I get the far side of the beads into the well by placing the final side against my chest, reaching across to the far side and compressing and pulling around the circumference of the rim. I have only had one combo where levers were needed-on a mountain bike. Not sure what happened with that tire/wheel.
Continental ultra sport 3, rodi blaster rims - I had my inner tube pop in T1 and it took me, a course helper and a bike mechanic spectator 30 minutes, 4 hands and a new set of tire levers to change the tube, the tire is a tight fit at the best of times, the alu rim had expanded in the heat (38°C in the shade, depo was in the sun, the rim was hot af). My geatest reult of the day, was I did not DNF and was not DFL.
Brilliant! I'm 75, been riding and changing tires forever, but now my arthritic hands don't work as well. This video will give me at least another ten years of self-serviced riding, especially having switched to gravel riding sometimes and needing to changing tire width so often. Thank you.
#1 tip is what you mentioned early in the video, using the Center depth of the rim. This is #1 to make the tire fit, especially on the road fixing a flat. Understanding the impact using the center rim space and squeezing the tire together is the Pro Tip!
@gottagetaname I agree. I never needed this tip until today after changing tires for 50 years. But it made a difference and I got my tire on with my hands alone after being sure the tire bead was in the center of the rim. Starting from the opposite of the stem and moving up either side toward the stem also helps.
Having been doing this for over 40 years I found your film really interesting and learned a couple of new tricks|! The only thing you didn't mention specifically when installing a tyre with an inner tube is to push the valve stem in so that the tyre bead can seat itself under the tube
I recently purchased a Tyre Glider AND a Tyre Monkey as alternatives to standard tyre levers. Both work really well and also minimise the risk of pinch punctures whilst installing the tyre. I highly recommend both.
I recommend purchasing a Tyre Glider tool. Soapy water is hard to come by on the bike trail. First time out on the trail with a Tyre Glider in my pocket, I came across a couple. The man had a flat and I offered to help, as he had no tools at all, not even a tool to remove his wheel. I have NEVER seen a tire so tight on a rim - never. It took all our strength to get the tire off and on, but the Tyre Glider did help a good bit. On normally fitting tires, the Tyre Glider makes it easy to take off and put on a tire.
This comment brought to you by Tyre Glider, All cyclists will know the frustration, hassle & time it takes to change a punctured tyre. Tyre Glider is a hand-held tool designed to help change tyres easily, with speed and works for all tyre widths and cycling disciplines. Whether you’re a keen road cyclist or an aspiring mountain biker, the Tyre Glider is an essential piece of your cycling kit. Save yourself the stress and hassle of changing a tyre with weak, flimsy tyre levers & switch to Tyre Glider.
One good tip for clinchers is, after getting the tyre on the wheel, add a little bit of air and then gently drop or bounce the tyre all the way around to help seat the tube and tyre more evenly.
About 18 months ago, I got a pair of Vittoria Rubino clincher tyers. One of them went on with a big of a struggle, but the other was just too difficult to fit. I gave up with it as I thought, " well if I have a puncture while I'm out on a ride, I won't be able to repair it " The wheels are Campagnolo Khamsin. Keep up the good work. Cheers Dave
You just saved me from loosing my mind. Been trying to re fit a tyre on a 29inch mtb wheel. Sitting the tyre into the lowest part of the wheel rim worked a treat. 💪🏻 ❤
Thanks for a good demonstration Alex! Changing and or replacing tubes and tires has got to be the first maintenance job of any cyclist. With three different bikes I've had some 'interesting' times changing tires and fixing flats. The only thing I'd add to all the points you mentioned is to inflate the tube slightly, then insert it around the tire and then go around the wheel thoroughly 'kneading' and guiding the system into place. This seats the tube in its channel and loosens the tire a little bit. I've used some washing up liquid as well for the final 'pop' like you mentioned and it worked very well. One other thing I've discovered is to cut a valve out of a busted tube leaving about 3 cms of tube on either side of it. It's great as a tool for holding new rim tape around the valve hole as you stretch the tape around the rim.
'Recently came upon a tire tool called "KOOLSTOP" which is very good! It pulls the bead straight into the rim at the final stage without bending the bead out like a tire lever would do.
these pirelli p zero’s are the absolutely most easy tires i’ve ever put on. i had a pair of vision metron 40 carbons and tried putting conti gp 5000 and barely was able to get them on. then i tried a few other different types of tyres on and they was all almost as hard. but then i watched a video with manon putting the p zeros on by hand so i bought em and luckily they actually went on by hand. i love the p zeros
the timing of this video is almost perfect, spend 2 hours yesterday putting new michelin pro 4 on my mavic wheels, almost gave up on the 2nd one as I was barely making any progress... finally managed to put it in using 4 type levers, pushing and pulling like crazy, and today my fingers are f*cked
I know this pain, I'm about to throw these wheels through the farging window. This sealant is worthless, rim tape is worthless tires leak like a sieve.
I lack indoor space or a clean outdoor space to do this job well, and my thumbs are shot from years of abuse. I am happy that GCN helping folks to ride and maintain their bikes / self reliance, etc. great job. I myself choose to go to my local bike shop. I want to maintain my relationship the my LBS's by spending small amounts of money, showing my appreciation for their services.
Lube the rim as shown...then instead of tire levers...put leather mechanics gloves on to gain leverage/grip (and save your palms/fingers), then roll the tire over the rim. Boom. Tyre Glider & Tyre Monkey work well too if you want to buy extra toys. Happy fitting all!
OMG thank you! The 'channel in the middle of the rim' trick allowed me to mount my MTB tire so much easier! I could not believe it! I was struggling for about 30 minutes and after the 2nd tire lever broke, I found this video. "its gold Gerry!...gold!"
To avoid pinching a new tube inside a tight new tyre, I sometimes mount the clincher first without the tube and then leave it for a while to stretch the tyre a tiny bit before removing and more easily reinstalling the clincher with the tube. I also pump up the tube and then let the air out before double checking to make sure there are no pinches.
I also partially pump up the newly mounted tire/tube then deflate first, before full inflation. It helps to “settle” the tube by equalizing any twists or uneven distribution within the tire.
