I changed my tires tonight

[Sombeech]

...and for some reason I had a lot of trouble.

I mean, it was like it was the first time I have ever changed a tire.... X 2.

I bought some new skins down at Shuntavi's shop in Hurricane last week. I finally replaced my rear tire -- that came with my bike. :lol8:

So anyways, since I hardly ever get flats, I'm a little out of practice. In fact, I should have had my camera out just to prove how stupid the project was going.

Each tire took 30 minutes. My buddies would have left me on the trail. :roll:

I've got 3 of those plastic fins. I snapped all 3. Went to the screw driver to try and put the tires on. They were stretched so tight over that rim, good hell. I must have been missing something.

Anyways, I scratched my rim up, even bent it in a couple of places. :frustrated:

What am I forgetting, when the tire is almost completely on the rim, and it's impossible to stretch over?

[accadacca]

:roflol: :roflol: :roflol:

Cheap damned tires...I knew it! Bloody hell. I like the softer rubber...I need to buy some too. I am going to look right now.

[Sombeech]

so that's it? The stiff rubber? hell.

If I ever get a flat with these, I'm riding it out. There's no way I could fix it before sundown.

...unless I brought slime.

[accadacca]

:lol8: :lol8: :lol8:

You want to get the tires with a kevlar bead. They should be able to fold up in an envelop sized box if they are the good rubber. I just picked up some tread (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=121&subcategory=1250&brand=&sku=3351&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%2026x1%2E8%20to%202 6x2%2E1) tonight.

[Sombeech]

yeah, mine are straight outta China

[ogdmfg]

next time try a little dish soap on the bead , I have to do this on my dh rig, you want to talk about tight try putting on a 2.8 tire on a downhill wheel.

[shagster]

Well I guess I won't ask you to come fix my flat tire. I haven't had time since we got back, maybe tonight I will get to it.

Hey fellas Dan and I are headed back down to St. George on March 2,3,and, 4th for some more exciting riding if anyone is interested. He is racing on Saturday, but the other two days we will be riding. :2thumbs:

[live2ride]

:lol8: :lol8: :lol8:

You want to get the tires with a kevlar bead. They should be able to fold up in an envelop sized box if they are the good rubber. I just picked up some tread (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=121&subcategory=1250&brand=&sku=3351&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%2026x1%2E8%20to%202 6x2%2E1) tonight.

I ride with the kevlar bead and if you dont start the tire out in the correct spot it can be a bitch to get the tire on, regardless if they are wire, kevlar, etc. I have 1.9's on the rear of my bike and they a kevlar and a bitch. Another thing you will run into with kevlar beaded tires is to get them to seat correctly on the rim (depends on the rim) every time I change my tires I have to lube em up with soap a bit and then get out the compressor to make sure they seat correctly or else I may experience the speed wobbles!

[Joe Gardner]

Kevlar bead is key. I wont touch anything with a wire bead. It hurts and is a pain in the ass.

What levers were you using? I replaced all my levers with a crank bros speed lever: http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/Tools/product_23425.shtm Some people love it, a lot hate it. After a few tire changes, I wont go back to standard levers.

[fourtycal]

I got a free paddle tire for my dirtbike because my buddy didn't check his rim size before he bought it. :haha:

I know 26" is standard but.... measure your rim and check tire size, something is wrong :ne_nau: .

If greyhair would just move to the city with his bikeshop he could just handle these things!

[price1869]

Some Tires are just a pain. MB Action had a feature covering tires about 1.5 years ago.

My conti's are hard to get on and off, My IRCs are near impossible.

I'm UST and Stan's all the way though, so I never have flat tires. :2thumbs:

[Sombeech]

Kevlar bead is key. I wont touch anything with a wire bead. It hurts and is a pain in the ass.

Mine probably has NO bead.

[Mtnbiker]

I hope I word this so it sounds coherent.

This is a simple tip I learned that has made my tire changes so much easier, both taking off and putting on.

In your case you'll be taking the tire off next, so here goes:

1) sit down with the wheel flat on your lap, and hunch over a bit so it's trapped between your stomach and your thighs. Or, use your camelback as a cushion if you need it.

2) With all the air out of the tube, pinch the tire bead together and off the rim, toward the rimstrip where the wheel diameter is smallest. Hold the wheel firmly on your thighs with your stomach. Starting at your stomach with your hands on both sides, work both hands at the same time around the tire pinching it in toward the rimstrip and at the same time, pulling it up away from you to the opposite side of your wheel.

By pulling the bead of the tire into the smallest diameter of the wheel, you should have created a little bit of slack at the top of the tire so that you may be able to take it off with no tools. the last 3 tires I've had I can replace without tools using this method.

Do exactly the reverse for installation. Slip the first side of the bead as close to the rimstrip as possible and as your work your way around it should be slack enough to pop the last part of the bead over without breaking your thumbs!

Granted - some tires just suck and maybe you got unlucky, but this has helped me out quite a bit after I broke about 3 pairs of levers on a pair of Velociraptors a few years ago.

