A bad bike commuting day

dgk said:

It could have been much worse. My bike could have been stolen or I
could have had an accident. So I'm relatively grateful but still not
happy. First, the day before, someone stole my mirror. I didn't
realize how much I used it until it wasn't there. Biking in Manhattan
requires full awareness of what is going on around you.

Then, biking in I get a flat going up the 59th Street Bridge. That's
why I was struggling more than usual. Raining of course. Slow leak so
I shoot it from the CO2 cartidge and by noon it was flat again. I had
the LBS fix it. That was the rear tire.

Going home I'm in a big hurry. I have to take a cat to the vet and
like ten other things. I leave work a bit early and start to fly out
of the city. How quick will I make it home? Hmm. The computer isn't
working. Drat. Seemed like a record pace though. Until I get a flat in
the front tire going up the, yes, 59th Street Bridge.

No more CO2. But I still have a spare tube. It's back to the old pump.
I just could not get that damn tire back onto the rim. Those last 10
inches just would not go over the rim. Finally I get it. (Any
suggestions for that part greatly appreciated).

Oh well, I go to Florida for a long weekend. I'll bike some down
there. Nice flat Florida.

Someone said to me that rain causes stuff to stick to your tires and
thus you get more flats in the rain. Could be.

Well, I'll probably get shot for saying this but I've had to resort to two hefty long-handled screw drivers in times past to mount a stubborn tire. Other times I've been able to roll the tire on the rim bare handed. As far as wetness goes it could make stuff cling to the tire. I know I've picked up small pieces of gravel and grit with a damp tire. For me glass, staples, and crushed stone are the flat makers. Oh, and whenever I'm in the southwest I have to deal with goatheads. Nasty things.

II don't know the technique you use to get the tire onto the rim, or
what size tires you have. Some people are strong enough to manually
wiggle skinny 23c tires onto rims by hand, but I often need to pry the
last few inches of tire onto the rim using a pair of sturdy tire
levers. I run the risk of pinching the tube but generally I don't.
It helps to to get the tire bead down into the center of the rim to get
a few more millimeters clearance on the other side.
And some tire levers are pretty flimsy. They either bend or break.
Those blue Park brand tire levers are [censored] IMHO.

"I just could not get that damn tire back onto the rim. Those last 10
inches just would not go over the rim. Finally I get it. (Any
suggestions for that part greatly appreciated)."

Quoted message said:

II don't know the technique you use to get the tire onto the rim, or
what size tires you have. Some people are strong enough to manually
wiggle skinny 23c tires onto rims by hand, but I often need to pry

the

Quoted message said:

last few inches of tire onto the rim using a pair of sturdy tire
levers. I run the risk of pinching the tube but generally I don't.
It helps to to get the tire bead down into the center of the rim to

get

Quoted message said:

a few more millimeters clearance on the other side.
And some tire levers are pretty flimsy. They either bend or break.
Those blue Park brand tire levers are [censored] IMHO.

"I just could not get that damn tire back onto the rim. Those last 10
inches just would not go over the rim. Finally I get it. (Any
suggestions for that part greatly appreciated)."

I don't have particularly strong fingers but am always able to roll the
tire back onto the rim without tire irons (including skinny high
performance tires). It is hard to articulate in print the technique
involved but easy to demonstrate. Almost all "wrenches" at your LBS can
show you and it will only take them a minute. When learning the
technique many years ago I practiced it until it became quite easy and
now -no problem.

gds said:

Quoted message said:

II don't know the technique you use to get the tire onto the rim, or
what size tires you have. Some people are strong enough to manually
wiggle skinny 23c tires onto rims by hand, but I often need to pry

the

Quoted message said:

last few inches of tire onto the rim using a pair of sturdy tire
levers. I run the risk of pinching the tube but generally I don't.
It helps to to get the tire bead down into the center of the rim to

get

Quoted message said:

a few more millimeters clearance on the other side.
And some tire levers are pretty flimsy. They either bend or break.
Those blue Park brand tire levers are [censored] IMHO.