I've been working in a bike shop a few years now. One benefit of removing many, many, many tires from wheels is that my thumbs have developed biceps 💪💪
I like to give the wheel a spin during inflation to make sure that the bead is perfectly seated. I've pinched and innertube a few times with a tyre leaver trying to get it on. I like to put the writing on the tyre near the valve, this makes it easier to find the valve, and helps finding punctures.
Solid advice. But there's one more he missed that saved me from chucking the wheel through a closed window. As I was cursing and sputtering trying to get a tire on that fit alright before (three years ago, haha), I looked online for solutions, and the one that worked was using the palm of your hand to push the tire up on the rim. Fingers weren't working, the palm of my hand did.
Thank you! I've watched 4 other videos, all with slightly different recommendations, showing the tire easily put in place by hand or with a lever. Probably spent over an hour trying to figure it out before I came across your video. It's the only one that worked for me. Hopefully I did it with out tearing or pinching the innertube. We'll soon find out I guess🤞
Interesting theme - start/finish at the valve :) Always seems to polarise opinion :) I am currently finishing at the valve and trying to raise the tube by pushing the valve out at the last bit to allow the tyre to seat underneath the tube, It allows maximum use of the rim 'valley' as noted in the video. Also a theme - continental tyres - they seem to come up most when discussing hard to fit tyres.
@GCN I THINK your demo vid should have show cased Tyre Glider … I bought 2 for myself and a few for my friends. It’s unreal how easy this tool makes difficult tires slip onto the rim. A total rethink reengineer solution.. with the new wheel / tire tech on my rig I had huge flat tire insecurities due to how incredibly difficult tire changing had become. Out of desperation I gave this tool a go and was floored. And I’m no spring chicken ,, been into cycling since 82… own about 15 bikes…. Then suddenly with my latest newest Tarmac changing tires were impossible until I met Tyre Glider. Act now CGN please do check it out… the blue tool of wonder
I have a tip to buy something called a tire clamp tool/removal clamp/tire pliers (it looks scissors-like). It’s cheap, and I was able to install a tubeless tire that’s known for being tough to fit (at one point I thought that there is something wrong with tire/wheel combination and it’s impossible to fit) which previously has left me with three broken tire levers.
Especially in case you use latex inner tubes, NEVER EVER move the tyre lever along the tyre like shown here starting at 07:17; always remove the lever, and put it again under the tyre two inches or so further on to prevent damaging the inner tube. The second point is that I stopped leaving the inner tube slightly inflated, as I often damaged the inner tubes (Conti supersonic butyle at that time), and completely deflated the inner tubes when it comes to those last remaining inches before the tyre is fitted completely on the rim, and fix the part with the tyre already correct on the rim between my knees. After the tyre is on, I slightly inflate the tyre and flex the tyre to ensure the tube is nowhere between the rim and the tyre
No professional uses a tyre lever. Get the tyre into the bottom of the rim, opposite the valve. On reaching the tight bit,hold wheel away from body, grasp tyre over top of wheel and ROLL the tyre towards you.. Then push up valve to make sure nothing trapped.
Totally agree about lubrication - I carry a small bottle of rubber-safe lubricant (available from all good pharmacies - I take the label off) on rides. I also have plastic tyre levers that lock in place, preventing the tyre from sliding off at one end when you work on the other end. I highly recommend them. Final suggestion - if you are using an inner tube, don't put the locking nut on the valve until everything is seated. This means that you can push the valve up to make sure that it is clear of the tyre/tyre levers when you are doing that last little bit.
@@Sr89hot Several times I've had to bring them to a bike shop to be mounted; I just couldn't get it myself. This basically adds about $10 each to the cost of the tires.
@@anntarr7317 I am now finding that I get fewer (or no) flats when I run lower tire pressures. I used to inflate my 25mm tires to 105 psi, and I would get a few flats a year. Now I only inflate to around 60 or 70 psi, and I haven't gotten any flats. I have a bike with cheaper 32mm tires and I expected it to get a fair amount of flats, but I only inflate them to 50 or 55 psi, and I haven't had any flats in over 1400 miles -- so I don't plan on getting these heavier "armored" tires anymore. The lighter, more "standard" tires are easier to install.
Thank you kind sir. This is what I needed after hours of frustration. Only thing I added was a wide brim trash can to hold the rim, and to push the tire down to the center where the circumference was shorter, was to use my entire body - my stomache and arms to push the tire down and it snapped in. I was using a Tommos Armour and Flak Jacket tire
Thanks for this--I needed a reminder about letting the first bead settle into the dip in the centre of the rim (and even to let most of the second tuck in too.
Great video. Funny that you use the Pzeros, because they are about the easiest tires I've had the pleasure of putting on myself :P Don't ever carry a tire lever with me because they're so easy.
Not for me theyre not. Trying to fit P7 - zeros on a fulcrum rim has been the most challenging for me thus far. My previous continental gatorskins 700 x 28 went on easy on my fulcrum rims and seemed to resist punctures better than the P7's
@@edhowardjr I totally agree, I've been using Fulcrum rims (std on my Specialised SL4) and GP5000 for years, recently I bought a new GP5000 tyre but of the new TR ready variety ( couldn't find any of the old GP5000). These are one hell of a tough tyre to fit, I've fitted plenty of tyres in my time but I had to return to the bike shop, even they had a huge struggle to fit them, cost me $10. Now I fear getting a flat on a long ride.
gave up trying to fit conti 5000s on scirocco G3 rims even with conti tyre tools but the schwalbe pro ones were even tighter - but amazingly the var tool prevailed and gets my endorsement
Soapy liquid did it for me going tubeless. Great idea. Set two new PR's for average mph going tubeless. One for over 10 miles, one for over 30 miles, also fastest 40K ever. At age 69, discovered tires Do make a difference. Keep on making the great videos. Thanks, from across the pond in Texas. Yee haw, not like Ollie would butcher it 🤠
Excellent vid! If using a tube; before inflating, push the valve thru the rim hole, to free-up/separate tube from the tire bead. (Tube can often get stuck/wedged under the rim bead, especially near the valve) *PARTIALLY inflate tire, then check that tire bead is properly seated in the rim. ...a COUPLE times during inflation, even better. 👍
There used to be a product on the market called a Slick Stick. It was a plastic dowel about 3/8” inches diameter, on one end a slightly larger diameter handle about 3” long. The 3/8” end, the business end had a scoop removed from the end. That scoop hooked on the rim and could be used to push the bead of any tire into the rim. It worked just as well to pop the tire bead off to get the tire off. No one makes anything like it anymore. It was an awesome tool.
