Tight tires

[54ny77]

This.

I have a now-dwindling multi-year stash of Zipp rim strips, which are narrow and thin. As such, I've never had a tire mounting issue on various rims/wheels I own, and that's covering a decent amount of brands and types. The tape does not come close to interfering with the sidewall of the rim. That is the key.

Originally Posted by LouDeeter

I've found that the majority of my tight tire problems are because of the rim tape I'm using, sometimes finding that I have 2-3 strips, sometimes just a really thick one. Try a thinner rim tape, single layer and see if that helps.

[djg21]

Originally Posted by chismog

Not going to be surprised if this thread generates about $1300+ in sales for those Kool Stop Bead Jacks. I ordered mine before I got off the first page. Picked up another for a friend, too.

Never knew they existed and was just recently struggling with a few tires. I pride myself on being a thumbs-only guy but lately it ain't doing the job. Can't wait to see how easy this tool actually is.

I just sent the company the link to this thread with a suggestion that it purchase a banner advertisement.

[A1A]

Originally Posted by chismog

Not going to be surprised if this thread generates about $1300+ in sales for those Kool Stop Bead Jacks. I ordered mine before I got off the first page. Picked up another for a friend, too.

Never knew they existed and was just recently struggling with a few tires. I pride myself on being a thumbs-only guy but lately it ain't doing the job. Can't wait to see how easy this tool actually is.

Next thing you know you will be searching the internet for the hardest known tires to mount so you can buy them and install them pain free...

[A1A]

Originally Posted by charliedid

This thing work?

I've used a Kool-Stop a million times at a shop but I don't have one at home.

Hi, Sorry, the EZ clincher worked slick on a normal tire I mounted last weekend so well worth it in that regard since it's so small you can stick it in your jersey pocket easily. I plan on taking it along instead or normal levers regardless. But I have not made time to dismount and try remounting my nemesis with it, the combo that started me on my search that led to the Kool Stop, the Michelin Pro Race 3 on 2004 Dura Ace Tubeless rims. I will try that this weekend at the latest and report back. At least I know I can get them back on with the Kool Stop even if the EZ Clincher is overwhelmed. I have a good feeling about the EZ clincher though from how easily it handled the tire I mounted this past weekend.

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by djg21

I just sent the company the link to this thread with a suggestion that it purchase a banner advertisement.

Kool-Stop has never been known to spend much on advertising but who's to say...

I thought they just ran that one ad in the back of Bicycle Guide magazine.

[axel23]

A long thread and not one mention of my biggest issue. It's not about getting the tire on, it's about not pinching the tube!

Nothing I love more than struggling (successfully, but painfully) to get the tire on, then pumping it up only to discover than I punctured the tube with whatever tool - and then patching the tube and starting all over again.

[A1A]

Originally Posted by axel23

A long thread and not one mention of my biggest issue. It's not about getting the tire on, it's about not pinching the tube!

Nothing I love more than struggling (successfully, but painfully) to get the tire on, then pumping it up only to discover than I punctured the tube with whatever tool - and then patching the tube and starting all over again.

I think it's been a popular thread because for myself, I've shied away a bit over the decades from certain tires that had a reputation of being extremely hard to mount but now I don't care...

[djg21]

Originally Posted by A1A

I think it's been a popular thread because for myself, I've shied away a bit over the decades from certain tires that had a reputation of being extremely hard to mount but now I don't care...

Tube? There is an easy solution. Tubeless road tires are great. But the Koolstop tool works great with tubed clinchers too.

[Dead Man]

Originally Posted by axel23

A long thread and not one mention of my biggest issue. It's not about getting the tire on, it's about not pinching the tube!

Nothing I love more than struggling (successfully, but painfully) to get the tire on, then pumping it up only to discover than I punctured the tube with whatever tool - and then patching the tube and starting all over again.

Originally Posted by Dead Man

ive punctured several tubes wrestling those sonsabisches on - so flippin frustrating

gotchu

[nine]

yep def a bump in sales for them! was oos on biketiresdirect.... had to bezos it

[benb]

No one has mentioned it but if it's bad enough one solution I've done in the past is just to forget putting the tires on the wheel set I intended them for and to try them on another wheel set.

Generally most of the time my bike collection is not always going to be big enough to try that but anyone with a decent collection it's worth a shot, one of your other wheel sets is likely to be on the small side of the tolerances and the tight tires will work better there.

This is so much better to have a tight tire fit problem than the other. Once I had a loose fit problem and that was terrifying... I had several front wheel blow offs, amazingly just both of them were when I had come to a stop. 2nd time the tires went right to the trash and I haven't touched that brand again in the last 15 years.

edit: Ordered the tire-jack too.. that looks great. Whoever said the thread will generate a bunch of sales is right. It's hard for me to see the tire jack being worse for the rim than a normal tire lever.

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by A1A

Hi, Sorry, the EZ clincher worked slick on a normal tire I mounted last weekend so well worth it in that regard since it's so small you can stick it in your jersey pocket easily. I plan on taking it along instead or normal levers regardless. But I have not made time to dismount and try remounting my nemesis with it, the combo that started me on my search that led to the Kool Stop, the Michelin Pro Race 3 on 2004 Dura Ace Tubeless rims. I will try that this weekend at the latest and report back. At least I know I can get them back on with the Kool Stop even if the EZ Clincher is overwhelmed. I have a good feeling about the EZ clincher though from how easily it handled the tire I mounted this past weekend.

Good to hear

Thx

[A1A]

Originally Posted by benb

No one has mentioned it but if it's bad enough one solution I've done in the past is just to forget putting the tires on the wheel set I intended them for and to try them on another wheel set.

Generally most of the time my bike collection is not always going to be big enough to try that but anyone with a decent collection it's worth a shot, one of your other wheel sets is likely to be on the small side of the tolerances and the tight tires will work better there.

This is so much better to have a tight tire fit problem than the other. Once I had a loose fit problem and that was terrifying... I had several front wheel blow offs, amazingly just both of them were when I had come to a stop. 2nd time the tires went right to the trash and I haven't touched that brand again in the last 15 years.

edit: Ordered the tire-jack too.. that looks great. Whoever said the thread will generate a bunch of sales is right. It's hard for me to see the tire jack being worse for the rim than a normal tire lever.

I think the Kool Stop is easier on the rim than standard levers although I'm no engineer. It seems like the force applied is more in the vertical plane plus if nothing else you are no longer "hossing" on the rim with the standard lever for an hour trying to pop the last 6" of bead over... What do they call that, metal fatigue?

I guess the ultimate test would be to see if you can mount a 700C tire on a 29'er rim with a Kool Stop!!!

[kingpin75s]

Originally Posted by benb

No one has mentioned it but if it's bad enough one solution I've done in the past is just to forget putting the tires on the wheel set I intended them for and to try them on another wheel set.

Generally most of the time my bike collection is not always going to be big enough to try that but anyone with a decent collection it's worth a shot, one of your other wheel sets is likely to be on the small side of the tolerances and the tight tires will work better there.

^ This. Cheaper rims tend to have looser tolerances based on my experience so I keep a cheap wheel around for prep mounting any Challenge-ing tires.

[chismog]

One more tip: (if you didn't buy a Bead Jack based on this thread)

Most folks avoid tire irons during installation to prevent pinch flatting the tube. If you have a really tight set of tires, first mount them up without the tube, using tire irons. No risk of pinch flatting, and the process of mounting stretches the bead a bit. Then stuff the tube in after it sits for a while. It's usually much easier to mount a tight tire the second time around.