Tyreing
October 20, 2015 1:40 PM Subscribe
This is all well and good, but you still can't remove the old one without them.
posted by CynicalKnight at 1:56 PM on October 20, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by CynicalKnight at 1:56 PM on October 20, 2015 [6 favorites]
I don't need tire levers to get a tire on for 99% of tire/rim combinations. Some tires are notoriously tight (Vittoria Randonneurs) and some fly right on without even needing to use your thumbs (GP 4000s). If you have trouble using a tire lever and the strap method shown here works for you, that's awesome. Whatever it takes for you to be self sufficient on the side of the road.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 2:05 PM on October 20, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 2:05 PM on October 20, 2015 [3 favorites]
I very rarely need tire irons to install a bike tire. Toe straps unneeded, but a good idea if you have trouble. Maybe Marathon Tires are tightly spec'd.
Last time I recall needing irons was for installing tires on old double walled steel rims. I think those rims might have been made slightly oversize in diameter because those old school rims have no hook on the inside of the rim wall to engage a wire bead, and would be more prone to becoming unseated and blowing out under higher pressures if they were slightly smaller in diameter. Maybe modern rims with hooked rim walls are slightly undersize and use the hooked rim walls to compensate?
posted by 2N2222 at 2:10 PM on October 20, 2015
Last time I recall needing irons was for installing tires on old double walled steel rims. I think those rims might have been made slightly oversize in diameter because those old school rims have no hook on the inside of the rim wall to engage a wire bead, and would be more prone to becoming unseated and blowing out under higher pressures if they were slightly smaller in diameter. Maybe modern rims with hooked rim walls are slightly undersize and use the hooked rim walls to compensate?
posted by 2N2222 at 2:10 PM on October 20, 2015
It's all very dependent on the tyre, brand and rim combo. I don't have much experience with HP tyres, but (late, lamented) Conti Avenues used to slip on and off rims a treat, while white Schwalbe Marathons on the rims of my Dutch bike are %$%$&$!ing annoying.
posted by scruss at 2:12 PM on October 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by scruss at 2:12 PM on October 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
A key, or even a large coin, is usually a good enough tyre lever in a pinch. Most tyre levers (irons?) break the first time you use them, anyway.
posted by pipeski at 2:12 PM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by pipeski at 2:12 PM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
It may be cheating, but I just use a Kool Stop Bead Jack. It's the greatest.
posted by misskaz at 2:33 PM on October 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by misskaz at 2:33 PM on October 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
Tubeless mountain bike tire took me, all my tire levers, and another guy with all of his, to get it off after a flat on the trail.
I used to work for Bicycling Magazine. One of the editors accepted a challenge from another who said he could mount or dismount any tire without tools. They went with a combination known to be difficult, no problem. I guess that's why he worked as a tech editor for a bike magazine.
posted by Repack Rider at 2:43 PM on October 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
I used to work for Bicycling Magazine. One of the editors accepted a challenge from another who said he could mount or dismount any tire without tools. They went with a combination known to be difficult, no problem. I guess that's why he worked as a tech editor for a bike magazine.
posted by Repack Rider at 2:43 PM on October 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
Spa Cycles did this video because the Marathon Plus tyres are notoriously tricky to install, but once you learn this trick it's brilliant for all tyres. I never bother with the toe straps, but just ensuring that you push the bead into the wheel well it's satisfying how easily tyres pop on.
Obviously one needs tyre levers to get the tyre off if you have a puncture, but the recommendation is not to use levers to install tyres as it's a good way to scratch wheels, damage the tyre and rip the inner tube. As this video aims to show, levers usually aren't needed even with the worst tyre / rim combinations.
posted by milkb0at at 2:44 PM on October 20, 2015 [3 favorites]
Obviously one needs tyre levers to get the tyre off if you have a puncture, but the recommendation is not to use levers to install tyres as it's a good way to scratch wheels, damage the tyre and rip the inner tube. As this video aims to show, levers usually aren't needed even with the worst tyre / rim combinations.
posted by milkb0at at 2:44 PM on October 20, 2015 [3 favorites]
I used to work for Bicycling Magazine. One of the editors accepted a challenge from another who said he could mount or dismount any tire without tools. They went with a combination known to be difficult, no problem. I guess that's why he worked as a tech editor for a bike magazine.
