Tubulars: How "hard" is "hard to pull off"?

[giverdada]

alright. so i was in the market for some wheels and grabbed a pair of reflexes on tune hubs and am now all set with wheels out the wazoo. oldpotatoe got me going on my clinchers with a 9-speed lockring and now i've got some glue and patience for the tubbies, so all is well. except that i suck at gluing...

i glued up the rim (used, had some patches of glue on it and some patches of not much glue on it, mostly bare toward the edges but the bed was pretty uniform) over the course of a few days. i glued up the base tape of the tire with 3 coats over a day and a half. i'm using conti glue for alloy rims. two tubes almost gone. with a dry tire and a last tacky coat on the rim, i mounted the tire without enough stretch and ended up with a slight bob although the lateral boundaries looked good. i wrestled with it immediately after i got it on the rim, and did my best to even out the amount of base tape showing. it wasn't perfect by any means, but it was on and setting up and not moving much so i rolled it on the broom handle and pumped it up to about 35 lbs. i let it sit for a while and read some more on how to glue tubulars (for as many questions as i might come up with, there are at least a few hundred different answers). i then figured i'd try pumping it up to 10 bar to really set it in the rim. left it at 140psi over night and all day, then tried to peel it off just before dinner tonight, just under 24 hours of set up.

i got the first section of tire up pretty easily after deflation to just a few psi (maybe 20). then i deflated it entirely and got the plastic tire lever and worked on prying up and out and eventually got a good section off. it got progressively harder to pull up the tire out of the rim bed. i took this as a good sign.

question: how hard, exactly or approximately, should it be to pull off a glued tubular if it's glued well?

i thought it was a bit too easy to get off the first section where i started, but most of the rest of the tire was a bit of a bear, and had me sweating before i could finally rip off (gently, with the base tape) the rest of the sucker. lots of glue came off on the base tape. there are some bare spots in the rim bed. and i know that i didn't get enough coverage on the edges of the rim, so i'm going to revisit those now, specifically. any more recommendations? should it be ridiculously hard? so hard that i want to quit and regroup and come back to it after a beer or three? i'd just like to know how you all find it. maybe in comparison to mounting a continental wire bead clincher on an old mavic MA40, or something like that. mostly i want to feel safer about railing turns with a bunch of glue under my clumsy ass.

thanks and happy gluing.

[Kontact]

The tires we glue at the shop are so hard to get off we advise our customers carry razor blades. I've pulled one or two off with levers, but I think they had been glued for several years.

[Louis]

GD,

I've read the OP a few times and if I understand it, you glued a tire on and now you're trying to remove it? Is that because there was a slight "bob" out-of-round section? If not, why glue then remove? I might have considered riding it first, just to see if the hop was even noticeable.

Louis

[giverdada]

i wasn't entirely confident in the glue job, and i figured re-gluing would only: 1) give me more practice/education on the process, and 2) give me an opportunity to get a straight/round tire on there with absolutely full coverage.

i touched up the base tape and am giving some good time for the rim edge beads to set up before i open another tube and fill in any rim bed gaps. the reflex has a funny shape i guess from its extrusion process and getting glue in all the nooks and crannies requires several attempts for me. all in the learning... :crap:

[giverdada]

The tires we glue at the shop are so hard to get off we advise our customers carry razor blades. I've pulled one or two off with levers, but I think they had been glued for several years.

i'm sure it's an art, but is there any way you could let me in on the gist of what you're doing for the gluing and mounting process? lead times in between coats?mounting wet or dry? how the hell do you get the tire on straight? etc.? if not, no worries, just thought i'd ask. i'm following a mishmash of the pictogram instructions from continental glue and tire (which actually differ), and other posts on the net. i may end up taking it to the shop for safety's sake.

[Kontact]

Pre-stretch tire at pressure. Clean tire tape with alcohol. Glue one coat on tire and rim, let dry. One more coat on tire, let dry. 2nd coat on rim. Mount with a little air in the tire right after last rim coat.

Start with rim in front of you, standing vertically on the floor, valve hole up, leaning against your shins. Rubber type floor matts seem to not cause a mess with the glue. Start at the valve and stretch the tire with all your might away from the valve as you work symetrically around the rim. If you have been stetching it enough, when you get to the ground there will be enough slack that the tire will go up over the edge of the rim as you pick it up off the ground without too much strain. It is important to never let the tension off as you go around - you have to be pulling the tire forcefully and symetrically the whole way as it goes onto the rim.

