Originally Posted by
unterhausen
Ever since the advent of tubeless tires and tubeless ready rims, I have been putting the last bit of bead in place at the valve. Yes, you have to push the valve in so that the tube isn't stuck, but you often have to do that anyway. If you do it before seating the second bead, it isn't as likely to get stuck. The valve takes up some of the available slack that you need to get the bead over the rim, so if you finish up there you have more slack available to you. The only tires I have trouble mounting with my bare hands are really cheap ones, they have a lot of rubber that gets in the way. Hopefully nobody that reads this forum is forced to use something like that, but the same principles apply.
It seems to me that you answered your own question in your second sentence. If you have changed over 100 flats for other people, wouldn't it be nice if they had known how to change their own? I know I always wish the people that I changed flats for knew how to do it themselves. One time in the middle of the night on a 400k, someone I had been riding with had a flat and blew his first 2 tubes by trapping the tube under the bead. So I made him let me put his third and last tube in. I would have been happier just zoning out while he changed his flat than doing it for him. The other guy I was riding with also had a slow leak that he was fixing, but at least he knew what he was doing. I harbor a theory that people who ride old tires should know how to fix a flat and quickly, but I have seen that not to be the case. I usually intervene at the point I see them getting out the tire irons to put the tire back on.
Thanks for reminding me . . . I have one TLR rim on one of my bikes. I hate it. It has wide shelves (whatever they're supposed to be called) on either side just below the bead. I know what they're for. They trap the bead of my tubed clinchers so hard that getting the bead off that shelf if a major impediment to a tire change. It really wants some sort of a tool and a hammer. Then the center well is so narrow that it's hard to get both beads down into it. I had to replace the rim tape with Velo Plugs to be able to change the tire by hand. Plus I HAVE trapped a latex tube between the bead and that shelf since it's inflation pressure that pops the bead up onto the shelf. There's not a smooth even surface for the tube to push against during inflation. I have to use butyl tubes on that rim.
The group ride issue is that I have to get the rider back on the road ASAP. So far, I've never ridden with a woman who could change her tire by hand, thus I apologize for being such a sexist about all that. It's fairly easy to get a tire off with tools, not damaging the tube and not a disaster if you do. Putting the tire back on, the tool to use would be a bead jack, no damage as it's just like doing it manually.
So women: carry both tire irons (plastic though) and a bead jack, though I suppose most of you have figured that out.