Just had a wheel built up at the lbs, DT350 and Stans Flow MK4. Grabbed the only tire they had in stock in the size I wanted… 27.5×2.4 Conti XYNOTAL in DH Casing. I should have just ordered a different tire…
Holy hell I’ve never had so much trouble installing a tire. Yeah yeah, work it around the rim with your thumbs, make sure the bead is in the channel, finish at the valve… I still needed 2 tire levers for the *first* bead.
And then how the hell do you push the second bead into the channel when the first one is so tight that you can’t get it *out* of the channel to make room!?
I ended up leaving it half done in the sun hoping it would stretch the bead and soften it up a little. Then I took the tire off and sat the other bead first, again hoping that the first one had loosened a bit.
Not really. My shitty blue park levers have taken on that lovely white of plastic that’s about to break. Eventually with a combo of soapy water, kneeling on it, 2 tire levers, some knuckle blood and a lot of anger I got that fucker on. I probably damaged the rim tape, and never added any sealant but dammit it was on.
Hard to get a good photo but look how tight that bastard is (both beads were pinched together in the center at this point.
To make matters worse one bead was sitting on the rubber of the tubeless stem, which I had to pry off before it would take any air. And I might have damaged the valve in the process because it’s now leaking air from the base of the valve 🙁
AlarmingComparison59 on
I watched my lbs employee 3 mechanics. I shit you not, 3 grown ass men to get my tire on after I admitted defeat. I ended up just buying two new tires and said EFF it. If I have to unbeard a rim or put a tube in as an emergency, I’m super hosed. Juice isn’t worth the squeeze to me personally as I ride some pretty remote areas and having to put a tube in is a real thing.
MGTS on
Old Trek Matrix rim and a 700×23 Gatorskin. If you know, you know
ThadsBerads on
Just about any tire on a Sun cr18 rim…..I mean, I’ve had individually worse experiences, but on this rim, every tire seems like a tough job.
Pimpstik69 on
Continental GP5K tubeless on Bontrager Aeolus 3V. Took gorilla hand strength. I had blood blisters on my palms
dunncrew on
I have used a big-assed flat blade screwdriver as a tire lever a few times. Gotta be careful not to pinch the tube.
Potential_Aardvark59 on
Mavic Ksyrium SL , trying to fit a 25mm Schwalbe Pro One Tubeless. MF’r will wreck your fingers. 3 levers does it. Still tough…
WhiskeySierra1984 on
Conti Kryptotal with a DH casing and cushcore on We Are One Unions; hardest tire I’ve ever done by a long shot.
TysonMarconi on
You go to climbing gyms to climb harder grades and pick up girls.
I go to climbing gyms so I can mount a GP500S TR on a carbon rim with my bare hands. We are not the same.
1steverredditaccount on
I have a pair of the heavy duty Park levers (TL-5) and a pair of Pedro’s downhill levers that look like screwdrivers. Sometimes I’m trying to remove tires from bikes that are over 40 years old and the tires are stiff.
mmlow on
I’ve mounted probably every tire / rim combo you can name, and many combos have given me difficulty, but Challenge Strada are the only tires I just gave up on after trying for days.
Interesting-Youth-87 on
Rolf dolomite disk front wheel and ANY GODDAMN TIRE LIKE FOR CHRIST SAKE
RenaxTM on
Any stiff wire bead tire on the Sunrims Ditch Witch
They’re tight, and there’s zero groove in the middle. Nowhere to go, no way you’re getting that on or off without tools.
pdxwanker on
If I remember correctly gatorskins on wtb I-something…
Ended in full contact, down to my underwear on the kitchen floor, soapy water everywhere.
14 Comments
Just had a wheel built up at the lbs, DT350 and Stans Flow MK4. Grabbed the only tire they had in stock in the size I wanted… 27.5×2.4 Conti XYNOTAL in DH Casing. I should have just ordered a different tire…
Holy hell I’ve never had so much trouble installing a tire. Yeah yeah, work it around the rim with your thumbs, make sure the bead is in the channel, finish at the valve… I still needed 2 tire levers for the *first* bead.
And then how the hell do you push the second bead into the channel when the first one is so tight that you can’t get it *out* of the channel to make room!?
I ended up leaving it half done in the sun hoping it would stretch the bead and soften it up a little. Then I took the tire off and sat the other bead first, again hoping that the first one had loosened a bit.
Not really. My shitty blue park levers have taken on that lovely white of plastic that’s about to break. Eventually with a combo of soapy water, kneeling on it, 2 tire levers, some knuckle blood and a lot of anger I got that fucker on. I probably damaged the rim tape, and never added any sealant but dammit it was on.
Hard to get a good photo but look how tight that bastard is (both beads were pinched together in the center at this point.
https://imgur.com/oTFZJ8G
To make matters worse one bead was sitting on the rubber of the tubeless stem, which I had to pry off before it would take any air. And I might have damaged the valve in the process because it’s now leaking air from the base of the valve 🙁
I watched my lbs employee 3 mechanics. I shit you not, 3 grown ass men to get my tire on after I admitted defeat. I ended up just buying two new tires and said EFF it. If I have to unbeard a rim or put a tube in as an emergency, I’m super hosed. Juice isn’t worth the squeeze to me personally as I ride some pretty remote areas and having to put a tube in is a real thing.
Old Trek Matrix rim and a 700×23 Gatorskin. If you know, you know
Just about any tire on a Sun cr18 rim…..I mean, I’ve had individually worse experiences, but on this rim, every tire seems like a tough job.
Continental GP5K tubeless on Bontrager Aeolus 3V. Took gorilla hand strength. I had blood blisters on my palms
I have used a big-assed flat blade screwdriver as a tire lever a few times. Gotta be careful not to pinch the tube.
Mavic Ksyrium SL , trying to fit a 25mm Schwalbe Pro One Tubeless. MF’r will wreck your fingers. 3 levers does it. Still tough…
Conti Kryptotal with a DH casing and cushcore on We Are One Unions; hardest tire I’ve ever done by a long shot.
You go to climbing gyms to climb harder grades and pick up girls.
I go to climbing gyms so I can mount a GP500S TR on a carbon rim with my bare hands. We are not the same.
I have a pair of the heavy duty Park levers (TL-5) and a pair of Pedro’s downhill levers that look like screwdrivers. Sometimes I’m trying to remove tires from bikes that are over 40 years old and the tires are stiff.
I’ve mounted probably every tire / rim combo you can name, and many combos have given me difficulty, but Challenge Strada are the only tires I just gave up on after trying for days.
Rolf dolomite disk front wheel and ANY GODDAMN TIRE LIKE FOR CHRIST SAKE
Any stiff wire bead tire on the Sunrims Ditch Witch
They’re tight, and there’s zero groove in the middle. Nowhere to go, no way you’re getting that on or off without tools.
If I remember correctly gatorskins on wtb I-something…
Ended in full contact, down to my underwear on the kitchen floor, soapy water everywhere.