Practice the constant tension motion when you're stretching an unglued tire.

[timto]

No advice on your issue but those sound like sweet wheels! Do post pics of your glue efforts when it's all done!

[giverdada]

Pre-stretch tire at pressure. Clean tire tape with alcohol. Glue one coat on tire and rim, let dry. One more coat on tire, let dry. 2nd coat on rim. Mount with a little air in the tire right after last rim coat.

Start with rim in front of you, standing vertically on the floor, valve hole up, leaning against your shins. Rubber type floor matts seem to not cause a mess with the glue. Start at the valve and stretch the tire with all your might away from the valve as you work symetrically around the rim. If you have been stetching it enough, when you get to the ground there will be enough slack that the tire will go up over the edge of the rim as you pick it up off the ground without too much strain. It is important to never let the tension off as you go around - you have to be pulling the tire forcefully and symetrically the whole way as it goes onto the rim.

Practice the constant tension motion when you're stretching an unglued tire.

WICKED advice, kontact. thanks so much for the instructions - i love learning about this stuff but was pretty bummed about being stumped and unsure of the gluing process. i just followed all pieces of advice in terms of mounting the tire, and it went on with effort, though it's much straighter than the last one. :hello:

now: what is your preferred method for letting the bond set? 140psi over 24 hours? 35 psi to start so that the edges sit together? ride easy around the living room at 60 psi then let it sit for a week? thanks again.

[fogrider]

I think you're way over thinking this. I use less than half the glue you use. and you pulled the tire off after a day, if the glue sets for a few days its harder to pull off...after a few weeks, it going to be really hard.

when you mount the tires and pump it to about 40 psi, the tire starts to straightens out, then you help it by by lifting parts that are not straight and it will fall down straighten by the pressure.

when I glue the tire, I use an old toothbrush to spread the glue, I like more glue on the edges and don't worry about the bed. when I mount the tire, I like to have an old toe strap and cinch down part of the tire and I wear latex gloves.

mount, ride, pull off when flat.

[Louis]

when I mount the tire, I like to have an old toe strap and cinch down part of the tire

What does this do?

Thanks

[ultraman6970]

+1 with fogrider... the op is making it too hard when is pretty simple. I use like 1/3 to 1/2 of a tube of glue by wheel, but in average i can do like 3 wheels with one tube. Everybody has their own ways to do it tho.

The secret with tubulars is that the tire will stay in place due to the pressure. When i was a kid a few times I rode new tubulars not even being glued. Just mount them in, put 100 psi and no way where going to get off the rim.

Here u guys use rims to stretch them, what I do is just put 30 psi and stretch them a few mins by hand, just enough to get them in the rim.

I do as fogrider but i have done other stuff too, mount the tubular with no glue and move it to the side and put glue little by little in the rim, when im done just pump it to 120 for 3 to 6 hours, the pressure will keep it in place anyways. This way I dont get dirty with the glue, but takes longer to glue it.

Personally i never liked to stretch the tubulars too much to take advantage of the natural tightness of the tire in the rim. The other thing i do too is to tale air off the tire when im not going to use the bike (at night for example), that way the tire will stretch less than keeping the air inside all the time. I got the habit of inflating the wheels almost daily when i was racing so put air twice per week is not an issue at all.

Have 2 clement ritmo's that have maybe 20 years old and are not even that stretch compared with a set of new vitorias i have moving around.

good luck.

[giverdada]

everyone's got a different way. lots to learn and try to keep track of.

ultraman, when you were racing on very tight and lightly glued rims, were you doing heavy corners? did/do you weigh a lot? i only ask because the thing that has me most sketched out about tubbies is the possibility of rolling one, particularly in a corner, particularly when my 165 lbs. are pushing through the line. for some reason, i'm not so scared of rolling a cross tire, mostly, i think, because it's relatively low-speed, and relatively easy crashing surfaces (mmmmm mud). i also tend to break stuff for no reason (other than my 'weight'?), and have relatively bad luck when it comes to bikes. sounds like your tight tires and sparse glue have held you just fine over the years though.