Thanks for posting this, it is really helpful. That slow and patient approach has always escaped me when the red mist descends so I'll stay calm and try your technique next time.
Everytime I purchase a schwalbe's tires I suggest my wife and childrens to go to the park and have a pleasant time in order to prevent listening daddy saying very rude words. Thank you very much! The dish soup works!
I have a tip I found on RUclips, try applying a little Red Rubber Grease to the rim and tyre bead. I found this to work well. I had found it almost impossible to break or move the bead on GP5000's and Colnago Shamal Carbon tyres. But with this grease I can now break the bead much easier.
I tried using a little bit of wax on the tire bead and it actually worked! Tires have been holding air perfectly so it doesn't seem to have caused any problems with the sealant.
Blowdryer to ease up cold rubber is probably a lot easier on combinations that are super difficult to get on. Took me like 1 hour to get on a gp5000 on a mavic rim
Lovely presentation and fantastic tip on the use of a lubricant. Unfortunately, I struggled with my last attempt to fit a tyre because of arthritis in my fingers. May be the lubricant will help next time, assuming I don't rip my innertube to pieces again.
I learnt the trick of getting the tyre into the central "valley" to give more slack a couple of years ago. I'd bought my first road bike and it had tubeless ready rims. I wasn't using tubeless tyres, but still found it a VERY tight fight. After trying multiple different tyre levers I finally found a video explaining the fix.
After fitting couple GP5000s for my friends and myself. Get 3 Schwalbe tire levers(nice and thin), 2 will be used to hold the tires(one on each side) and the one will be use for prying the unseated middle part. You move the 2 levers inwards until you get the tire on. You won’t have any issue putting them on and taking them off at home or out on a ride. They’re the best levers I think, others are too thick.
Thank you. I will try this as my gp5000's paired with a set of Easton's gave me and my mechanic fits. 4 inner tubes total, 3 on one rim, and he got lucky on the second. I spent 30 min to get one tire on and still pinched the tube before I even took them to him. I usually use 1 large Pedro's mixed with 1 or 2 thinner ones, but will try the Shwalbe levers and your technique next time, it can't hurt. I was looking for someone in the comments with gp5000 struggles
THANK YOU! Your previous video on fitting difficult tires was SO FRUSTRATING as I fought with a cheap rim & tubeless tires. I broke 3 tire levers and thought that I was a moron.
Continental gator skins were always tyres I struggle with, I struggle with changing tyres at the best of times as I'm far from proficient at it. Easiest tyres I found to put on was the Michelin Country trail tyres I put on to the last mountain bike I had. I struggled the last time I had to change a schwalbe g one all round tyre on my gravel bike but got there in the end with the help of a chap in Halfords at the time as I just didn't have it seated 100% . It's a task I always dread but know I can do given a bit of time to do so. Will try the fairy and water trick the next time. Thank you for this.
Good tutorial. I was a bicycle mechanic from 1971 to 1997. I first found out about the "finish at the valve" method by reading the tiny instruction sheet included with Michelin Airstop inner tubes in the mid-70s, and used it successfully ever since. Old knowlege, and yet few people, including bike mechanics, know about it. It can really make the difference between a wrestling match and an easy installation.
Great advice . I had some success with wearing a certain type of relatively tight fitting cotton work gloves that are rubberized on the palms and fingers. The gloves surface is bumpy and not smooth at all . Over here across the pond there are blue atlas gloves brand .
The most impossible wheel and tire combinations: 2020 Mavic Carbon Cosmic SL 40 and the older tubeless GP5000! Took quite a few hours of warming, prestretching, and going back to the shop to get a pair of tire pliers. The tires are an absolute dream to ride on though!
Another point about lubing the bead, if you're running tubeless, the residual dish soap, which is harmless and dries on its own, helps the tire seat the bead.
Good video , with Bontrager wheels and Continental 5000TL I know all this pain. On a hot summer day , leaving a new tire in direct sunlight is extremely helpful. Now GCN, please do a video with tips on how to get tubeless tires to seal up. I find that part even more frustrating
Soap makes a huge difference. I'm surprised you are one of the few who recommends it. I have changed 100s of automobile tires, and we always apply some soapy water to the bead before mounting each tire. Great video
for wheel and tire combo. I was putting some of the early carbon bead hutchinson fusion 3's on a set of velocity deep v rims when road tubeless was just becoming a thing. Those tires were notoriously evil, and those rims don't have much of a well for the bead. When you have trouble getting the first bead onto the rim, you know you're in for a tough time. Broke some nice pedros levers on that one. And when It flatted one very rainy day, there was no chance I was going to be able to get the wet, sealant slimed tire off the rim to install a tube with some basic levers on the side of the road.
Suprised you didn't mention using a towel. Doesn't always work, but the enhanced grip really makes a difference. You can pull the stubborn bit toward you, but I prefer trying to push it over the rim with the pads of my palms. That being said, I just put a new schwab one tubless tire on an old ultegra wheel and it was an absolute bear. It was so tight I couldn't slip the tire level in between the last bit of tire and the wheel. Towel method finished it off for me. Great video.
I always keep an old atomiser bottle (I think it had window cleaner in it) handy with a washing up liquid/water solution in it, I used it when I refreshed my tubeless sealant. I also use one of those tyre gadgets that look like a ‘pair of grips’ which works for me. 😎
I find that wearing my biking gloves while installing a tire helps with the grip on that last bit of tire. I have never had to use a tire iron using this method, but then maybe I have been lucky with my tire/wheel combinations.
Good advice for tire installation. I wonder what kind of pump you are using in this video. Having installed dozens of tubeless tires I always run finally in problems with the inflation of the tire and end up by using a expensive (and not at all sustainable) CO2 cartridge.
I was 16 in 1971 and I got my first job at a bike store. I made 1.00 an hour and I was rich. Wads of cash! I was taught how to do this by the owner. Get some rubber coated gardening gloves (he used leather) and work the last few inches with just using your thumbs. He used a drop of oil instead of water if it was a new tire. I still carry a pair of gloves with me when I cycle.
