folding tyres

[kiwi girl]

I don't know if this is a stupid question or not - but are folding tyres easier to put on and take off than wire beaded tyres? Intuitvely to me it seems they should be (I've just bought some folding tyres for the first time - but probably won't get a chance to install them until the weekend)

[Laterider21958]

I have never heard of them. How do they stay on if they don't have a bead to hold them under the rim? Just curious.

[kiwi girl]

they have a flexible kevlar bead rather than wire. Having looked at them I think they might be quite hard to put on the first time until they take a bit of shape

[DirtDiva]

For my mtb I have one set of folding tyres that are really easy to get on and off and one set that are quite tricky. I used to have a wire-beaded set that fell somewhere between the two. The wire-bead tyres on my roadie are undoubtedly the hardest of all to get on and off.

[DebW]

I installed a set of folding tires recently, and found that they went on easier if I put one side of the tire on the rim, then inserted the tube, then put on the 2nd side of the tire. Trying to put the tube in the tire first when it wanted to curl was difficult.

[HillSlugger]

I find them a little harder to mount. When they are brand new they don't readily hold their normal shape. I also find them a bit harder to properly seat the bead. Why bother with them? They are usually lighter and they are supposed to give a more comfortable ride and corner better. They're easier to ship, too.

[short cut sally]

I use the folding tires. I was told that the wire tires (which are cheaper) weren't as durable as the folding type. They (the salesperson at the bike shop) said they are easier to get on and off and that is all that i've used on both of my bikes after replacing the original tires. My DH changes my tires for me so I can't vouch if they are easier or not. :rolleyes:

[indysteel]

I successfully mounted new folding tires on my bike for the first time last night. In the past, I've had a little assistance (or a lot) from my friends at my LBS. But since I buy my tires online, I felt that I really needed to do it by myself this time around. I don't have the strongest hands in the word so the hardest part was getting the old tire off and the last few inches of the new tire into the rim. But I did it.

The folding tire itself was easy enought to mount. When you first take it out of the box, it will not really look like a tire exactly since it has no real shape. Don't fret, however. After removing the old tire and tube, I put one side of the tire into the rim first. The tire started to take shape at that point. Then I put a little air in the tube and mounted it, making sure that it was seated properly on the rim. From there, I put the other side of the tire into the rim. The last few inches were a bit tricky. I had to use a tire lever and hope that I didn't pinch the tube, but I got it in after working the tire a bit. The entire process took about 10-15 minutes.

It was a minor victory, but still a proud moment!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I find them a little harder to mount. When they are brand new they don't readily hold their normal shape. I also find them a bit harder to properly seat the bead. Why bother with them? They are usually lighter and they are supposed to give a more comfortable ride and corner better. They're easier to ship, too.

A good reason to have them is if you are on a multi day tour in areas where there are no bike shops nearby. If your tire gets badly cut or chewed up somehow, you have a replacement tire with you. Carrying just one could cover a lot of possible tire disasters for 2 or 3 people if they use similar size tires.

[indysteel]

A good reason to have them is if you are on a multi day tour in areas where there are no bike shops nearby. If your tire gets badly cut or chewed up somehow, you have a replacement tire with you. Carrying just one could cover a lot of possible tire disasters for 2 or 3 people if they use similar size tires.

Ditto that. I usually keep a set of new tires in my car in case I need a new one at the last minute as I start a ride. I'm also taking a set along for my week long bike trip to Tennessee in September. I stock up from www.probikekit.com, which stocks my tire of choice for a lot less than I've found elsewhere.

I really want to emphasize that it wasn't hard for me to mount the tire. Since I've never (knocked on wood) flatted on the road before, I don't get much practice with it either. For the record, the tires are Vittoria Rubino Pros. Some tires are reportedly harder to mount than others and the wheel itself can make a difference, too. I have Veloplugs instead of rim tape on my wheels, which allegedly makes mounting easier.

[Eden]

For the record, the tires are Vittoria Rubino Pros. Some tires are reportedly harder to mount than others and the wheel itself can make a difference, too.

oh yeah - I had one Rubino that I got as a door prize. I put it on my rain bike as a winter/trainer tire. The thing was BOMB proof - never got a flat and showed little wear even using the trainer, but it was a BEAR to mount. It took both my husband and myself pushing and pulling to get the thing on my rim the first time.

[indysteel]

oh yeah - I had one Rubino that I got as a door prize. I put it on my rain bike as a winter/trainer tire. The thing was BOMB proof - never got a flat and showed little wear even using the trainer, but it was a BEAR to mount. It took both my husband and myself pushing and pulling to get the thing on my rim the first time.

They're a little tight to begin with, but the guy at my LBS who helped me put my first set on commented on how easy they were to mount, as did someone who helped me with a pre-ride flat (the valve stem actually came off). Maybe the Veloplugs really do help. In any event, my hands just don't seem strong enough for those last few inches of bead.

[Eden]

I think it was just a tire / rim combination that didn't get along so well - most tires were a bit stiff on them, the rubino was nuts. I'm sure it stretched once it was on there a while, but since it never flatted, I never had to find out. Forget about having to use a lever to get it onto the rim.... it took two adults (and my husband isn't exactly a small guy) to push it on there.

[indysteel]

Eden, I gotta laugh at the image of that. :p I was struggling enough myself with them last night and I'm sure I looked pretty funny to the outside observer. The whole process is more than a little awkward at times.