Matthewsnell

So I've just got a pair of 23c thickslicks. I've discovered they're very tight to get on. I was running gatorskins before. I have tried getting them on twice and both times I've managed to catch the tube. I am using tyre levers to get them. Any advice on how to not catch the tube?
Thanks

Jempi

You can put a little bit of air in them.

bmwjoe

As Jempi said, put a little air in the tube and be careful.

JohnDThompson 

The Kool Stop bead jack minimizes the risk of damaging the tube when mounting a tight tire:


https://www.biketiresdirect.com/prod...tire-bead-jack

BicycleBicycle

A guy at a local bike shop showed me this trick once and I always use it now.
He's owned the bike shop for over 20 years I think, and he's one of those dudes who can get an off-true wheel perfectly true in like 45 seconds.
I would always watch him take tires off and put them on rims randomly and noticed that he NEVER used tire levers to put tires on (only to take them off).

Once, he did it to one of my wheels with a thickslick on it (we all know that they have incredibly inflexible beads).
I couldn't believe that he seriously put that thing on without tire levers lol. So I had to ask him about it.
He actually told me his trick and I use it all of the time now.

So if you look at your rim laterally (looking down onto the top of the spoke nipples).
You will notice that on most rims, the center of that "rim bed" is lower than the rim bed at the walls.
He told me that if you put most of your tire on, then pinch the tire together and pull it "in" towards the center of the rim bed, and you pull and bring the whole tire around to this center, you will notice that when you get the stubborn part of the tire
that doesn't want to go into the rim, you will now just be able to basically push it in by hand because you gave it like a total of a few mm of more clearance.

If not, like the gentlest tire lever nudge will get it on there.

Try it!

veganbikes

Don't use thickslicks first off especially not that narrow unless that is literally as wide as you can go. However I regularly install open tubular tires which are a way bigger pain in the ass then any Slick or Gator I have ever installed however once installed they are fantastic. Soft supple side walls lead to a lovely ride and as long as you don't mistreat them they can last quite a bit.

However @BicycleBicycle 's mechanics trick is a good one it is one I always try to use when I can. Another good trick to play off of that is use a thinner rim strip, like say something for a tubeless rim sometimes that will give you more space to install a tire. The cloth rim strips are great but certainly take up a lot of space that you could use to help install a tougher bead.

Jempi

I have this also, bur from Challenge tyres. It works good, but watch out that you dont damage your rims lile I did. I made some dents in the rim with it. And its good for getting the tyres on but you can still have tube pinches.
Maybe your inner tubes are a size to big. I mostly use small sizes like tubes made for 25mm tyres even on 28mm tyres. Vice versa if you use tubes for 28mm extra wide on 25mm tyres that will be a lot harder. I never noticed any difference riding them. It just installs easier.