showlow

I have a set of HED Ardennes SL+ wheels on my bike. They're fine--they're light, strong, etc. The only thing is that it's damn near impossible to mount a tire to them. Some combos are better than others. Conti GP5ks were ok, and so were 4 Seasons. Both were really tough, much harder than it should be, to mount the first time, but then subsequent times they seemed to be a little easier. Mounting Vittorias almost made me insane. Search for previous posts on the subject.

Anyway, I'm considering selling these and having my LBS build me a different set of wheels around DT Swiss 350 hubs. Can anyone recommend a tubeless ready rim that might be a little easier to get a tire on? I absolutely dread flats on these HEDs and frankly I don't trust them 30 miles down a dirt road.

Currently considering H Plus Son Hydra.

berner

Here are some suggestions. Good luck. Alloy Rim Roundup - Fairwheel Bikes Blog

tFUnK

It's the tubeless aspect of the rim that makes tire mounting potentially tricky.

davidad

https://www.amazon.com/Kool-Stop-Tir...fsclp_pl_dp_11

showlow

I bought one of those for the Vittorias. It took that jack, two Pedro's levers, and 4 hands to get the Vittorias on. I have changed hundreds of tires in my time. I would not be able to do it roadside. Not to mention the fact that it took 120+ PSI, something like 30 over the max pressure, to get the bead to pop onto the shelf. Also impossible roadside. I blame the rims. I am not against using tubeless, but I have to at least be able to put an emergency tube in if I have to. I'm not calling my wife to get me 40 miles down a dirt road.

70sSanO

Have you tried different levers? I have used VAR RP-42500 for decades and they have always worked. I’m not saying it won’t still be tougher than other rims, but I haven’t failed to mount a tire... and without pinching the tube. That is usually the problem.

It isn’t not being able to get a tire on a rim, although there have been a few notorious ones over the years, it’s not pinching the tube against the rim.

John

showlow

Those look kinda promising. But then again, so did the Kool Stop jack, and it was literally no help at all. I watched a video with those VAR levers and the fact that he used only one shows the tire was much easier to mount than mine. If I tried to pull the bead over on one side it just slipped out on the other. The eventual solution was to use the KSBJ to pull the bead up about halfway (it wouldn't pull it all the way, it just popped off because it was too tight), jam a Pedro's tire lever in on the far side of the bead like a tent stake to keep it from slipping back out, and then while holding the KSBJ with my left hand, pried it on with a second lever in my right. I got them on, by God, but I felt like Balboa at the end of Rocky 2.

Anyway, what I am trying to avoid is building a set of wheels to just have them be just as hard to deal with.

70sSanO

Sorry, I just realized you are running tubeless. I don't understand the flat issues.

John

cpach

I'm not sure about being especially easy mounting (harder with tubeless in general, although a deep center channel helps), but for general use nice road wheels some rims I'd look at (off the top of my head, lots of good stuff in this segment)(besides the Hydra, which is nice!):
Velocity Aileron
DT R 421
Pacenti Forza

tFUnK

I want to say this will be true with most tubeless rims. Although, iirc the Stans rims were a bit easier to mount. No recent experience, though. Maybe someone else can confirm?

ThermionicScott 

Are you making sure to get all of the bead into the center well when mounting or dismounting? Loose rims let you do whatever and finish the job with tire levers, but for tubeless this is critical. Also, what rim tape is installed?

showlow

Yes, and Stan's.