having a heck of a time getting new tires on

[SeanScott]

Hate to come on here with this problem but I could used some advise.
I don't think I have ever had this much trouble with tires before.
I broke a lever yesterday after a fierce battle.
I am using two levers, one to hold the bead on one side and one on the other side to inch it along onto the wheel. It is taking me well over 10-15 minites to get one tire on and the tube is usually trashed and will not hold air. Very frustrating.
I am worried if I flat out on a ride I could be really stuck.

Options:
1-Set them up tubeless - No thrashing the tube, still could have to deal with a tube out on a ride
2-Just get rid of them, not worth the effort stress - I have acess to lots of tires
3-can a clincher be stretched a bit? I have done this when mounting a tubular.

Thanks in advance

[Nomadmax]

Bead Jack

https://www.amazon.com/Kool-Stop-Tir.../dp/B001AYML7K

Once the tire is on there it isn't so hard to get back on the rim if you flat on the road. Meaning you don't need this tool on the road.

[mhespenheide]

I can't offer specific help with this tire, but [3]: yes, a clincher can relax and stretch a bit after they're mounted for a while.

[pdonk]

I had/have the same issue.

A few tricks I have learned, after destroying a rim:

1) Push bead of mounted side to middle of the rim, can take off just enough pressure to make it easier to mount. I know you don't have heds but this video explains it well https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-XFMGDO2rA
2) Soapy water as a lube on the bead once you have it mounted will help the tire seat. I now have a little package of hand soap in my tool bag in case I need to make a change on the road.

[alfordjo]

This is the tool I use. Never failed me yet.

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tools/va...evers/?geoc=US

[mktng]

ha ha!
i had the same issue with those tires.
eventually just set them up tubeless.

however.

what you can do is set them up "tubeless" sans sealant. get the bead (at least one side) seated. should make installing a tube a bit easier on you. at least it did for me.

[weaponsgrade]

Originally Posted by pdonk

I had/have the same issue.

A few tricks I have learned, after destroying a rim:

1) Push bead of mounted side to middle of the rim, can take off just enough pressure to make it easier to mount. I know you don't have heds but this video explains it well https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-XFMGDO2rA
2) Soapy water as a lube on the bead once you have it mounted will help the tire seat. I now have a little package of hand soap in my tool bag in case I need to make a change on the road.

That's a great video. I used to never pay much attention to where exactly the tire sat. I think the introduction of tubeless systems resulted in much tighter fits between tires and rims. Making sure a side of the tire is sitting in that rim channel is key to not throwing the whole shebang out the window.

[SeanScott]

Thanks everyone!

[R3awak3n]

Originally Posted by Nomadmax

Bead Jack

https://www.amazon.com/Kool-Stop-Tir.../dp/B001AYML7K

Once the tire is on there it isn't so hard to get back on the rim if you flat on the road. Meaning you don't need this tool on the road.

+ 1 million

[PQJ]

Talcum powder. I put it on the tire bead. I also rub it on the tube. (I also keep a spare tube, talc'd, wrapped in plastic, in my saddle bag.)

Talc. Your tire and tube's best friend. Yours, too.

[unterhausen]

I think for most tubeless ready rims, you have to push the bead into the center, it's not an option. It's not a bad idea for non-tubeless ready rims, but might not give as much space. Also, finish at the valve stem. Put the wheel on the ground and pull all the available slack towards the valve stem. Even "tight" tires should end up having a reasonable amount of slack. The valve stem takes up some of the available slack. I have yet to find a tire that didn't go on without a tire iron using this method.

To take the tire off, do the same thing, push the beads to the center of the rim and move the slack towards the valve stem.

[Red Tornado]

Pretty much "what everyone else said", it's all good advice.

Additionally, there's something else I've done with next-to-impossible-to-mount road tires and tubes. I use a pair of mechanics gloves with leather palms. You wouldn't believe how much less it hurts your hands to try and "roll" that last bit of tire onto the rim - actually for me it's 100% pain-free. Never had an issue getting a super tight tire on the rim, no problems with grip or lack of it and have not pinched a tube this way either. It's pretty much my go-to method for uncooperative tires/rims.

[Veloo]

Don't feel too bad.
I bend the damn rim when rushing to remove the Mavic Yksion tire form the Aksium rim years ago.

[SeanScott]

I really like the tool suggestions.
I think I need to man up and set them up tubeless. I'm dealing with tubeless tires and wheelset and I am unsuccessful at getting a tube in them.
It is thorn season here and all my wheelsets have some sort of problem. Yesterday I did a ride with a 35 gravel in the rear and a 30 road on the front just to get out there. Wasn't too strange feeling, haha

[jischr]

Wow, wish I knew about the bead jack 3 weeks ago. I was trying to mount new Veloflex tires and latex tubes on Neutron Ultra rims. Could not get them close so I switched to butyl tubes and tire levers. Cut the tube, patched it, cut it again. While working on getting one edge of the bead on, the other bead edge would roll out of the rim. First time that happened to me. Very frustrating. I always use talc to make life easier and get that baby fresh sent going. Didn't work this time. I later tried hand sanitizer with ethanol in it that I saw in a YouTube on mounting open tubulars. Didn't work either.
Finally I got down an old 32 spoke wheel, and was able mount the tires without much effort. Pumped it up to 140 psig and left it over night. Next day I could almost roll it on the Neutron by hand. That bead jack probably could have saved me an hour of frustration and waiting over night. Gonna get me one of those.