Tires

Mainy73 said:

I have been running 700x23 gatorskins, with no problems as far as punctures but they are as hard as hell to put on, 45 mins to get them both on. I recently switched to Verdensteins fortezza SE just for a change and a bit more speed and response. They are also hard as hell to put on. Do I need to use a larger tire. I have watched youtube videos on how to put on tires and I follow what they do, but always get to the last part of the tire and its a monster to get on. I eventually use the tire levers even though they tell you not too. any advice.

It would be helpful if you could tell us what wheels you have. Getting a larger tire isn't going to help you any. Continental tires tend to fit tight. Michelin tires tend to fit tight, and as you've discovered, Vredesteins tend to fit tight. Tight fits can also come because of wheels made to the fatter end of the radius or diameter tolerance. If you want real fun, try mounting Contis or Michelins on Campagnolo wheels. One way to make tire mounting a bit easier would be to use a thinner rim strip or tape, if that's possible. Some wheels come with a rim strip that's already pretty thin. One example of very thin rim tape is Rox Ultralite Rim Strip. A better option than thinner rim tape might be Veloplugs. Veloplugs are tiny little plastic plugs that snap into the spoke hole inside the rim's wheel well. Another option that is free is to put the tires that need mounting in the clothes drier for 15-20 minutes with the heat on (i.e. the drier should be set on "air dry"😉 before mounting. Of course, this only helps if you're at home. Also at home, applying a water + dish soap mixture (only lightly soapy) to the tire beads before mounting. This can help slide the beads over the rim. Being sure that you are using good technique is usually the best solution, and good technique will allow you to mount if some of the difficult to mount tire/rim combinations. There is certainly no reason to not use the tire levers if you've got an unusually tight interface between tire and rim. You do need, however, to be careful to not trap the inner-tube between the tire lever and the rim as this can cause a puncture. No matter what you do to resolve your current dilemma, I'd recommend practicing mounting tires on your rims. The practice can be made less onerous with a supply of beer and good music. Lastly, there is one thing to keep in mind, with use on the road, any given tire typically gets a bit easier to dismount and remount.

The center of the rim is smaller in diameter than the bead edge area. With that in mind make sure that the side of the tire you are prying onto the wheel is sitting in the center of the wheel opposite the bead which you are trying to roll over into the rim. This will give you a little extra slack in the tire. Also when you have tires that are difficult to mount make sure you remove all the air from the tube so you are not fighting the tube when prying the tire over.

I have tried the dryer method suggested by alienator and it works great. The tire comes out nice and ply-able and easily stretches onto the rim. Although it took two weeks for the bruising to go away once my wife discovered what I had done.