I’m putting new tires on my Bianchi reparto corse (got it used years ago and it was ready for an upgrade). I’ve changed tubes and tires in the past but I had a helluva time getting the old tires off these wheels, even broke a tool. I figured it was bc they were old, ordered the same size and I’m having a helluva time putting these on. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong?
Wheels: ETRTO 622 x 15c – limited edition for Bianchi by Maddux DR4000 Taiwan 6061-T6
Tires: 700 x23c Continental Gatorskin Black Edition
by urbanistah
4 Comments
Some tyre and rim combinations are just tight AF. There are supposed to be standards for rim size and tyre bead size, but until pretty recently manufacturers had allowed them to slip.
Continental in particular are often so freaking tight that getting them on and off rims is a massive task.
You might help yourself by pushing the tyre bead as deep as possible into the rim well as it goes over the rim, and so freeing up a bit of slack.
I strongly suggest you try a different tyre brand, because even if you do those tyres on those rims, you’re going to struggle to change a tube out on the road when it will inevitably be cold, dark and wet in accordance with Murphy’s Law.
I find using no levers an easier option with snug tires, usage of centre groove is essential and, in some cases, starting on the opposite side of the valve is quite helpful.
This may sound weird but I have found one side of a rim at times to be easier to mount from than the other. Drive side or non drive side might be ever so slightly smaller in diameter. A couple tenths of a millimeter can make a massive difference in ease of mounting.
Here is my mounting technique, usually works without tools.
1. Insert valve stem.
2. Mount first side of tire all the way around.
3. Push the tube into place on the rim
4. Starting from the valve stem, mount the other side of the tire. The last bit of unmounted tire should be 180 degrees opposite the stem.
5. Put the wheel on the ground at your feet, valve stem at the top. Using your body weight, and starting at the stem, pull and stretch the tire and work all the slack in the tire down to the end where the unmounted bit is.
6. Mount the last bit of tire. Should be a lot easier.
Get a Kool Stop tire bead jack. You still need to be careful about pinching the tube. All other suggestions here also can help.