[BigDaddySmooth]

With tubulars you're suppose to actually glue the tire to the rim? News to me...I just pump 'em up to max pressure and hope for the best. Just kidding. I do a light layer in the center of the tire and light coatings off-center on the rim. Pop on the tire, inflate to 80, sit 24h and then ride. Prying the sucker off is a bit of a chore...I usually need a screwdriver to get it started but then it comes off pretty easy by just ripping it off the rim.

[cmg]

took a hint from the glue tape that is available and when i went to place the tire on the rim with mutilple coats of glue on each I place discarded tape strip (glue tape has 2) that came off the front application on the rear rim. placed the tire, aligned as best i could and pulled off the tape strip and inflated. so use something to keep the 2 glued surfaces (tire/rim) from sticking to each other until your ready. used the red pull tape from 2 trashbags on my next application.

[Kontact]

The secret with tubulars is that the tire will stay in place due to the pressure. When i was a kid a few times I rode new tubulars not even being glued. Just mount them in, put 100 psi and no way where going to get off the rim.

This is terrible and dangerous advice. Even poorly glued tubulars can and will roll off the rims. It just happened to one of our customers on a downhill turn.

[thwart]

The tires we glue at the shop are so hard to get off we advise our customers carry razor blades. I've pulled one or two off with levers, but I think they had been glued for several years.
This is what the owner of our LBS does as well---'bring a razor blade'. Think it's a bit of a liability issue... therefore a LBS may use a slightly different technique than a non-racing recreational rider would.

Personally I like to know that I can remove the tire without a razor blade. If the tire is $80, I'd like to leave open the option of repair.

[toaster]

How about leaving an unglued or slightly glued 1"-2" inch section opposite the valve stem to help in removal?

[Kontact]

How about leaving an unglued or slightly glued 1"-2" inch section opposite the valve stem to help in removal?
This method can also cause the tire to roll in a turn. I know of specific instances where this happened locally.

If you don't want to cut off your tire, carry a cell phone. But really, once you've tried the Vittoria foam inflation stuff, how big a hole is repairable when you get it home? That's why we suggest a razor - if the tire is too badly cut for a patching agent, it's likely trashed.

[fogrider]

What does this do?

Thanks
the strap holds the tire on the rim as I try to get the other end on the rim. I need two hands to get the tire on the rim and the other end wants to roll off unless I have the strap.

[ultraman6970]

Never said to just do it, just was an example... I'm 200 now, no way I would go to the road with the tubbies non glued... correction I went out once like that 4 years ago, and the front one. But thats just me... been there, done that but i wouldnt recommend do such a thing with an old tubular :D With new stuff that can barely fit the rim u can get away with it maybe 2 times but yes u have to glue them later or the accident will be epic :)

Again non advising to people to do this ok? I just being using this things since i was 12 years old so from look at the stuff and the situation i know what to do.

Again... are my examples, don't follow them :D

This is terrible and dangerous advice. Even poorly glued tubulars can and will roll off the rims. It just happened to one of our customers on a downhill turn.

[Kontact]

Never said to just do it, just was an example...
How does this^ go with this:
The secret with tubulars is that the tire will stay in place due to the pressure... Just mount them in, put 100 psi and no way where going to get off the rim.

The fact that you got away with something hardly makes it the basis for dispensing advice about how gluing methods are unimportant. And if someone posts asking for tips, and you post what you did, you absolutely should expect that someone will think you "said to do it". C'mon. This kind of thing gets people killed.

[ultraman6970]

Uff... let me see.. i was like 65 kg and i was doing track... 45 degrees bankings. Dont get the impression that I was not putting glue or putting almost nothing of glue, with the time you get the hand and the eye of what u need to get the stuff right, but you dont need to spend the whole tube in one tire u know. Too little is bad, too much and the glue will be splatting around everywhere and that cr@p when gets stuck into a sweeter there is not way to take it off w/o using goo-off or something.

The glue and the tire pressure have to work together.

The other thing i have ever done is to take the pressure off the tubulars when im not going to use the wheels, u avoid over stretching them that way. I come from another school so i learn the hard way to do this, the same with over inflate the tubulars or clinchers too. The racing wheels are used the racing day, are inflated the day of the race and when u get back home u take the pressure out. With training wheels I was and I'm still doing that daily, more weekly or monthly now :D

As for cornering and stuff, i was not a climber but i was a tracker so i had to descent like a MOFO. Again this is my personal experience, i know other will put tons of glue as well.