Place the stubborn tire and rim in a black plastic garbage bag in the sun for 20 ish minutes, the tire becomes Supple and easy to install with out tools. Best to have the tire installed to the point where you can’t proceed without a tool.
The other thing that REALLY helps is to get as much of the tire on as possible, and then go around the parts that you have already done and push the sides (the bead) into the center channel - this makes it a TON easier to get over the hump at the top because it reduces the size differential. I have Gatorskins which, like the GP5000s, fit very tightly, and I have used this technique several times and it always works.
I've been a cyclist since 1985 and a pro bike mechanic since about 2015. There's a reason why I only usually buy folding/beadless tyres these days. It stems back to a miserable club run in the late 80s when I was struggling to get beaded tyres back onto the rims in the pi$$ing rain after riding through a mass of broken flint someone had left across the entire road. There was no fairy liquid 40 miles from home.
I'm not a roadie but used to commute an a bicycle a lot and do all maintenance myself. At first getting 32 mm 700c Schwalbe Marathon Plus was really a royal pain in the posterior on the few different wheels I've had. However after about 10 years I learned how to do it. Now I don't even need the tire levers every time. The trick really is just pushing the bead in the center of the rim, but there is a catch. Marathon plus is very stiff and the bead doesn't want t o stay in the center. After getting it almost there you have to start from the "bottom" (opposite end from the part that doesn't want to get in) and push it to teh center there. Pull up the tire from the part thet doesn't want to go with one hand and push the bead in the center starting from the opposite end. Keep pulling from the problem part and start pushing the bead to the center from other parts of the tire moving closer to the problem part. This should slowly create slack to the problem part and the constant pull by your other hand should keep the bead from popping up again.
The best technique is to heat up the tire slightly before mounting. 40-50°C is fine and will do no damage at all. Use a hairdryer, a hot air torch or put it in the stove for 10'. Heating the cable inside the rim will expand it and the rubber of the tire will get more easy to handle.
Find the right rim/tyre combo and stick with it...I had Vittoria Rubino Pro TLR on my DT Swiss P1800 rims, total pig to fit , get seated and remove. This year went for Hutchinson Storm Fusion 5 Performance 11 TLR and put them on with ease by hand...blew up and seated far easier with a track pump, and with Orange sealant hold the air far far better than the Rubinos.....
Many years ago, in the darkest hour of the night, in pouring rain, somewhere east of Loudeac, it took almost 30 minutes to force a Specialized Turbo S onto a Mavic Open 4 CD rim. I only succeeded because two others stopped to help.
I got the P Zero race tyres on Vision SC 40 wheels, getting them on was a breeze. Its getting them off that was impossible. Even went to my lbs and even they couldn't get them off. One side was just stuck, had to take a set of bolt cutters to the tyre.
Using the channel to compensate for the difference in wheel and tyre circumference definitely works. But don't be surprised when you inflate the tyre and it pops in to place.
Cheers Alex for the vid. After some recent struggles with new wider rims/tyres, i wondered if this has increased difficulty in this task? Older rims/tyres in my experience has been easier. Also, when out on the road, does adding water only as lube help too?? Cheers again!
Putting new vittoria corsa on old mavic ma rims took two big desert spoons and washing up liquid 😅 straighten the spoons later so the missus didn’t find out😊
With clinchers certain combinations of rim/tyre are very tight. I had some Token carbon that were a real beast with Continental but Velo flex went on easy. Some Mavic tight also although the old Open pros were average. Campag/Conti/Michelin could be tight. If you are using latex or any very thin tube do NOT drag the tyre lever around,always insert and remove carefully and re-insert further around otherwise you will damage the tube. The crayon stick or small piece of candle wax can be used roadside to lube the bead. In the old days when the beads were steel they were much stiffer and harder to fit.
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
Do you have any other tips and techniques of your own for fitting new tyres? 😎
If you are running tubes, pump it partially, it will help the tire set and then it will be easier to get it on
@@susannebattegay6410 it's said at 7:05
Buy a Tyre Glider
Out on the road step on the last bit of bead with your heel and then push the wheel in the opposite direction thus using it as a lever.
I get the far side of the beads into the well by placing the final side against my chest, reaching across to the far side and compressing and pulling around the circumference of the rim. I have only had one combo where levers were needed-on a mountain bike. Not sure what happened with that tire/wheel.
You did not struggle enough. I demand you do it again.
What can we say our technique is just so good you'll never struggle again 😉
@@gcntech you also forgot to swear a lot. I find this helps no end 👍
@@peterspencer4716 You don't want to see the outtakes 👀
😂😂
@@GCNalexYep. I think I need a bigger pump!
If you are watching this because you own Continental GP5000, you are not alone.
The rear tire slid right on....the front was a struggle, but not impossible. Gator Skins have always been most difficult.
Appreciated this😂😂
Until you don't have to use three levers and all of your limbs, I'd say it is a loose fit xD
Continental ultra sport 3, rodi blaster rims - I had my inner tube pop in T1 and it took me, a course helper and a bike mechanic spectator 30 minutes, 4 hands and a new set of tire levers to change the tube, the tire is a tight fit at the best of times, the alu rim had expanded in the heat (38°C in the shade, depo was in the sun, the rim was hot af). My geatest reult of the day, was I did not DNF and was not DFL.
*GP5000 TL
I have done 2 things - leave tires out in the sun for a while then install, or if in winter, soak in bucket of hot water, then install. Helps a ton.
There's no sun in Scotland.
@@Sabhail_ar_Albaor hot water
@@kilburncounty they've not invented hot water in Scotland either
thx, trying to fit a fucking tyre in winter
Brilliant! I'm 75, been riding and changing tires forever, but now my arthritic hands don't work as well. This video will give me at least another ten years of self-serviced riding, especially having switched to gravel riding sometimes and needing to changing tire width so often. Thank you.
#1 tip is what you mentioned early in the video, using the Center depth of the rim. This is #1 to make the tire fit, especially on the road fixing a flat. Understanding the impact using the center rim space and squeezing the tire together is the Pro Tip!
This doesn't work for rims that have a flat interior (e.g., no holes rim)
@gottagetaname I agree. I never needed this tip until today after changing tires for 50 years. But it made a difference and I got my tire on with my hands alone after being sure the tire bead was in the center of the rim. Starting from the opposite of the stem and moving up either side toward the stem also helps.