"I just could not get that damn tire back onto the rim. Those last 10
inches just would not go over the rim. Finally I get it. (Any
suggestions for that part greatly appreciated)."

I don't have particularly strong fingers but am always able to roll the
tire back onto the rim without tire irons (including skinny high
performance tires). It is hard to articulate in print the technique
involved but easy to demonstrate. Almost all "wrenches" at your LBS can
show you and it will only take them a minute. When learning the
technique many years ago I practiced it until it became quite easy and
now -no problem.

I sort of push the top of the tire (where the tire hits the road)
back, hoping to stretch it a bit and trick the bead into climbing over
the rim. It finally did work but it was cold and wet and my fingers
were not happy afterwards.

Actually when someone shows you the technique you'll find that the main
force is applied by the palm and it saves those cold, wet fingers a lot
of misery.

Actually when someone shows you the technique you'll find that the main
force is applied by the palm and it saves those cold, wet fingers a lot
of misery.

dgk said:

Someone said to me that rain causes stuff to stick to your tires and
thus you get more flats in the rain. Could be.

I usually get more flats in the rain because I can't see the [censored] on the
road as well.

Mounted some fresh rubber a few weeks ago, and went for a very wet ride. I
hit, shattered, and got flatted by half a 40oz beer bottle. Very loud. LOL
fortunately the tire only got punctured not gashed.

About hard to mount tires: I think it also has to do with the brand of
tire, some just seem "tighter" than the rest. My newer wider Hutchinson
28s are much tighter than my old Nashbar 25s, go figure. I find the black
tire levers usually sold on your LBS's counter marked "England" are pretty
strong, the Taiwanese ones are brittle. There's also that round yellow
funny looking one--forget the name--it works great too.

Quoted message said:

II don't know the technique you use to get the tire onto the rim, or
what size tires you have. Some people are strong enough to manually
wiggle skinny 23c tires onto rims by hand, but I often need to pry
the last few inches of tire onto the rim using a pair of sturdy tire
levers. I run the risk of pinching the tube but generally I don't.
It helps to to get the tire bead down into the center of the rim to
get a few more millimeters clearance on the other side.
And some tire levers are pretty flimsy. They either bend or break.
Those blue Park brand tire levers are [censored] IMHO.

"I just could not get that damn tire back onto the rim. Those last 10
inches just would not go over the rim. Finally I get it. (Any
suggestions for that part greatly appreciated)."

While there are some tire/rim combinations that make mounting extremely
difficult, bare hands work fine for me almost all the time. It's usually not
about strength, but technique.

Matt O.

maxo said:

About hard to mount tires: I think it also has to do with the brand of
tire, some just seem "tighter" than the rest. My newer wider
Hutchinson 28s are much tighter than my old Nashbar 25s, go figure. I
find the black tire levers usually sold on your LBS's counter marked
"England" are pretty strong, the Taiwanese ones are brittle. There's
also that round yellow funny looking one--forget the name--it works
great too.

Different tires do mount more and less easily. So I'm reluctant to change when
I find one that works, and when switching tires it's something I ask about.
This way I completely avoid the whole tire lever issue. I don't carry them.

The only tires I've had extreme difficulty with were Continental Avenue slicks
for my mountain bike. The beads were so bulky they wouldn't squish down into
the rim bed, aside from the bead diameter being too tight. I could never get
them on/off in less than half an hour, without sturdy tire levers and drawing
some blood. After the second or third flat at I said "screw it," and sold them
over the internet. It's a shame, because even at 1.75" and 65 PSI they were as
fast as any skinny road tire. Continental themselves have even said the Avenue
is their fastest tire, including all the skinny road racing tires they sell.

FWIW I've been really happy with Vittorias lately. Among other things they're
easy to get on and off. They're expensive, but reasonable if you know where to
shop.

Matt O.

Fri, 7 Jan 2005 03:09:03 +1100,
<[email hidden]>, bentbrian

Quoted message said:

As far as wetness goes it could make stuff cling to the tire.