How do u know if the tubular is well glued? glue them, put 100 psi and wait like 6+ hours (over night) and try to pull the tubular off the rim using your thumbs. The test is pretty simple, and again the glue and the pressure work together to keep the tubulars in place.

The next thing is confidence in what are u doing. With old tubulars makes sense to put more glue because are already super stretched at the point of get into the rim w/o any afford.

If you guys want to play safe gluing stuff, get the tufo tape. Clean and works awesomely well. so well that u cant get the tubular off the rim hehehe :)

This is an extreme case. Had a friend that was really poor, everthing he had was borrowed from other racers, so since he was not able to afford glue (gutta) he was putting mineral spirits to the dried glue to activate it again. I like risks, but this guy was doing something i wouldnt do ever. Pretty much if the tire and the rim have a lot of dried glue in it u can get away doing this, it works :) 3rd world style :D (not a recommendation ok? just a funny real tale ok?)

If you have really bad luck just do this the best u can, i have to say that im pretty extreme for this compared to others, but also it had been working just fine for the last 30 years too. Maybe i'm to lucky ? :D

everyone's got a different way. lots to learn and try to keep track of.

ultraman, when you were racing on very tight and lightly glued rims, were you doing heavy corners? did/do you weigh a lot? i only ask because the thing that has me most sketched out about tubbies is the possibility of rolling one, particularly in a corner, particularly when my 165 lbs. are pushing through the line. for some reason, i'm not so scared of rolling a cross tire, mostly, i think, because it's relatively low-speed, and relatively easy crashing surfaces (mmmmm mud). i also tend to break stuff for no reason (other than my 'weight'?), and have relatively bad luck when it comes to bikes. sounds like your tight tires and sparse glue have held you just fine over the years though.

[ultraman6970]

I'll say it again... that i do something one way doesnt mean u have to do it ok??

Are u happy now kontact?


How does this^ go with this:

The fact that you got away with something hardly makes it the basis for dispensing advice about how gluing methods are unimportant. And if someone posts asking for tips, and you post what you did, you absolutely should expect that someone will think you "said to do it". C'mon. This kind of thing gets people killed.

[Kontact]

Just for clarity, it isn't about the amount of glue applied, it's how it is applied. Layered glue insures that you have good adhesion and absorbtion of the glue. There should never be any question of it flowing anywhere or squeazing out.

[BCS]

I am new to the tubular world but I can share my initial experiences now that I have glued a few tires on.
1. I think that using acid brushes (25 cents at the hardware store) make the job easier than a toothbrush
2. Using the big can of glue is easier and less messy than the small tubes og glue.
3. Teflon tape on valve extender to prevent leaks and loosening from my Lezyne pump head

I followed the following mounting strategy:
prestretch at 140 psi x 24 hours
2 layers of glue on rims and tires, 24 hours of drying in between coats-probably overkill
light 3rd coat on the rim, wait 10 minutes and mount tire
Inflate and let sit overnight, then ride

I had to remove a set of tires after discovering that I had bought a lemon of a wheelset--getting the tire off was a chore. Once I had worked it back and forth to get a plastic tire lever under the tire, it got much easier. My conclusion is that with a proper glue job, the likelihood of rolling a tire is minimal. If I ever get a flat on a group ride that can't be sealed, the removal/remounting process is not that bad but I will probably never catch the group again

[oldpotatoe]

How about leaving an unglued or slightly glued 1"-2" inch section opposite the valve stem to help in removal?

No bike shop worth it's salt would do this. Most tires we glue on get destroyed when we take them off. Most times the base tape separates from the tire.

[giverdada]

took a hint from the glue tape that is available and when i went to place the tire on the rim with mutilple coats of glue on each I place discarded tape strip (glue tape has 2) that came off the front application on the rear rim. placed the tire, aligned as best i could and pulled off the tape strip and inflated. so use something to keep the 2 glued surfaces (tire/rim) from sticking to each other until your ready. used the red pull tape from 2 trashbags on my next application.

That sounds like a very clever idea. I was trying to think of effective alternatives and am wondering if flag tape or caution tape would do the job. I used kontact's method and got the tire on straight but with a slight bob, likely because I stretched it unevenly. Definitely more confident in the glue job now though, and really looking forward to riding it when my road bike returns from repairs.