Having been doing this for over 40 years I found your film really interesting and learned a couple of new tricks|! The only thing you didn't mention specifically when installing a tyre with an inner tube is to push the valve stem in so that the tyre bead can seat itself under the tube
Tire Glider tool. One of my best ever bike related purchases. Worth every penny.
I recently purchased a Tyre Glider AND a Tyre Monkey as alternatives to standard tyre levers. Both work really well and also minimise the risk of pinch punctures whilst installing the tyre. I highly recommend both.
Yeah, I have a tyre glider and it’s made some combinations that used to be a real struggle really easy. Definitely recommended.
Sounds great, tho bananas can get expensive : l
Gonna echo the same. Tyre glider was a game changer for me when I'm putting on my specialized armadillos
I recommend purchasing a Tyre Glider tool. Soapy water is hard to come by on the bike trail. First time out on the trail with a Tyre Glider in my pocket, I came across a couple. The man had a flat and I offered to help, as he had no tools at all, not even a tool to remove his wheel. I have NEVER seen a tire so tight on a rim - never. It took all our strength to get the tire off and on, but the Tyre Glider did help a good bit. On normally fitting tires, the Tyre Glider makes it easy to take off and put on a tire.
This comment brought to you by Tyre Glider, All cyclists will know the frustration, hassle & time it takes to change a punctured tyre.
Tyre Glider is a hand-held tool designed to help change tyres easily, with speed and works for all tyre widths and cycling disciplines.
Whether you’re a keen road cyclist or an aspiring mountain biker, the Tyre Glider is an essential piece of your cycling kit.
Save yourself the stress and hassle of changing a tyre with weak, flimsy tyre levers & switch to Tyre Glider.
Me too. Works like a dream.
One good tip for clinchers is, after getting the tyre on the wheel, add a little bit of air and then gently drop or bounce the tyre all the way around to help seat the tube and tyre more evenly.
About 18 months ago, I got a pair of Vittoria Rubino clincher tyers. One of them went on with a big of a struggle, but the other was just too difficult to fit. I gave up with it as I thought, " well if I have a puncture while I'm out on a ride, I won't be able to repair it " The wheels are Campagnolo Khamsin. Keep up the good work. Cheers Dave
You just saved me from loosing my mind. Been trying to re fit a tyre on a 29inch mtb wheel.
Sitting the tyre into the lowest part of the wheel rim worked a treat.
💪🏻 ❤
Thanks for a good demonstration Alex! Changing and or replacing tubes and tires has got to be the first maintenance job of any cyclist. With three different bikes I've had some 'interesting' times changing tires and fixing flats. The only thing I'd add to all the points you mentioned is to inflate the tube slightly, then insert it around the tire and then go around the wheel thoroughly 'kneading' and guiding the system into place. This seats the tube in its channel and loosens the tire a little bit. I've used some washing up liquid as well for the final 'pop' like you mentioned and it worked very well.
One other thing I've discovered is to cut a valve out of a busted tube leaving about 3 cms of tube on either side of it. It's great as a tool for holding new rim tape around the valve hole as you stretch the tape around the rim.
'Recently came upon a tire tool called "KOOLSTOP" which is very good! It pulls the bead straight into the rim at the final stage without bending the bead out like a tire lever would do.
these pirelli p zero’s are the absolutely most easy tires i’ve ever put on. i had a pair of vision metron 40 carbons and tried putting conti gp 5000 and barely was able to get them on. then i tried a few other different types of tyres on and they was all almost as hard. but then i watched a video with manon putting the p zeros on by hand so i bought em and luckily they actually went on by hand. i love the p zeros
the timing of this video is almost perfect, spend 2 hours yesterday putting new michelin pro 4 on my mavic wheels, almost gave up on the 2nd one as I was barely making any progress... finally managed to put it in using 4 type levers, pushing and pulling like crazy, and today my fingers are f*cked
I know this pain, I'm about to throw these wheels through the farging window. This sealant is worthless, rim tape is worthless tires leak like a sieve.
I lack indoor space or a clean outdoor space to do this job well, and my thumbs are shot from years of abuse. I am happy that GCN helping folks to ride and maintain their bikes / self reliance, etc. great job. I myself choose to go to my local bike shop. I want to maintain my relationship the my LBS's by spending small amounts of money, showing my appreciation for their services.
Lube the rim as shown...then instead of tire levers...put leather mechanics gloves on to gain leverage/grip (and save your palms/fingers), then roll the tire over the rim. Boom. Tyre Glider & Tyre Monkey work well too if you want to buy extra toys. Happy fitting all!
OMG thank you! The 'channel in the middle of the rim' trick allowed me to mount my MTB tire so much easier! I could not believe it! I was struggling for about 30 minutes and after the 2nd tire lever broke, I found this video. "its gold Gerry!...gold!"
To avoid pinching a new tube inside a tight new tyre, I sometimes mount the clincher first without the tube and then leave it for a while to stretch the tyre a tiny bit before removing and more easily reinstalling the clincher with the tube. I also pump up the tube and then let the air out before double checking to make sure there are no pinches.
I also partially pump up the newly mounted tire/tube then deflate first, before full inflation. It helps to “settle” the tube by equalizing any twists or uneven distribution within the tire.
I will mount the tire without tube then remove. I repeat this a few times to try to stretch the tire.
I've been working in a bike shop a few years now. One benefit of removing many, many, many tires from wheels is that my thumbs have developed biceps 💪💪
Cannot thank you enough for this! I have been going insane trying to get a tire on a rim that seemed like it was two sizes two small.
This was brilliant and a lifesaver. I’ve never had an issue mounting tires and really needed this. The soapy water was magic!! Thank-you very much.
I like to give the wheel a spin during inflation to make sure that the bead is perfectly seated. I've pinched and innertube a few times with a tyre leaver trying to get it on. I like to put the writing on the tyre near the valve, this makes it easier to find the valve, and helps finding punctures.
Solid advice. But there's one more he missed that saved me from chucking the wheel through a closed window. As I was cursing and sputtering trying to get a tire on that fit alright before (three years ago, haha), I looked online for solutions, and the one that worked was using the palm of your hand to push the tire up on the rim. Fingers weren't working, the palm of my hand did.