Primarily, the water acts a lubricant so the foreign object can more
easily pierce or slice the rubber.
--
zk

dgk said:

Then, biking in I get a flat going up the 59th Street Bridge. That's
why I was struggling more than usual. Raining of course. Slow leak so
I shoot it from the CO2 cartidge and by noon it was flat again. I had
the LBS fix it. That was the rear tire.
...
No more CO2. But I still have a spare tube. It's back to the old pump.
I just could not get that damn tire back onto the rim. Those last 10
inches just would not go over the rim. Finally I get it. (Any
suggestions for that part greatly appreciated).

Someone said to me that rain causes stuff to stick to your tires and
thus you get more flats in the rain. Could be.

If you'r not using tire liners (f.ex. http://www.warwickmills.com/01spinskins.html) , then its time! I started using products like this after I had a really bad spell of punctures(3!) one rainy training ride. Tire liners will save you a world of grief 😄

gds said:

I don't have particularly strong fingers but am always able to roll

the

Quoted message said:

tire back onto the rim without tire irons (including skinny high
performance tires). It is hard to articulate in print the technique
involved but easy to demonstrate. Almost all "wrenches" at your LBS

can

Quoted message said:

show you and it will only take them a minute. When learning the
technique many years ago I practiced it until it became quite easy

and

Quoted message said:

now -no problem.

Can you explain this technique just a little<g> I think I have an idea
what you're talking about. Do you put the tire on as much as possible
then roll and push in on the side of the tire until it goes on?

I bought my first road bike last summer and I have yet to successfully
change a flat on it. The first flat I had I was riding with other
people and the more experienced fellows in the group fixed it. The
second one I was at home and tried to fix it myself. I was able to get
the tube out and the new one in but no way could I get that tire back
on. I finally gave up and took it to the bike shop. They finished the
job for me. One of the fellows at the shop said my tire (Bontrager
Race Lite HC 700x28) was a little hard to change. It might not be hard
for everyone but my hands arent' real strong.

Beverly

Beverly said:

Can you explain this technique just a little<g> I think I have an idea
what you're talking about. Do you put the tire on as much as possible
then roll and push in on the side of the tire until it goes on?

I mount one tire bead on the rim at a time. First I do one tire bead, then
the tube, then the other tire bead.

For each tire bead, I slip it onto the rim as far as I can without much
effort. To get it the rest of the way, I nestle the tire bead into the
depression in the center of the rim, where the rim tape covers the spoke
nipples. That creates enough slack that it's easier to slip the rest of the
tire bead onto the rim. If it still won't go on all the way, then I'll make
as much progress as I can, and repeat the process. I rarely have to repeat
it a third time, or resort to tire irons.

If the tire is overinflated, then it can push the tire bead out of the
depression in the center of the rim. The tire needs only a little air in
it, just enough to give it some shape.

YMMV. But it works for me (a big guy with strong hands) on the tires and
rims I've used.
--
Darin McGrew, [email hidden], http://www.rahul.net/mcgrew/
Web Design Group, [email hidden], http://www.HTMLHelp.com/

"Red meat isn't bad for you. Fuzzy blue-green meat is bad for you."

Darin McGrew said:

To get it the rest of the way, I nestle the tire bead into the
depression in the center of the rim, where the rim tape covers the spoke
nipples. That creates enough slack that it's easier to slip the rest of the
tire bead onto the rim.

that's the way I do it too, it's a piece of cake when you figure it out. I
can get 8/10 tires on this way. 🙂

"Darin McGrew" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Beverly said:

Can you explain this technique just a little<g> I think I have an idea
what you're talking about. Do you put the tire on as much as possible
then roll and push in on the side of the tire until it goes on?

I mount one tire bead on the rim at a time. First I do one tire bead, then
the tube, then the other tire bead.

For each tire bead, I slip it onto the rim as far as I can without much
effort. To get it the rest of the way, I nestle the tire bead into the
depression in the center of the rim, where the rim tape covers the spoke
nipples. That creates enough slack that it's easier to slip the rest of

the

Quoted message said:

tire bead onto the rim. If it still won't go on all the way, then I'll

make

Quoted message said:

as much progress as I can, and repeat the process. I rarely have to repeat
it a third time, or resort to tire irons.