Being prone to bad luck and equipment failure of varying degrees, I'm leaning toward any method that is nearly impossible to undo. Leaving the inch space of unglued or anything that ensures easier removal just sounds like something that'd kill me.

[giverdada]

so, i just thought i'd follow up with the results of my original posting and question regarding how hard it should be to pull off a properly glued tubular.

it's crazy-hard. H.A.R.D. muy duro.

woah.

i spent about 10 minutes last night getting a full-body workout, using a pink pedro's tire lever, sweating and laughing, just to get the lever underneath one small section (1") of the tubular. then, i spent another 10 minutes ripping up section by section, a bit of the tire until i got the whole thing half off. then i grabbed the thing and carefully continued to yank it off.

the whole process likely took over 25 minutes.

i did this because it's the off-season, now that it finally snowed in toronto (i rode the tire earlier yesterday), and the hop that was in it since i first glued it was really bothering me at speed on smooth pavement. as significant as a hop in a wheel. a big hop. ba-dump-ba-dump-ba-dump... no good.

so now i have confidence in my glue jobs. if it's that hard to pull off a tire, there's no way it's coming off in a turn on a descent. (but i still wonder about the heated rim from braking dissolving glue thing...any thoughts? not that we have any descents long enough for that anywhere in this province.) i also know that it'll be a while before/if i ever catch back on to a ride if i flat and have to fix it in the field.

and i think the hop is still there.

i learned a lot about gluing after the first one, and got my front continental sprinter on straight and round and it's beautiful. the rear though, the continental sprinter gatorskin, still seems to have a hop in it. maybe it's just an irregularity? if it continues to be super annoying, i may just take it to a shop and ask them to do it much better than i seem to be able to. i must have spent minutes trying to adjust the alignment of the tubbie on the rim, but to no avail. i haven't ridden it yet, but it looks like it hops, though somewhat less than before.

and finally, i just read the post regarding people's tire pressures, and i was wondering what people use for tubulars. i've been running 100 psi on the sprinter and sprinter gatorskin, and they've been fine, but i wonder if they're run optimally at a different pressure. my GP 4000's (clincher) are amazing at 95 psi, and no good at 90 or 100. if i'm 165 lbs., what do you think?

thanks again for all the inputs. the gluing process is now demystified. the mounting is another story... :crap:

[Louis]

I think some folks leave a small section (say, 0.5") without glue or tape to make it easier to get the tool under the tire.

[gtxpro2]

Theres more then one way to skin a cat as far a tubular gluing goes. Just stay away from Tufo tape its a bear to deal with when changing tires

[corky]

Tufo tape

[giverdada]

figured i'd post some images too. soooo small...

[Wilkinson4]

If it takes 3 days to proper glue a tire on, shouldn't it take 3 days to get it off!!! A good glue job should make it hard to roll the tire off. Also, never mix glues. A thin base is key.

So, now I jumped into the world of carbon wheels and I will glue my first pair of tires to them shortly. Should I scuff up the rim bed before I apply a layer?

Also, what solvent should I use to clean up with if I get some on the brake or rim surface?


ps. Joking about the 3 days but it has been discussed before.

mIKE

[gtxpro2]

Mike,

There was some test done done by college students with different types of tubular glue. The results were posted online. Through the tests they did not see an increase in adhesion of the tire when the surface was scuffed.

Just make sure you clean the carbon well!

Brandon

[ultraman6970]

Agree with the previous poster, well obviously if it has like 40 layers of glue I would at least try to take all the junk out using mineral spirits of goo off.

All these years the only thing that makes the tubulars really hard to take off is the darn tufo tape, I was amazed how glued the tubulars are. As for regular glue the tire preassure helps the tubular to stay in the rim as well so if you dont have like a lot of glue u can get away using less than normal too. This is my experience tho, not saying is the right thing to do.

[beercan]

what do you do if the base tape of the tire comes off? is it garbage?

[BCS]

Send it to tire alert for new basetape. I think it costs about 15$ for replacement, more if a new tube is needed

[Jaq]

For solvents, it depends on the rim. My choices are only fit for alloy/alum rims unless your manufacturer says otherwise.

1. For removing old glue: Goof Off. Stuff's amazing. A friend of mine uses regular Coleman White Gas and swears by it. That's a nice choice too if you do a lot of camping and still have the older stoves/lanterns.

