Tips on changing tires

East Bay Rich · 12-27-2005, 08:31 PM

I used to run Sun Rims and Maxxis tires. That combo is well known to be difficult to change tires. Some rims don't have a wheelwell that's deep enough to give the tire space to work with. Some tires have thick wirebeads that just don't stay the well. I started keeping some rubber spacers in my toolbox to keep the bead in the well. Here's a picture to illustrate my point:

I would end up damaging the rim using a metal tire lever when the wirebead wouldn't stay put. The next time you change a flat, try using some sort of spacers to give you more room to work with.

What other tips do y'all have for changing tires/tubes?

-Rich

Lil' Nick · 12-27-2005, 08:36 PM

Never done it with bike tires, but use this trick all the time when mounting car tires....
Get soapy water and wipe it all over the bead to let it slip on the rim.

morethanjake543 · 12-27-2005, 09:43 PM

My road bike tires are completely impossible to get off. Well, not really, but it doesn't happen often. A week after I first got the bike, I got scared off a road by a car and into a ditch. My back tire popped and after the few miles home, I managed to break four of my own tire levers and four of my friends'.

I went to REI (where I work) and got some of pedro's levers. Those things are near impossible to break. They even have a warrenty, too. . . I've slammed them in my door and they've stayed strong. Anywho. . . I'd get three of those guys and just use one as a spacer and put way too much force into it. POP, Off they go.

vinceliberatore · 12-29-2005, 06:48 PM

I use this soap that is called tire slick er sumthin. It's my dads. Anyways its made for putting on tires. That and big DH tire levers sem to be soin the trick.

q_ball2 · 01-11-2006, 10:51 PM

You can also try:

Pushing the the sidewalls so the beads will pop into the center of the rim, when you do that all around, the tire will be loose so you can use you thumb to squeeze the tire out, without damaging the wheel, tire,and inner tube (since your not using tire levers) but even if you don't use your thumb, and do use tire levers, you still have more room to work with, less likely to puncture your tube.

I usually avoid levers
...and never use metal tire levers.

After you put the tire on, try,without air, roll the wheel on the ground. That helps to seat the bead. and as you inflate it, periodically check to see if its fitting properly, and adjusting it as nessesary.

hope that helps.