If the tire is overinflated, then it can push the tire bead out of the
depression in the center of the rim. The tire needs only a little air in
it, just enough to give it some shape.

YMMV. But it works for me (a big guy with strong hands) on the tires and
rims I've used.

Thanks. I'll try this the next time I have a flat. Hopefully that won't
happen anytime soon. The first two flats were really caused by me - I was
ripping the tube near the stem when putting air in the tires. The bike shop
gave me some tips and I haven't had any problems since.

The fellow at the bike shop indicated there were tires easier to change than
the ones on my bike. He suggested I consider this when it comes time for
new tires. My hands are rather small and not real strong. I hate not being
able to change the tire myself.

Beverly

Quoted message said:

--
Darin McGrew, [email hidden], http://www.rahul.net/mcgrew/
Web Design Group, [email hidden], http://www.HTMLHelp.com/

"Red meat isn't bad for you. Fuzzy blue-green meat is bad for you."

dgk said:

I sort of push the top of the tire (where the tire hits the road)
back, hoping to stretch it a bit and trick the bead into climbing over
the rim. It finally did work but it was cold and wet and my fingers
were not happy afterwards.

First, push the bead of the side of the tire you're mounting into the
centermost portion of the rim (where it's usually a little deeper,
which will give you a little more slack at the "loose end".

Then when you get it close, do your best to get the tube out of the
area between the tire bead and rim (otherwise you'll be forcing the
tire's bead over the height of the rim AND two layers of inner tube).
Sometimes I'll do this by leaving the "loose 10" near the valve stem,
and "chasing it around" the wheel (moving the "loose end" away from
the stem). Since the tube is already inside the rim on the area the
"loose end" is moving to, it'll probably stay out of the way.

Then, when you get it on as far as your finger pressure can handle,
grab around the tire and rim and twist AROUND the rim (kind of like
you're forcefully trying to slow down on a motorcycle with a
twist-grip throttle). Even if this doesn't pull the entire section in
all at once, you can usually work it on with alternate hands (using
one to "maintain your gain" while the other works on the edge of the
loose area). If you have sensitive hands, leaving your cycling gloves
on for this portion might help.

Some tire / rim combinations ARE a bear though - I've never found one
I can't mount using the technique above, but have had to use a lot of
force to get a few of 'em on.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $695 ti frame

Beverly said:

gds said:

I don't have particularly strong fingers but am always able to roll

the

Quoted message said:

tire back onto the rim without tire irons (including skinny high
performance tires). It is hard to articulate in print the technique
involved but easy to demonstrate. Almost all "wrenches" at your LBS

can

Quoted message said:

show you and it will only take them a minute. When learning the
technique many years ago I practiced it until it became quite easy

and

Quoted message said:

now -no problem.

Can you explain this technique just a little<g> I think I have an

idea

Quoted message said:

what you're talking about. Do you put the tire on as much as

possible

Quoted message said:

then roll and push in on the side of the tire until it goes on?

I bought my first road bike last summer and I have yet to

successfully

Quoted message said:

change a flat on it. The first flat I had I was riding with other
people and the more experienced fellows in the group fixed it. The
second one I was at home and tried to fix it myself. I was able to

get

Quoted message said:

the tube out and the new one in but no way could I get that tire back
on. I finally gave up and took it to the bike shop. They finished

the

Quoted message said:

job for me. One of the fellows at the shop said my tire (Bontrager
Race Lite HC 700x28) was a little hard to change. It might not be

hard

Quoted message said:

for everyone but my hands arent' real strong.

Beverly

Much easier (at least for me to demonstrate than to describe.
But key points are:
1) 1st bead goes on the wheel first and is usually very easy (or may
never come off when changing a flat
2)when putting on 2nd bead most of it goes on very easy, when hard part
is reached make sure that the part that is mount is pushed into the
cneter of the wheel- that creates some extra "slack"
3) the last part is "rolled" over the rim edge using the palm to push
the bead with the fingers serving as a fulcrum/lever on the far side of
the wheel.