Thank you! I've watched 4 other videos, all with slightly different recommendations, showing the tire easily put in place by hand or with a lever. Probably spent over an hour trying to figure it out before I came across your video. It's the only one that worked for me. Hopefully I did it with out tearing or pinching the innertube. We'll soon find out I guess🤞
Interesting theme - start/finish at the valve :) Always seems to polarise opinion :) I am currently finishing at the valve and trying to raise the tube by pushing the valve out at the last bit to allow the tyre to seat underneath the tube, It allows maximum use of the rim 'valley' as noted in the video. Also a theme - continental tyres - they seem to come up most when discussing hard to fit tyres.
@GCN I THINK your demo vid should have show cased Tyre Glider … I bought 2 for myself and a few for my friends. It’s unreal how easy this tool makes difficult tires slip onto the rim. A total rethink reengineer solution.. with the new wheel / tire tech on my rig I had huge flat tire insecurities due to how incredibly difficult tire changing had become. Out of desperation I gave this tool a go and was floored. And I’m no spring chicken ,, been into cycling since 82… own about 15 bikes…. Then suddenly with my latest newest Tarmac changing tires were impossible until I met Tyre Glider. Act now CGN please do check it out… the blue tool of wonder
I listened to this video and it worked like a charm! Not having the tire in the center was my issue. Thanks
Try the crankbrothers speedier lever. That tool is a gamechanger
I have a tip to buy something called a tire clamp tool/removal clamp/tire pliers (it looks scissors-like). It’s cheap, and I was able to install a tubeless tire that’s known for being tough to fit (at one point I thought that there is something wrong with tire/wheel combination and it’s impossible to fit) which previously has left me with three broken tire levers.
Especially in case you use latex inner tubes, NEVER EVER move the tyre lever along the tyre like shown here starting at 07:17; always remove the lever, and put it again under the tyre two inches or so further on to prevent damaging the inner tube. The second point is that I stopped leaving the inner tube slightly inflated, as I often damaged the inner tubes (Conti supersonic butyle at that time), and completely deflated the inner tubes when it comes to those last remaining inches before the tyre is fitted completely on the rim, and fix the part with the tyre already correct on the rim between my knees. After the tyre is on, I slightly inflate the tyre and flex the tyre to ensure the tube is nowhere between the rim and the tyre
No professional uses a tyre lever. Get the tyre into the bottom of the rim, opposite the valve. On reaching the tight bit,hold wheel away from body, grasp tyre over top of wheel and ROLL the tyre towards you.. Then push up valve to make sure nothing trapped.
Great tips. I just managed to easily install a 650 road tire on my 29 mtb wheel, over my existing 2.25" tire. amazing!
Totally agree about lubrication - I carry a small bottle of rubber-safe lubricant (available from all good pharmacies - I take the label off) on rides.
I also have plastic tyre levers that lock in place, preventing the tyre from sliding off at one end when you work on the other end. I highly recommend them.
Final suggestion - if you are using an inner tube, don't put the locking nut on the valve until everything is seated. This means that you can push the valve up to make sure that it is clear of the tyre/tyre levers when you are doing that last little bit.
The tightest tires I've ever used are the Continental Gator Hardshells, followed closely by the standard Continental Gatorskins.
Yeah, I’ve had to walk away and come back a couple times to relieve the flustration with those gatorskins.
@@Sr89hot Several times I've had to bring them to a bike shop to be mounted; I just couldn't get it myself. This basically adds about $10 each to the cost of the tires.
I'm watching this as I try to put on Gator hardshells. 😠
@@anntarr7317 I am now finding that I get fewer (or no) flats when I run lower tire pressures. I used to inflate my 25mm tires to 105 psi, and I would get a few flats a year. Now I only inflate to around 60 or 70 psi, and I haven't gotten any flats. I have a bike with cheaper 32mm tires and I expected it to get a fair amount of flats, but I only inflate them to 50 or 55 psi, and I haven't had any flats in over 1400 miles -- so I don't plan on getting these heavier "armored" tires anymore. The lighter, more "standard" tires are easier to install.
It's not the tyres, it's the wheels.
Thank you so much, had been struggling for an hour, used the tips from this vid and sorted in 10 mins!
Thank you kind sir. This is what I needed after hours of frustration. Only thing I added was a wide brim trash can to hold the rim, and to push the tire down to the center where the circumference was shorter, was to use my entire body - my stomache and arms to push the tire down and it snapped in. I was using a Tommos Armour and Flak Jacket tire
Thanks for this--I needed a reminder about letting the first bead settle into the dip in the centre of the rim (and even to let most of the second tuck in too.
Great video.
Funny that you use the Pzeros, because they are about the easiest tires I've had the pleasure of putting on myself :P Don't ever carry a tire lever with me because they're so easy.
Not for me theyre not. Trying to fit P7 - zeros on a fulcrum rim has been the most challenging for me thus far. My previous continental gatorskins 700 x 28 went on easy on my fulcrum rims and seemed to resist punctures better than the P7's
I love fitting my tubular tyres as way easier
@@edhowardjr I totally agree, I've been using Fulcrum rims (std on my Specialised SL4) and GP5000 for years, recently I bought a new GP5000 tyre but of the new TR ready variety ( couldn't find any of the old GP5000). These are one hell of a tough tyre to fit, I've fitted plenty of tyres in my time but I had to return to the bike shop, even they had a huge struggle to fit them, cost me $10. Now I fear getting a flat on a long ride.
Had to go in to my LBS to get my new rear GP5000 on. As someone new to cycling it was a demoralizing moment but sounds like it's not unusual!
gave up trying to fit conti 5000s on scirocco G3 rims even with conti tyre tools but the schwalbe pro ones were even tighter - but amazingly the var tool prevailed and gets my endorsement
Soapy liquid did it for me going tubeless. Great idea. Set two new PR's for average mph going tubeless. One for over 10 miles, one for over 30 miles, also fastest 40K ever. At age 69, discovered tires Do make a difference. Keep on making the great videos. Thanks, from across the pond in Texas. Yee haw, not like Ollie would butcher it 🤠
This video helped us get what was seemingly an impossible tire. And we did it the night before a big ride🤯💥
Excellent vid!
