Tire and Tube Trouble

[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.

[Triskeliongirl]

I hate to say it but you gotta get this down, what are you gonna do when you are out there alone, far from home and out of cell phone range. I use park tool plastic tire levers. Yeh, I try to put the tire back on without a lever, but sometimes I use a lever to help get it closed (you just kind of reverse the movement you made to get it off with). I am careful though that I have already checked the seating of the tube to know its not gonna get cauught in any way when I do that. You would have been better off if the fella at the LBS showed you what you could do, rather than doing it for you!

[Kalidurga]

I had the impression that Knotted has already "got this down" and that it was just a new tire combined with levers that weren't suitable for her particular rims that created the difficulty.

[KnottedYet]

Yup, I know how to change a tire. Much as I love my Speedlever, even the LBS dude said they really aren't that hot with rims like Flossie's. (I did manage to get one of my new tires on, but darn near broke the Speedlever on wheel #2)

So I now have my trio of steel-core Soma levers, and a burning desire to have strong enough hands to put tires on barehanded!

(and would that make me more popular with the gorgeous hotties?)

[Triskeliongirl]

I had the impression that Knotted has already "got this down" and that it was just a new tire combined with levers that weren't suitable for her particular rims that created the difficulty.

Ooops, sorry, I missed that part! I am glad she solved the problem. As women I think we are often discoureaged from doing mechanical things, and I don't think anyone should leave home without being able to change a flat and make at least minor emergency repairs.