Carbon wheel newby seeks tire changing tips

[lafish]

Steve Hampsten just built me a new bike and as I was going whole hog, I went with Bora wheels and Rene Herse tires. All good, but one of these days I'll get a puncture in some out of the way place and I'm wondering what I need to know.

I can easily remove and replace Herse tires on contemporary alloy rims without using levers, which I would just as soon avoid. Will that be the case with the Boras? is there really anything special about the levers that come with them, or will Pedros, Schwalbe, etc do just as well or better?

I know, I know, pics or it didn't happen, but I can't figure out how to upload to the site.
Larry

[Turkle]

Are they set up with tubes?

If so, why don't you just deflate one of them and take it off the rim, then put it back on. Much easier to find out what you're up against at home rather than on the side of the road in the rain.

For reference, when I got my latest pair of carbon wheels, I wanted to be sure that I could get the tire off in an emergency. I was pleased to find that it was no problem at all, but the technique to remove/install tubeless-ready tires is VERY different from removing/installing clinchers. (Get the beads in the center channel, pull upwards, etc.)

So it's worth a practice run or two to make sure you're comfortable with it before you test it in the wild... or on a group ride with a dozen riders impatiently staring at you while you fuss with your tire!

[lafish]

Yes, I should have said, they are set up with tubes. And this is good advice. I'll try deflating, removing and replacing at home. No idea why I didnt' think of that.
Larry

[palincss]

Originally Posted by lafish

Steve Hampsten just built me a new bike and as I was going whole hog, I went with Bora wheels and Rene Herse tires. All good, but one of these days I'll get a puncture in some out of the way place and I'm wondering what I need to know.

I can easily remove and replace Herse tires on contemporary alloy rims without using levers, which I would just as soon avoid. Will that be the case with the Boras? is there really anything special about the levers that come with them, or will Pedros, Schwalbe, etc do just as well or better?

You need to find out what tire removal and replacement is going to be like now, before you flat on the road, so you can work in the comfort of your home with a table and a chair and a chance to get a drink and go pee if you have to.

There's a real chance you may need to get extra tools. To remove and replace Switchback Hill 650Bx48s I need two sets of tire levers (red Bontrager to remove and blue Schwalbe to pin the beads in place while replacing) and a Kool Stop Bead Jack to get the last foot of bead over the rim edge. I wouldn't be at all surprised if you had the same kind of issue on your new carbon rims. Find out now, not by the side of the road in the middle of nowhere.