Brompton tyre hard to remove.

[Puffer]

My friend as a brompton folder and as had it about 6 months.
He told me that on a resent ride he had a puncture, and could not get the tyre off to repair it. Turns out he still as not repaired it, and as asked me to see if I can do it.
Before I start doing this, as anyone else had the same problem, and how did they overcome it.

Thanks, Ralph.

[thirdcrank]

There is usually more of a problem with fitting tyres (when tyre levers should not be used) than there is with removing them.

First ensure that the tyre bead is free of the rim all the way round. Squeeze the tyre opposite where you intend to start to remove it so that it can drop into the well of the rim (i.e. the bit where the spoke heads are.) By having all the tyre on the opposite side from where you are working in the well, you will have adequate slack to get the tyre off easily with levers.

[lauriematt]

i had this problem on a racing bike

even though i took the size of the rim...and bought a set of tyres which matched this size...they were still really tight!!!

they then didnt sit well on the rim and were too tight in places which made an oval if you like of the tyre!

instead i had to take the old tyres off my other bike...because these had been inflated for a long time they seemed to have stretched a little...and went on easily enough with tyre levers!

maybe that mit be an option...to fit a set of older tyres???

[MLJ]

The smaller tyre has very little slack so is harder to remove. Make sure all the air is out, then that all the tyre is in the well (check is does not go back while working on it). Once off, check that the rim tape is not on the shoulder, making for a tighter fit. If necessary, replace with much thinner tape, possibly even narrow electricians tape, but this must not go onto the shoulders. An older tyre is usually easier to get off due to stretch. A new one can be stretched by keeping overinflating to max pressure initially.

[Puffer]

Thanks all.
I went over to is house and managed to get it off.
It's just as well he did not have a puncture when we were well out of site.
Had to use steel tyre levers, plastic ones not a bit of good, yet always worked ok on my mountain bike. There you are things to learn, when you graduate to a folder.

A week or so ago we went on the folders, bus to Merthyr, bus to Brecon, Bus to Hay on wye. Rode over Hay Bluf to Abergavenny, and bus back home.
Well...Not rode all the way, pushed it up to the top of Hay Bluf. It was like walking with Victor Meldrew all the way, mind you he is 80 years old.

Ralph.

[lauriematt]

Thanks all.
I went over to is house and managed to get it off.
It's just as well he did not have a puncture when we were well out of site.
Had to use steel tyre levers, plastic ones not a bit of good, yet always worked ok on my mountain bike. There you are things to learn, when you graduate to a folder.

A week or so ago we went on the folders, bus to Merthyr, bus to Brecon, Bus to Hay on wye. Rode over Hay Bluf to Abergavenny, and bus back home.
Well...Not rode all the way, pushed it up to the top of Hay Bluf. It was like walking with Victor Meldrew all the way, mind you he is 80 years old.

Ralph.

I dont believe it!