Edit: Typo in title, "stay" should be "seat."
I feel like I kick myself every time when I finally get it on, but from watching Calvin's videos and others, it seems like both beads should be in the center channel. But I've been wrestling with this for over an hour, and wondering if I need to get the other side seated first.
Pirelli 30 TLR Race RS… The 32 wasn't nearly this bad, but I guess that makes sense given the little bit of extra circumstance? (Have to run a little skinnier in back.)
by MC_NYC
30 Comments
No, make sure opposing bead is in the middle of the wheel to give as much play as possible on the external bead. Looks like a tight fit. Good luck.
https://youtu.be/h30Ca-MBC3A?feature=shared
This is the best video I’ve found on it. Near the end he does a move that’s always helped me get it back on. So, maybe try that?
My other advice is avoid gp5000s because they’re fucking AWFUL to mount.
You do not want the tire seated. Keep the bead in the center, it doesn’t require you to stretch the tire as much.
I find by far the easiest way is to have a bike mechanic do it for £5 in seconds whilst I get a coffee
In addition to keeping the bead in the center, I think it’s best to finish at the valve, since the valve keeps the bead off center.
I bought the 32mm tlr for my new Elite ENT 2.0 wheels. Gave up trying in the end and bought the regular version and some TPU tubes. Went on by hand no problem.
Always finish at the valve stem. You want both beads in the middle of the rim because the diameter of the rim is smaller in the middle than it is on the sides – that’s what gives you the slack to install the tire.
forget it, pirelli’s as of late are a royal pain to get them on, you can pinch, squeeze, “create slack”, whatever, in the last part it will get horribly tight
Almost 10 years changing tires without tools and the last 4 sets of pirellis, both mtb and road, have let my thumbs red and my hands cramped.
Had to reach for the old reliable bead tire jack to get that last section on the rim.
Not even with tubular tires had I have such a bad time.
And I had the bright idea to put a set of cinturato allroad in my own gravel all road bike, my god, what a dumb ass…
Once you hit this problem always push the seated bead deeeper and it will give you some slack. Don’t try to seat the unseated part in one go.
I tried to mount a pair of those exact tires in 32mm this week and gave up after barely mounting one bead. It was a mission to even get the tire back off. They are now on sale on Marketplace if anyone wants a good deal on tires.
If you have the opposing bead in first, it’ll normally be easier. Try that as I’ve done that with other tight fitting tires and it seems to work good. You can always use a flathead screwdriver to pry one end in while holding the opposite end with your hand to keep it from slipping out. I usually just use my thumbs to force it up and in, but this does look like a tight fit.
Ahhhh, the good ol’ days 😌
pray
I have a question: Would it help to heat up the tire?
Other bead needs to be in the middle of the wheel, but man, good luck, that is the tightest tire I’ve ever seen
I use this and installing gp5000 on carbon rims takes a minute or two. https://tyreglider.co.uk/. I have used a koolstop and it’s nice as well, but the tyreglider is tiny and works better than anything that I have used.
This is not self-promotion–I have no interest in the manufacturer.
Get a Tyre Glider, a real upgrade to those old tire wrenches. Fifteen bucks on Amazon and it makes this process a whole bunch easier. Just mounted/dismounted a GP5000 twice yesterday and was kind of astounded by quickly it happened. Do a search on YouTube.
I lost the battle with exactly these tires and went to my LBS for help. They continued the battle and they managed to get them on. Been riding on them for around 6 months. They are absolutely gorgeous to ride and way more puncture proof than the GP5k I had before but I dread the moment when I have to take them of & put the on again for a roadside repair (eg a puncture that the sealant cannot heal). And I know I have to remove some solid sealant because the wheels feel a bit off center…
It looks like you also have your tire mounted backwards from the intended direction of rotation, judging from the way the sipes are oriented.
Also, it’s a convention to center the logo on the tire (“PIRELLI”) at the valve. It’s partly an aesthetic thing, but also practical: if you get a puncture in the future, it helps you match the puncture site through the tire, tube, and rim, to help with the diagnosis and fix.
Do one whole side of the tire, then push that side into the center of the rim where the rim is lower, then the other side will be significantly easier to get on.
Watch some of cush cores install videos they explain it very well, this is the proper way to install a tire it’s just seemingly been lost and isn’t how people are learning to do it anymore
No special tips here other than standard ones, but Pirelli is the only manufacturer that made me break levers during installation. good luck!🤞
That tire is a pita to install in any size. Good luck.
I have this tyre and used to fight with it until I realised tyre levers were working against me. Now I use my bear hands, using your hands will automatically pull the other side inward making it easier a lot easier.
Don’t forget to line up the valve with the label so it’s faster to find.
Make sure you start at the opposite rim side of the valve first and end at the valve. Always place the bead you’re working on to the middle all around the wheel (the centre has an extra gap that will give you extra space to get the tyre into the wheel). For the last part i always use a semi wet cloth for extra grip and work my way from 1 side to the other. Usually im done within 5 minutes with tubeless tyres.
I just easily installed two difficult-to-install Ultradynamicos about 30 minutes ago. Both beads in the center channel makes a huge difference. The other important factor is heat. Warm up the tire in the sun, on the radiator, or with a hair dryer. This softens the tire and makes it more pliable. Once I learned these two tricks, tire installation got a lot whole lot easier.
Edit: And finish at the valve stem. Do all 3 of these, and I guarantee your install will go much easier, or your money back.
You have too much friction. Hot soapy water. Lube that tire/rim area up and it helps a bunch of you have a tire lever installer
Lubricate with tubeless sealaint if going tubeless or with baby ass powder if going tubed.
It’s a game changer.
Pirelli’s (especially the RS) suck major ass to get on the rim. I switched to a GP5000 after my last puncture and got it on in minutes by hand, as much as I love the Pirelli’s I’d probably stick with Conti’s from now on
End at the valve stem and use soapy water to help it slide.
I’ve had some Pirelli Cinturato Velo 700cx32 that were a b*tch to get in, but then I bought them again 🤪
But yes, if you can get the bead into the valley on the other side, it’s easier….theoretically, maybe. 🤞🏻
Also as stated, try to finish near the valve (but not on the valve as that could bring problems too getting the bead seated in).
Going TLR? Bust out the tire levers. Going tube? Be careful with the levers 🙈