If using a tube; before inflating, push the valve thru the rim hole, to free-up/separate tube from the tire bead.
(Tube can often get stuck/wedged under the rim bead, especially near the valve)
*PARTIALLY inflate tire, then check that tire bead is properly seated in the rim. ...a COUPLE times during inflation, even better. 👍
There used to be a product on the market called a Slick Stick. It was a plastic dowel about 3/8” inches diameter, on one end a slightly larger diameter handle about 3” long. The 3/8” end, the business end had a scoop removed from the end. That scoop hooked on the rim and could be used to push the bead of any tire into the rim. It worked just as well to pop the tire bead off to get the tire off. No one makes anything like it anymore. It was an awesome tool.
Thanks for posting this, it is really helpful. That slow and patient approach has always escaped me when the red mist descends so I'll stay calm and try your technique next time.
Everytime I purchase a schwalbe's tires I suggest my wife and childrens to go to the park and have a pleasant time in order to prevent listening daddy saying very rude words. Thank you very much! The dish soup works!
Brilliant - I spent 2.5 hr last night trying to get a tire on and was considering stopping cycling😮 but then came to my senses 🎉
BEST tip!! Totally helped a very tight tire that I couldn't do at all! Thank you!
I have a tip I found on RUclips, try applying a little Red Rubber Grease to the rim and tyre bead. I found this to work well. I had found it almost impossible to break or move the bead on GP5000's and Colnago Shamal Carbon tyres. But with this grease I can now break the bead much easier.
I tried using a little bit of wax on the tire bead and it actually worked! Tires have been holding air perfectly so it doesn't seem to have caused any problems with the sealant.
Thank you! This is a life saver 🎉
Centering the rim and ending at the valve did the trick!
Blowdryer to ease up cold rubber is probably a lot easier on combinations that are super difficult to get on.
Took me like 1 hour to get on a gp5000 on a mavic rim
Lovely presentation and fantastic tip on the use of a lubricant. Unfortunately, I struggled with my last attempt to fit a tyre because of arthritis in my fingers. May be the lubricant will help next time, assuming I don't rip my innertube to pieces again.
Amazing. The first time, I did it by myself. Thank you
I learnt the trick of getting the tyre into the central "valley" to give more slack a couple of years ago. I'd bought my first road bike and it had tubeless ready rims. I wasn't using tubeless tyres, but still found it a VERY tight fight. After trying multiple different tyre levers I finally found a video explaining the fix.
After fitting couple GP5000s for my friends and myself. Get 3 Schwalbe tire levers(nice and thin), 2 will be used to hold the tires(one on each side) and the one will be use for prying the unseated middle part. You move the 2 levers inwards until you get the tire on. You won’t have any issue putting them on and taking them off at home or out on a ride. They’re the best levers I think, others are too thick.
Thank you. I will try this as my gp5000's paired with a set of Easton's gave me and my mechanic fits. 4 inner tubes total, 3 on one rim, and he got lucky on the second. I spent 30 min to get one tire on and still pinched the tube before I even took them to him. I usually use 1 large Pedro's mixed with 1 or 2 thinner ones, but will try the Shwalbe levers and your technique next time, it can't hurt.
I was looking for someone in the comments with gp5000 struggles
THANK YOU! Your previous video on fitting difficult tires was SO FRUSTRATING as I fought with a cheap rim & tubeless tires. I broke 3 tire levers and thought that I was a moron.
Continental gator skins were always tyres I struggle with, I struggle with changing tyres at the best of times as I'm far from proficient at it. Easiest tyres I found to put on was the Michelin Country trail tyres I put on to the last mountain bike I had. I struggled the last time I had to change a schwalbe g one all round tyre on my gravel bike but got there in the end with the help of a chap in Halfords at the time as I just didn't have it seated 100% . It's a task I always dread but know I can do given a bit of time to do so. Will try the fairy and water trick the next time. Thank you for this.
Good tutorial. I was a bicycle mechanic from 1971 to 1997. I first found out about the "finish at the valve" method by reading the tiny instruction sheet included with Michelin Airstop inner tubes in the mid-70s, and used it successfully ever since. Old knowlege, and yet few people, including bike mechanics, know about it. It can really make the difference between a wrestling match and an easy installation.
I was losing my cool with the GP5000's and this saved me! Thank you for a great video ❤
Great advice . I had some success with wearing a certain type of relatively tight fitting cotton work gloves that are rubberized on the palms and fingers. The gloves surface is bumpy and not smooth at all . Over here across the pond there are blue atlas gloves brand .
The most impossible wheel and tire combinations: 2020 Mavic Carbon Cosmic SL 40 and the older tubeless GP5000! Took quite a few hours of warming, prestretching, and going back to the shop to get a pair of tire pliers. The tires are an absolute dream to ride on though!
Another point about lubing the bead, if you're running tubeless, the residual dish soap, which is harmless and dries on its own, helps the tire seat the bead.
Worked! With the soapy water and starting at valve. Maxxis on bontrager 29.
Good video , with Bontrager wheels and Continental 5000TL I know all this pain. On a hot summer day , leaving a new tire in direct sunlight is extremely helpful. Now GCN, please do a video with tips on how to get tubeless tires to seal up. I find that part even more frustrating
Soap makes a huge difference. I'm surprised you are one of the few who recommends it. I have changed 100s of automobile tires, and we always apply some soapy water to the bead before mounting each tire. Great video
Oh, I always thought the soapy water was to help spot any air leaks.
I got a Kool Stop tyre jack a few years ago and that basically solved this problem and saved my thumbs
for wheel and tire combo. I was putting some of the early carbon bead hutchinson fusion 3's on a set of velocity deep v rims when road tubeless was just becoming a thing. Those tires were notoriously evil, and those rims don't have much of a well for the bead. When you have trouble getting the first bead onto the rim, you know you're in for a tough time. Broke some nice pedros levers on that one. And when It flatted one very rainy day, there was no chance I was going to be able to get the wet, sealant slimed tire off the rim to install a tube with some basic levers on the side of the road.
