Babbitt

I could use some good ideas for putting on a new tire. The arthritis in my hands has gotten to the point that I can't get a new tire on without tire levers. This often eads to a torn tube from the lever. I can change a tire on the road after then have broken in some. At least I have not been stranded yet.

Currently I just put the tire on without a tube and let it sit over night to stretch. I typically ride a 700 x 25 tire.

Thanks

AnkleWork

Regardless of the use of tire levers, the principles of sound technique and procedure still apply. There is a very large volume of published material on sound technique and procedure. If you find yourself deviating from known good practice (or tearing tubes) stop and evaluate what you're doing. (I can't see a tire without a tube stretching, BTW.)

BobbyG

I haven't gone tubeless on any of my bikes, but it seems to me that if you can put the tire on, but have problems with the tube, perhaps tubeless is for you.

masi61

Schwalbe tire levers are flat & I tried them based on a recommendation here (they are blue & cost like $7 for a set of 3). They are easier to slip under a tight bead than the Pedro’s reinforced type.

use of leather gardening gloves (tight fitting preferably) can help give more grip when rolling a tight bead by hand.

use of tubeless tape sometimes help create some extra space in tight quarters even with inner tubes.

frankenmike 

You could use a Park TL10 type tool.

mitchmellow62

I'm curious if a bead jack would help the OP at all?

August West

Easy and inexpensive answer - Kool Stop Tire Bead Jack

Babbitt

Tubles is an interesting idea.

I have been changing tires for almost 50 years and have never seen one of those jacks before. I am ordering one tonight.

Thanks

dsbrantjr

Don't neglect to bring it with you on a ride or you will be stuck if you get a flat. I have found that nitrile gloves help to give a better grip than bare hands, weigh practically nothing and are useful for keeping your hands clean when doing greasy tasks like putting a dropped chain back on.

Gresp15C

Bead jack is a wonder. I've got pretty strong hands (double bassist) but there are tires that I can't install by hand at all without the bead jack.

Babbitt

I just ordered the jack. Can't wait to try it.

ThermionicScott 

One of the important things is not to make the basic job any more difficult than it needs to be. Tubeless rim tape (or a generic version of same) is much thinner than traditional Velox cloth tape, and this gives you a bit more slack when mounting tires on some classic rims that are known to be tight, or when the tire tends to be a tight fit on anything.

Crankycrank

I guess this is a little late but I just saw this recently from Performance. Looks like another good possibility for easy mounting. Link also has a demo video. https://www.performancebike.com/tyre...rekey/p1007690

Babbitt

If the jack doesn't work I may try that.

Thanks

easyupbug 

I have dealt with arthritis in my hands for years and the advise above is good. When I got a set of "tubeless ready rims" I found how important rim design is in mounting. This post and the comments encapsulates my learning experience with rims and other hints as well: https://janheine.wordpress.com/2012/...th-deep-wells/

Babbitt

Thanks I will check out that link.

davidad

You will be happy with it. Don't leave home without it.

Arthur Peabody

Read your biography: good to see you've taken up cycling. Do you use folding tires? I think they are easier to install than tires with wire beads.

I occasionally tore a tube with metal levers, I never have with with plastic levers.

While searching for a tool I used to use but can't remember the name of (QuickStick?), I found I've never used.

mitchmellow62

The Kool Stop seems a little large to carry along. I've used the Sunlite, which is a nylon copy of the old VAR bead jack/tire levers. It's longer than most tire levers carried in bike bags but smaller than the Kool Stop. It's worked for me on the road. Here's the Amazon page:
https://www.amazon.com/Sunlite-Pro-T...sr=1-1-catcorr

canklecat

Ditto the Kool Stop bead jack. Solved my tire mounting problems with very tight fitting Schwalbe One and Conti tires. My hand arthritis isn't too bad but it can be painful in winter.

I take it on every ride, tucked into my jersey center pocket. Some folks cut down the handle so it doesn't poke out so far. I haven't. The length doesn't bother me -- it's behind me so I can't see it. But it doesn't need to full handle length to be effective.

Also helps to powder the tubes and tire beads if I'm at home. On the road I spit on the last bit of bead if it's giving me a hard time.

Regarding folding vs wire beads, I haven't noticed any pattern. Most of my wire bead tires can be mounted with just my bare hands, and I don't have that much hand strength anymore. But some folders, especially Schwalbe and Continental, can be a sumb!tch to mount without some mechanical leverage. Especially when new. I doubt the bead stretches. I think mounting burnishes the rubber around the bead, maybe scrapes off the mold release, so it gets a little easier with each re-mounting.

cny-bikeman

Whether or not the jack works for the original OP it seems odd that nobody mentioned some of the hints to help anyone in mounting tires.
1. Always start on the opposite side of the wheel from the valve stem and end just to one side of the valve.
2. Push the bead toward the center of the rim, where the radius is slightly smaller.
3. Once you have a good portion of the bead on, depress the valve and push all the air out that you can.
4. You can also try going back to the start and pushing the tire toward the valve.
5. When you approach the end, push the valve stem into the tire, so that the reinforcement does not interfere with mounting/seating.
6. Talc can help in pushing the tire over the rim, as well as making catching the tube with a tire lever less likely.

Starting across from the valve, pushing the bead toward the center of the rim and then continuing around the tire (while continuing to hold onto the tire) can also help with removal. I have removed 700x28 tires that are somewhat looser this way with no tire lever at all.

mpetry912 

Bikeman, I like all your suggestions.

I want everybody to stop struggling with crappy "tire levers". I am lucky enough to have this Park tool which they quit making. It will get any tire - no matter how stubborn - off the rim.

but by all means get the Park tire levers - or the VAR tool - along with the black bead jack described above.

Mark Petry
Bainbridge Island, WA USA

jim_pridx

Same here! I recently went tubeless with one of my wheelsets, and for the life of me I couldn't get one of the tires on the rim. So, just a few days ago I did a search for an alternative method (other than levers) and came across the Kool-Stop tire bead jack. Until now, I never knew anything like this existed, either.

Miele Man

To all those recommending a tire jack. Can a tire jack fit under the bead when the tire is on the wheel? If it can't be done easily then it'd not be a great help in a roadside repair.

Cheers

WizardOfBoz

I don't have arthritis but I have noticed that, with age, my formerly gorilla hands are now more like Rhesus monkey hands. Or spider monkey, maybe.

At the same time, I started trying tubeless tires. I found them HARDER to install. I did find that installing the tubeless with soapy water was easier. And making sure that the tire beads were in the center well of the rim all around.