Tire and Tube Trouble

[Mimosa]

What I normally use as lever is something very cheap (no more then a couple of dollars).

They normally come in mini tyre-repair kits (about 6 dollars) which you can put in you backpocket.
They never break and allways do the job, regardless of the rim.

[Kalidurga]

Hey Knotted, since Deb answered your question, mind if I hijack this for a similar question?

I just bought a set of folding tires with a slightly knobbier tread (Ritchey SpeedMax Cross). As soon as I got home, I unfolded them and laid them out on the living room floor where they've been ever since, waiting patiently for me to stop being lazy and pull the wheels off of my bike to mount them.

Is there anything I need to know about mounting a folding tire? They definitely don't have the same curve to them (curve from rim to rim, I mean) as the tires originally on the bike, so I'm wondering if it'll be tricky to get the second bead lined up in the rim.

[spokewench]

Na, they aren't hard to install - all the same tricks as any other kind of tire.

If the tire is cold, sometimes, my husband will put it in the oven low temp for a minute to get it to be more pliable. But this is not necessary unless the tire is cold

Same old tricks, put the tire on one side of the rim, stick your tube in, go around the rim starting at the stem side putting the tire into the rim on the other side. If it gets tough towards the end push the tire together all the way around the rim, i.e. pushing the tire towards the inside of the rim on both sides at the same time all the way around. This will make it easier to get that last part on.

[Kalidurga]

Thank you, Spokewench, that's about what I figured. They certainly seem soft enough that I didn't think it'd be any more difficult. Always got to be sure when ya try something new and different, though

[KnottedYet]

I am not experiencing stunning success with Flossie's 2nd tire. So I'll hie me off to the LBS for help (and a set of real tire levers). There is still some wear left in the old tires, so I'll donate 'em to the freebie box at LBS.

I just hate it that I can't do this by myself. Can I blame the Speedlever/Campy rim mismatch?

(BTW the Speedlever is FAB-U-LOUS on the Kona's wheels!)

[KnottedYet]

Love my LBS. Dude put the tire on with his bare hands! As I stood there telling him NOTHING I did would get the tire on.

Got 3 steel core tire levers. (can't quite remember how you use the levers to put the tire ON. gotta research)

Also bought another of those cute little presta-Schrader adapters.

Cleaned and lubed Flossie's chain, now I gotta put on the computer and reset it. (am starting to really like Boeshield)

[Mimosa]

I hate to say this, but you but the tires on preferably by hand without use of the levers. Otherwise you'll risk punturing the innertyre.

That's why I allways hate changing the tyre, I get the job done to put the tyre on by hand but my fingers hurt all over and I even had a couple of times where I had blisters on my fingertips.

[CyclChyk]

I just hate it that I can't do this by myself. Can I blame the Speedlever/Campy rim mismatch?

Sounds good to me!!!

[DebW]

I'll pass on a few tricks to bare-handed tire installation. Mind you, it can still be painful. Follow Spokewench's advise about letting out any air in the tube and squeezing towards the middle. For that last bit, body position and proper leverage are important. What I do is squat and lay the wheel flat on my legs with the recalcitrant tire bit up and away from me. Then work the tire on with the middle of your thumbs, using both thumbs close together (thumb tips 1 inch apart) to work over a piece of tire and moving around the rim until the last bit is on.

This technique has never failed me except in the early 80s when narrow high pressure 700c clinchers first came out and were an extremely tight fit to the rim. Then I occasionally resorted to the VAR tire lever/installer (see http://www.sheldonbrown.com/var/pages/var0051.html item 425). This little gadget lifts rather than pries the tire on. Too bad it's no longer available (but I have 2 of them). You
can buy this:
http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cg...&item_id=KS-TJ
but it's 9 inches long and you wouldn't want to carry it on the bike. But really, bare hands are always best and with good technique most any tire can be installed without tools.