"gds" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Beverly said:

gds said:

I don't have particularly strong fingers but am always able to roll

the

Quoted message said:

tire back onto the rim without tire irons (including skinny high
performance tires). It is hard to articulate in print the technique
involved but easy to demonstrate. Almost all "wrenches" at your LBS

can

Quoted message said:

show you and it will only take them a minute. When learning the
technique many years ago I practiced it until it became quite easy

and

Quoted message said:

now -no problem.

Can you explain this technique just a little<g> I think I have an

idea

Quoted message said:

what you're talking about. Do you put the tire on as much as

possible

Quoted message said:

then roll and push in on the side of the tire until it goes on?

I bought my first road bike last summer and I have yet to

successfully

Quoted message said:

change a flat on it. The first flat I had I was riding with other
people and the more experienced fellows in the group fixed it. The
second one I was at home and tried to fix it myself. I was able to

get

Quoted message said:

the tube out and the new one in but no way could I get that tire back
on. I finally gave up and took it to the bike shop. They finished

the

Quoted message said:

job for me. One of the fellows at the shop said my tire (Bontrager
Race Lite HC 700x28) was a little hard to change. It might not be

hard

Quoted message said:

for everyone but my hands arent' real strong.

Beverly

Much easier (at least for me to demonstrate than to describe.
But key points are:
1) 1st bead goes on the wheel first and is usually very easy (or may
never come off when changing a flat
2)when putting on 2nd bead most of it goes on very easy, when hard part
is reached make sure that the part that is mount is pushed into the
cneter of the wheel- that creates some extra "slack"
3) the last part is "rolled" over the rim edge using the palm to push
the bead with the fingers serving as a fulcrum/lever on the far side of
the wheel.

Thanks. I'll try to remember these the next time I have a flat.

I'm going to attend some classes this spring on bike maintenance - tire
changing, chain repair, brake adjustments, etc. Hopefully I'll be able to
master the tire changing.

Beverly

Quoted message said:

Some tire / rim combinations ARE a bear though - I've never found one
I can't mount using the technique above, but have had to use a lot of
force to get a few of 'em on.

About the only thing you left out (the rest of your description is below) is
to make sure the valve is "floating" in the tire. Make sure you can push it
up into the tire and not feel any resistance... if you do, it means the tire
is sitting on top of part of the tube in that area, which can not only cause
it to blow off, but will also make it a whole lot more difficult to get onto
the rim.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

"Mark Hickey" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

dgk said:

I sort of push the top of the tire (where the tire hits the road)
back, hoping to stretch it a bit and trick the bead into climbing over
the rim. It finally did work but it was cold and wet and my fingers
were not happy afterwards.

First, push the bead of the side of the tire you're mounting into the
centermost portion of the rim (where it's usually a little deeper,
which will give you a little more slack at the "loose end".

Then when you get it close, do your best to get the tube out of the
area between the tire bead and rim (otherwise you'll be forcing the
tire's bead over the height of the rim AND two layers of inner tube).
Sometimes I'll do this by leaving the "loose 10" near the valve stem,
and "chasing it around" the wheel (moving the "loose end" away from
the stem). Since the tube is already inside the rim on the area the
"loose end" is moving to, it'll probably stay out of the way.

Then, when you get it on as far as your finger pressure can handle,
grab around the tire and rim and twist AROUND the rim (kind of like
you're forcefully trying to slow down on a motorcycle with a
twist-grip throttle). Even if this doesn't pull the entire section in
all at once, you can usually work it on with alternate hands (using
one to "maintain your gain" while the other works on the edge of the
loose area). If you have sensitive hands, leaving your cycling gloves
on for this portion might help.

Some tire / rim combinations ARE a bear though - I've never found one
I can't mount using the technique above, but have had to use a lot of
force to get a few of 'em on.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $695 ti frame