If your tube goes flat and you simply wedge the lever in there trying to pry it off, you are leaving the bead around it's largest diameter and making it very hard on yourself :2thumbs:

[greyhair biker]

I think you are just out of practice brah....BUT, the wire beads can be a pain...and you really need to invest in some decent tire levers, NOT A SCREWDRIVER!!! You should be able to get even the tightest tires to go BY HAND within a few inches and then lever em in with a little soap or even some baby powder if you have to. Yeah, I shouda been there to help :lol8: kidding :haha:

[Ross]

I'm UST and Stan's all the way though, so I never have flat tires. :2thumbs:

werd.

Some tires are just a lot tighter than others it seems. I have some burly metal tire levers that work great, but I only use em on the heavy duty rims and tires, they'll ruin an xc rim.

[shagster]

Well after about an hour I finally got both my tires repaired and back on. I had the hardest time finding the holes :frustrated:

At least my tires came off very easy. I didn't have to use anything but my hands. :ne_nau:

[Cirrus2000]

I had the hardest time finding the holes :frustrated:
(Should I? It's just too easy...)

I didn't have to use anything but my hands.
That's what she said!

[shagster]

That's probably what she would say!! :naughty: Oh come on now..

[greyhair biker]

I have one set that is hard to change out so I leave them on their own rims....2.3 Nokian Gazzaloddi....awesome tires!-heavy, but hard to beat as a crosscountry tire. They arent so good in the loose dirt(tread is shallow) but great on the slickrock.They are on their last bit of rubber so I am gonna hang em on the wall and just put a set of WTB's on for a while. Now, the DH rig...the Maxxis Mobster 2.7's are not too easy to get on & off but I NEVER get a flat on that bike. If I do its a BAD wreck for me!

[ogdmfg]

I have seen the way you ride, just kidding, when are we going to ride again

[greyhair biker]

This isnt the 'official' posting yet but we are planning a trip to Moab over easter Jeep Safari. There will be bikin' and jeepin' til we get sick of it or break something :lol8: As for the dates, Fourtycal and I havent nailed it down yet but its a comin' :haha:
...OH, and Safari is from the end of March through the first week in April.
http://www.rr4w.com/safari.html

[Gixxer]

2) With all the air out of the tube, pinch the tire bead together and off the rim, toward the rimstrip where the wheel diameter is smallest.

By pulling the bead of the tire into the smallest diameter of the wheel, you should have created a little bit of slack at the top of the tire so that you may be able to take it off with no tools. the last 3 tires I've had I can replace without tools using this method.

thanks!!!

I replaced both my tires last night, and you're right about this method. The first tire gave me some trouble and I ended up using the tire levers to get that last bit of tire over the rim. The second tire I concentrated more on keeping it to the center, and was able to get it up over with just my hands.

And I think I burned 1000 calories doing it.
lol

[price1869]

I changed my tires last night. Anyone ever tried one of those special crank bros. tire levers? They're alright, but not all they're cracked up to be.

[gonzo]

I'm going to change out my tires tonight. This is the first time I've changed a bike tire since I rode BMX bikes as a kid. Anyone want to place odds on me damaging the rim?

[accadacca]

I'm going to change out my tires tonight. This is the first time I've changed a bike tire since I rode BMX bikes as a kid. Anyone want to place odds on me damaging the rim?
Need some hot sauce for that TACO!! :lol8:

[greyhair biker]

I'm going to change out my tires tonight. This is the first time I've changed a bike tire since I rode BMX bikes as a kid. Anyone want to place odds on me damaging the rim?
Need some hot sauce for that TACO!! :lol8:
yoquero taco bell is quite possible dude! I like the method described to hand pull tires off and it works well with practice. Th ewidth of the rim will have something to say about how easy it will be too but Ive also used a little dishwashing liquid or some baby powder as well...if you dont mind a mess on your hands. ABOVE ALL ELSE, avoid using screwdrivers!...screwdrivers BAAD! :nono: most bikeshops can get you a set of pro Parktool metal levers...best I ve ever used...Ive only had to buy one set of em and I use them all the time. Even then, the most I use them is just to get the bead started moving, then I pull it off by hand.

[gonzo]

I don't know what taco you guys are talking about, but now I'm hungry.

I managed to change the tires without too much incident. (Well, except that the tire I bought for the back wheel doesn't fit). My finger tips are numb from trying to flex that damn bead over the rim though.

Something must have changed since I was a kid because I could remove a tire, repair the tube, and put the tire back on in about 10 minutes. It took me nearly an hour to change out the two tires.

The best part is I got to ride my bike to work this morning. Consider this a giant eff you, Exxon!

[REDFOX]

You haven't heard of a taco'd rim?

[gonzo]

Nope. But, keep in mind the last bike I seriously rode was a Free Agent BMX bike and a Haro FSX freestyle bike. This is the first mountain bike I've owned that didn't come from Shopko.

[greyhair biker]

Nope. But, keep in mind the last bike I seriously rode was a Free Agent BMX bike and a Haro FSX freestyle bike. This is the first mountain bike I've owned that didn't come from Shopko.
'taco'...to dent the rim in with the lever while trying to get the tire on/off...and speaking in tongues while removing said tire.... :lol8:
Murphys'Law states that "it will only happen to the most expensive rims, especially the brand new ones" :haha: