan

[Psamathe]

I have very limited experience (just Marathon GreenGuard and Marathon Plus tyres on a single set of wheels) but I wonder if it's not so much the tyre rather than the tyre/wheel combination - I've never had any problems with the notorious Marathon Plus'. I certainly don't have any breath of experience so can't have "good technique" and any expertise.

But as I say, based on a very limited configuration.

Ian