mtnbk3000

is that what the stuff is called that max your tires get in place more easily

mtnbk3000

does it actually work

Mach42

Use dishwashing liquid. Save a few bucks.

mtnbk3000

cool thanks

MudPie

I use Tioga brand of bead wax and it works great. I use tube tires on a tubeless rim. The tire to rim interface is a very tight one since in a tubeless application, that seal is air tight. Without beadwax, the tire would not seat into rim properly as I pumped the tire. Often, I'd have to over pressurize the tire until the bead finally seats with a loud snap. It always scared the crap out of me.

However, with the bead wax, the tire snaps into the rim as I am pumping up the tire, and the snaps during seating are not that loud. The tire becomes fully seated before I reach the maximum pressure. I'm a firm believer in using bead wax. I bought a tube of it for ~$5. The tub will last me years.

freako

Over 40 years of riding and I never had to resort to using either bead wax or liquid soap, nor know anyone who has; to each their own.

tellyho

I have a set of slicks for my rain/snow bike that won't go on any other way. Some rim/tire combos are killer. Dish soap makes it happen.

trich

Soap is a really good idea... I've never used either, but I'm going to try it the next time I take a tire off :-)

neil0502

I've heard people say that--for a tire that's THAT difficult--put it in a low-heat dryer for a few minutes to warm and soften it.

There are lots of threads about difficult tire mounting on here, too. May want to browse around a while.

orange leader

windex works too. squirt, inflate (maybe even over-inflate a little), wait for the pops of the tire seating, then adjust to your desired pressure.

the windex will evaporate quickly, so you don't have to worry about soap on your rims while breaking.

So long as you don't do it too much (often), it's not going to be an issue on the aluminum rims.

cascade168

The OP did not say, but if you are running UST tubeless tires then using soapy water makes a lot of sense.
First, you cannot use tire levers as they can damage the bead. Second, if you have a slight leak, it shows up immediately. And last, it's crucial that you hear that pop when the bead seats, and without soapy water (recommended by all UST tubeless makers, BTW) it's not necessarily going to seat. It usually does, but not always.

Again, my comments are pertaining to UST tubeless tires.

mtnbk3000

these are not tubeless.

cascade168

That being said, there is still no reason not to use soapy water, talcum, or whatever it takes to help you get the job done. Do what is easiest for you to go out and enjoy riding your bike ;-)