Suprised you didn't mention using a towel. Doesn't always work, but the enhanced grip really makes a difference. You can pull the stubborn bit toward you, but I prefer trying to push it over the rim with the pads of my palms. That being said, I just put a new schwab one tubless tire on an old ultegra wheel and it was an absolute bear. It was so tight I couldn't slip the tire level in between the last bit of tire and the wheel. Towel method finished it off for me. Great video.
I always keep an old atomiser bottle (I think it had window cleaner in it) handy with a washing up liquid/water solution in it, I used it when I refreshed my tubeless sealant. I also use one of those tyre gadgets that look like a ‘pair of grips’ which works for me. 😎
I find that wearing my biking gloves while installing a tire helps with the grip on that last bit of tire. I have never had to use a tire iron using this method, but then maybe I have been lucky with my tire/wheel combinations.
Thank you Thank you Thank you. You saved what little sanity I had left.
Good advice for tire installation. I wonder what kind of pump you are using in this video.
Having installed dozens of tubeless tires I always run finally in problems with the inflation of the tire and end up by using a expensive (and not at all sustainable) CO2 cartridge.
I was 16 in 1971 and I got my first job at a bike store. I made 1.00 an hour and I was rich. Wads of cash! I was taught how to do this by the owner. Get some rubber coated gardening gloves (he used leather) and work the last few inches with just using your thumbs. He used a drop of oil instead of water if it was a new tire. I still carry a pair of gloves with me when I cycle.
I carry a tire jack with me. It fits in a back pocket and works really well for roadside or workshop.
Tyre jacks are great and eliminate the risk of pinching the inner tube with a lever.
Place the stubborn tire and rim in a black plastic garbage bag in the sun for 20 ish minutes, the tire becomes Supple and easy to install with out tools. Best to have the tire installed to the point where you can’t proceed without a tool.
The real challenge is when you have a puncture on the road. Installing at home is the easy part.
God bless GCN👍👍👍👍you doing a golden work..
Oh, and I swore like a trooper until i saw this vid 😅 That soapy water trick saved my sanity. Works well on MTB tyres too 🤙
The other thing that REALLY helps is to get as much of the tire on as possible, and then go around the parts that you have already done and push the sides (the bead) into the center channel - this makes it a TON easier to get over the hump at the top because it reduces the size differential. I have Gatorskins which, like the GP5000s, fit very tightly, and I have used this technique several times and it always works.
like your delivery . learnt from experience. but didnt know the washing up liquid though
I've been a cyclist since 1985 and a pro bike mechanic since about 2015. There's a reason why I only usually buy folding/beadless tyres these days. It stems back to a miserable club run in the late 80s when I was struggling to get beaded tyres back onto the rims in the pi$$ing rain after riding through a mass of broken flint someone had left across the entire road. There was no fairy liquid 40 miles from home.
I'm not a roadie but used to commute an a bicycle a lot and do all maintenance myself. At first getting 32 mm 700c Schwalbe Marathon Plus was really a royal pain in the posterior on the few different wheels I've had. However after about 10 years I learned how to do it. Now I don't even need the tire levers every time.
The trick really is just pushing the bead in the center of the rim, but there is a catch. Marathon plus is very stiff and the bead doesn't want t o stay in the center. After getting it almost there you have to start from the "bottom" (opposite end from the part that doesn't want to get in) and push it to teh center there. Pull up the tire from the part thet doesn't want to go with one hand and push the bead in the center starting from the opposite end. Keep pulling from the problem part and start pushing the bead to the center from other parts of the tire moving closer to the problem part. This should slowly create slack to the problem part and the constant pull by your other hand should keep the bead from popping up again.
The best technique is to heat up the tire slightly before mounting. 40-50°C is fine and will do no damage at all. Use a hairdryer, a hot air torch or put it in the stove for 10'. Heating the cable inside the rim will expand it and the rubber of the tire will get more easy to handle.
Imagining myself on the side of the road looking for sources of heat so I can install my tyre and ride home xD
I have the tyre key. Great bit of kit. Good tip for applying the soapy water. 😊
Find the right rim/tyre combo and stick with it...I had Vittoria Rubino Pro TLR on my DT Swiss P1800 rims, total pig to fit , get seated and remove. This year went for Hutchinson Storm Fusion 5 Performance 11 TLR and put them on with ease by hand...blew up and seated far easier with a track pump, and with Orange sealant hold the air far far better than the Rubinos.....
Kool stop tire jack.
Never knew about using the soapy water to lube that last section of the tire. Gotta try that next time I have a tight tire/rim fit. Thanks!
Many years ago, in the darkest hour of the night, in pouring rain, somewhere east of Loudeac, it took almost 30 minutes to force a Specialized Turbo S onto a Mavic Open 4 CD rim. I only succeeded because two others stopped to help.
There is also a Bead Jack, a tool that pulls the last bit of bead over the edge of the rim. It has saved my thumbs many times.
I got the P Zero race tyres on Vision SC 40 wheels, getting them on was a breeze. Its getting them off that was impossible. Even went to my lbs and even they couldn't get them off. One side was just stuck, had to take a set of bolt cutters to the tyre.
absolute hero!
Thank you, Alex. This is most helpful. 👍
here I am watching this helpful video after clipping 3 (three) inner tubes with my lever while trying to fit
Vittoria Randonneur Wire Bead Tires
Using the channel to compensate for the difference in wheel and tyre circumference definitely works. But don't be surprised when you inflate the tyre and it pops in to place.
Thanks mate. And thanks for the translations to 'Merican'!
Cheers Alex for the vid. After some recent struggles with new wider rims/tyres, i wondered if this has increased difficulty in this task? Older rims/tyres in my experience has been easier. Also, when out on the road, does adding water only as lube help too?? Cheers again!
Putting new vittoria corsa on old mavic ma rims took two big desert spoons and washing up liquid 😅 straighten the spoons later so the missus didn’t find out😊
With clinchers certain combinations of rim/tyre are very tight.
I had some Token carbon that were a real beast with Continental but Velo flex went on easy.
Some Mavic tight also although the old Open pros were average.
Campag/Conti/Michelin could be tight.
If you are using latex or any very thin tube do NOT drag the tyre lever around,always insert and remove carefully and re-insert further around otherwise you will damage the tube.
The crayon stick or small piece of candle wax can be used roadside to lube the bead.
In the old days when the beads were steel they were much stiffer and harder to fit.