Cycling UK Forum

Does anyone have any tips /recommended tools to get difficult cycle tyres off? The book says use a cycle spanner secure then insert another and slide round rim.This is where I sometimes get stuck.It don't budge.Thanks in advance.A few people are breaking glass bottles on the road.Not good for us cyclists.Especially is your near the new local authority cyclopods with bike tools.

PS On YouTube it mentioned soapy water but that was for getting the Tyre back on.

PPS Is a wider Tyre easier than a narrow Tyre to get of?

Thanks for all comments in advance.

I had to remove a Schwalbe Marathon Plus the other day - at home, thank goodness - and it was such an absolute bugger. It was SO difficult and stubborn, both to take it off and to get it back on, and I wasn’t convinced I’d even be able to do it. My only tip is to keep squeezing the tyre all the way round so in theory it drops further into the wheel and creates more space. Interested to see if anyone else has good tips.

I use 3 tyre levers for my hard to remove tyres.
1st one under tyre bead and lock it to a spoke.
2nd one the same. 3rd one and lock to a spoke.
Remove 2nd one and this leaves tyre bead outside the rim. 2nd lever again, either outside 3rd (or 1st) and lock.
Remove 3rd to outside and so on until there is enough free bead that allows a lever to run round rest of rim.

Practice at home first so when the fairy visits you know what to expect and the best way to attend to it.

One of these will get any tyre both off and on. It's good for the final shove-on or the initial drag-off.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bbb-Cycling-Un ... r=8-5&th=1

Cugel wrote: ↑11 Aug 2024, 6:47pm One of these will get any tyre both off and on. It's good for the final shove-on or the initial drag-off.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bbb-Cycling-Un ... r=8-5&th=1

I've got one of those for getting difficult tyres back on but I don't see how you would use it to help remove a tyre.
To remove tyres I go all the way round pushing the bead in to the dip in the rim and then use tyre levers if needed.

I have a Tyre Glider and it's been very useful so far.

briansnail wrote: ↑11 Aug 2024, 3:44pm Does anyone have any tips /recommended tools to get difficult cycle tyres off? The book says use a cycle spanner secure then insert another and slide round rim.This is where I sometimes get stuck.It don't budge.Thanks in advance.A few people are breaking glass bottles on the road.Not good for us cyclists.Especially is your near the new local authority cyclopods with bike tools.

PS On YouTube it mentioned soapy water but that was for getting the Tyre back on.

PPS Is a wider Tyre easier than a narrow Tyre to get of?

Thanks for all comments in advance.

Some tips from back in the day of changing motorcycle tyres which are somewhat more challenging than even marathon plus.

The bead must be sitting in the well of the rim opposite from where you start with the tyre levers.
As you apply pressure to the tyre lever, the bead will want to go into the well of the rim on the sides - if there is too much friction for this to happen, you must maintain the pressure on the tyre lever and squeeze the tyre together so the bead can move down into the well.
When this is achieved, it will be possible to remove the bead with only moderate force working your way round.

There is no other magic involved

richardfm wrote: ↑11 Aug 2024, 7:21pm

Cugel wrote: ↑11 Aug 2024, 6:47pm One of these will get any tyre both off and on. It's good for the final shove-on or the initial drag-off.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bbb-Cycling-Un ... r=8-5&th=1

I've got one of those for getting difficult tyres back on but I don't see how you would use it to help remove a tyre.

RTFM

Cugel wrote: ↑11 Aug 2024, 10:01pm

richardfm wrote: ↑11 Aug 2024, 7:21pm

Cugel wrote: ↑11 Aug 2024, 6:47pm One of these will get any tyre both off and on. It's good for the final shove-on or the initial drag-off.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bbb-Cycling-Un ... r=8-5&th=1

I've got one of those for getting difficult tyres back on but I don't see how you would use it to help remove a tyre.

RTFM

I don't think it came with a manual and as far as I remember it was advertised as a tool for helping to get difficult tyres back on.

At the risk of stating the obvious it isn't difficult to get your tyre lever under both the wire bead and the edge of the opposing rim ( despite many years of doing punctures I snapped a relatively cheap tyre lever today) .
The tip about getting the bead in the rim centre is mentioned above is right.
You could talc the rim when you first fit the tyre ,might help.

Here is an old video about fitting Marathon plus tyres https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XUFVrl0UT4

The wire bead of the tyre is for practical purposes a fixed size; it doesn't "stretch" unless there is a manufacturing fault.
The only way to get a bead (of a fixed diameter) over the lip of a rim (of a fixed diameter) is to ensure that the bead is in the "well" of the rim, all the way round, except for the bit of bead which you are actually want to push over the lip. (Because the rim well is a smaller circumference than the bead, you get enough slack to push a bit of bead over the rim lip.)

Exactly the same process is involved in removing the tyre, with the additional point that if the tyre has been undisturbed for a while, the rubber tyre can get stuck quite firmly to the rim, so its necessary to go all round the tyre (both sides) giving it a good shove to "un-stick" it from the rim. You sometimes get nice "un-sticking" noises when you do this.

When we made that video, toeclips were sufficiently common that there was no need to explain what "toestraps" are; they are straps with a buckle which you tighten by pulling the free end of the strap, but which you undo by flicking a tab on the buckle.
Once you have done it a couple of times, you don't need the ties, even with a new tyre, all you have to do is apply a bit of tension to keep the bead in the rim well.

^^^This^^^^
531colin's video is just brilliant! It has transformed tight tyre fitting for me.
Getting the tyre off is usually a lot easier than fitting it but the same principle of pushing the bead into the well to make room 180° further round applies.
A Var tyre lever is a useful aid too.
https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m13b0s72p12 ... Tyre-Lever

s you apply pressure to the tyre lever, the bead will want to go into the well of the rim on the sides - if there is too much friction for this to happen, you must maintain the pressure on the tyre lever and squeeze the tyre together so the bead can move down into the well.

I will try this next time.Colin 531 pointed out the problem I am having ie its sticks after long use.I have just bought 2 packs of 5 tubes as it works out to only £3.00 each.

1-The Schwalbe marathon is the one I had problems with.Are Vittoria ,Continental etc easier to fit /remove??
If they are then if I have problems in the future. I will resort to a hacksaw and replace with a easier to fit/take of brand.I did explore Cugels suggestion but opted for another one but would not recommend as took time.I did buy a spare wheel from the local recycling site so that I could practice for £3.00

2- Why are levers so short.? I searched in vain for a long cycle tyre lever.

3-Can we bring back capital punishment for people who litter roads with broken glass.?
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I ride Brompton,Hetchins 531

On Excal XR2 rims, with Schwalbe Durano tyres, I use 3 good quality steel tyre levers to remove the tyre.

Always squeeze the deflated tyre to the well of the rim before using the tyre levers.

I carry one of the tools as shown in the Amazon advert for putting the tyre back on.

Amazing the number of people who try to get tyres off without squeezing the tyre to the rim well first.