2. For removing old Tufo tape: paint stripper. It'll also pull off the glue. Brush it on, wait ten, hose it (or wipe it if you're trying to be a little Earth friendlier) off.

Whenever I've had basetape come off, I've just glued it back on with 3M Contact Cement.

[gtxpro2]

I have used a heat gun to remove vittoria mastik one and it works perfectly! No residual, just clean up with some denatured alcohol. I have not tried this method on my zipp 303's just a pair of Velocity Rims....

[oldpotatoe]

If it takes 3 days to proper glue a tire on, shouldn't it take 3 days to get it off!!! A good glue job should make it hard to roll the tire off. Also, never mix glues. A thin base is key.

So, now I jumped into the world of carbon wheels and I will glue my first pair of tires to them shortly. Should I scuff up the rim bed before I apply a layer?

Also, what solvent should I use to clean up with if I get some on the brake or rim surface?


ps. Joking about the 3 days but it has been discussed before.

mIKE

Some emery paper on the rim, Acetone to clean the rim and tire, just to get any oil/grease/gunk off.

Stretch the tire for a few days.

Little bit of air in the tire, it will turn 90 degrees.

use acid/solvent brush and can of glue. My favorite is Panaracer(take a trip w/o leaving the farm)-be well venilated.

LIGHT layer on the tire, then the rim, then the tire, then the rim, light(3rd) on the tire...let dry about 15-20 minutes. When you grab it and it doesn't stick to your fingers...light layer on the rim, mount quickly(lotsa vids on how to do this..rim on the floor, tire on at valve, PULL hard down each side, it pops on).

Center the tire, wee bit of air, roll tire on ground to seat all around..not too much air(it can turn the tire 90 degrees again), let set for 24 hours. Soooooo

It doesn't take 3-4 days to glue a tire on. The 24 hours is just to let it dry. The actual gluing takes about 45 minutes, easy.

After messing with tubeless, it's no less messy than tubeless and sealant, which can be a real mess.

[oldpotatoe]

what do you do if the base tape of the tire comes off? is it garbage?

You can send it to 'TireAlert'. They can replace it.

[giverdada]

i had a tubular 303 covered in old glue, and i thought that my best bet would be to start clean, to make sure i was using the same glue, and really to just take it down to a clean start surface.

i gave up 1/3 of the way around the wheel.

i started with goof off, thinking i just pour the stuff on (in a very well ventilated area), and wipe it all off, glue included. no go. that's not how it works. i ended up using a hair dryer to gum up the glue, then a plastic tire lever and carved chop stick to scrape/push/pull the glue off. stupid amount of work. took forever. lots of bloody knuckles. and worrying about carbon.

new wheel set. new dedication. less concern - alloy rims. long story short: goof off works. the WAY it works though, is not just pour and wipe. it's pour, then rub, vigorously, until the wiping gets sticky. pour more, rub more, repeat. it's the repeated rubbing with goof off dissolving the glue that makes it go away. goof off doesn't just make the glue run away. it has to be rubbed away. took less than an hour for the front wheel, and it was clean as a whistle after many previous layers of glue. no heat gun. no hair dryer. no bloody knuckles or gooped up tire levers. goof off then rub, rotating rag spots and rags. best of luck. give'r.

If it takes 3 days to proper glue a tire on, shouldn't it take 3 days to get it off!!! A good glue job should make it hard to roll the tire off. Also, never mix glues. A thin base is key.

So, now I jumped into the world of carbon wheels and I will glue my first pair of tires to them shortly. Should I scuff up the rim bed before I apply a layer?

Also, what solvent should I use to clean up with if I get some on the brake or rim surface?


ps. Joking about the 3 days but it has been discussed before.

mIKE

[gavingould]

my preference in gluing strength is to go with more rather than less.
this past season i followed pretty close to Zanconato's method (http://www.embrocationmagazine.com/online/how-to-gluing-cx-tubulars), but without the tape.
also Conti glue instead of Mastik One and no syringe... and only doing a maybe 4 wheels at a time instead of a dozen.

but anyway, the bond needs to be pretty strong if i'm going to run 25-30psi at my weight (100kg) and throw it into corners not even think about rolling one off. taking a tire off usually results in a good 15 minutes of sore thumbs/hands, a couple plastic tire levers, and lots of sweating and swearing.

i don't run tubies for road - with higher pressures and a little less perpendicular force, you could probably be less thorough, but why risk it?