new tires

[RolliePollie]

You all have great suggestions! For this particular new tire, I'm going to find help though. My hands are just destroyed today. I have gashes, swollen knuckles, and my fingertips are so sore! I was trying to use my tire levers our of desperation and they kept slipping...fingers and knuckles hit the rims, the spokes, etc. over and over again. I have very tiny hands and fingers (my ring finger is a size 4-1/2!) and I just don't think there's enough strength there for tight new tires

Great info on pinch flats. I didn't pay any attention to how the tire was inflating. Considering the fact the the tube exploded and sounded like gunfire, I bet you it was bulging when I was inflating it.

I give a lot of credit to anyone who can get a silly new tire on their silly old wheel all by themselves!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Sarah, different tires are different fits. My first TWO of sets of new tires were very snug to get on, but I managed to get them on and off with just my hands when i tried very hard. But this last set there was NO WAY to get them coaxed on without levers- DH tried and tried too. We know the techniques with working it slowly around the sides to ease more slack, thumb action, bracing, etc. They were super tight. But it was impressive how they became easier to get on and off after I levered them on first without tubes to sort of "pre-stretch" them.

Once i have the tire and tube on, I only inflate the tube about 1/3 hard and then bounce the tire all around lightly on the ground to help the tube settle, I also gently pinch in one side of the bead in all around and peer inside to make sure the tube is not caught under the bead, then the other side. Finally i put the wheel back on the bike (it's easier to coax it between the brake pads when not fully inflated) and inflate fully.