Just having absurdly strong fingers is a definite factor in some of the "you don't need levers!" types I know.
posted by brennen at 3:19 PM on October 20, 2015 [3 favorites]
Just having absurdly strong fingers is a definite factor in some of the "you don't need levers!" types I know.
posted by brennen at 3:19 PM on October 20, 2015 [3 favorites]
I used to work in a bicycle shop and crewed for bicycle tours and RAAM. I could change a flat in 90 seconds. Not swap a wheel, undo the quick release, dismount the old tire and tube, fit a new tire and tube, inflate tube (here I cheated with a CO2 cartridge) and remount the wheel. It was a great party trick.
posted by Grumpy old geek at 3:21 PM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Grumpy old geek at 3:21 PM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
My feelings on Schwalbe Marathons are the same as Adam Buxton, so I'll be trying this next time I am fighting with my tyres.
posted by penguinliz at 3:29 PM on October 20, 2015
posted by penguinliz at 3:29 PM on October 20, 2015
Thank you! It had never occurred to me that the tire could move into the well of the rim to get more slack. I recently spent nearly an hour trying to get a new tire onto a rim when when I was on an east coast tour of Canada. My thumbs will never be that sore again. 👍 :)
posted by ecco at 3:44 PM on October 20, 2015
posted by ecco at 3:44 PM on October 20, 2015
I don't have strong hands, and can change a good percentage of the road tyres that I come across, without levers or straps ...
Jim Langley's tutorial is a good one: http://www.jimlangley.net/wrench/flattiresbyhand.htm
But whether you use levers or not, there are more important things to think about when you're changing your flat tyre.
posted by ademack at 3:44 PM on October 20, 2015
Jim Langley's tutorial is a good one: http://www.jimlangley.net/wrench/flattiresbyhand.htm
But whether you use levers or not, there are more important things to think about when you're changing your flat tyre.
posted by ademack at 3:44 PM on October 20, 2015
Schwalbe Marathons are fantastic! I had a pair on my bike for 8-9 years without puncture. I replaced them with more Schwalbe Marathons which have been on the bike for a couple of years now without incident. Marathon Plus are even more robust!
Tldr: I don't change my tyres or inner tubes very often
posted by asok at 3:57 PM on October 20, 2015
Tldr: I don't change my tyres or inner tubes very often
posted by asok at 3:57 PM on October 20, 2015
So I shouldn't use a hammer and flathead screwdriver?
posted by gottabefunky at 4:02 PM on October 20, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by gottabefunky at 4:02 PM on October 20, 2015 [4 favorites]
Bang wheel against asphalt in frustration. The tire just slides off.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 4:21 PM on October 20, 2015
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 4:21 PM on October 20, 2015
Beat by gottabefunky in giving out good bad advice!
Tire irons can certainly ease and speed the effort when one is able to find a pair in the... ah... toolbox of chaos.
Sometimes, I'd gone up to the high end professional bike shop for a new tire and it really looked spiffy, and then with irons and effort I just went (literally) around and around working to get that new tube and tire on the rim. I don't do it all that often but certainly had managed but boy this high tech tire just put the doubt in my abilities, walked away a couple time and well finally went back to the shop for assistance. Got the owner, he took one look and came back out with two of the right size. (yep, insert rim shot).
ps. DON'T use a screwdriver.
posted by sammyo at 4:50 PM on October 20, 2015
Tire irons can certainly ease and speed the effort when one is able to find a pair in the... ah... toolbox of chaos.
Sometimes, I'd gone up to the high end professional bike shop for a new tire and it really looked spiffy, and then with irons and effort I just went (literally) around and around working to get that new tube and tire on the rim. I don't do it all that often but certainly had managed but boy this high tech tire just put the doubt in my abilities, walked away a couple time and well finally went back to the shop for assistance. Got the owner, he took one look and came back out with two of the right size. (yep, insert rim shot).
ps. DON'T use a screwdriver.
posted by sammyo at 4:50 PM on October 20, 2015
I ran Marathon Plus tires last winter, and I had to ask my BF for help when mounting them for the first time. I've been changing tires by myself for twenty years, and this was the first time I needed somebody to hold the goddamn tire so the bead didn't pop out of the rim. In their defense, after a winter of riding, I couldn't even tell if the tread had any wear on it whatsoever. I still ended up selling them. Too much of a PITArse.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 5:00 PM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 5:00 PM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
The Marathon Plus is a pretty tight tire, and the toe straps are a good trick if you don't have real strong hands. I think the tightest I've come across are Bontrager TLR tubeless road tires. I use a sort of death grip technique with my left hand at one end of the unmounted section, holding it on at that point while pushing the rest on with a single tire lever. It helps that there's no tube to pinch, but before I perfected the death grip, I could break an infinite supply of tire levers of any sort putting on a brand new TLR tire.
If you have spare toe straps hanging around, hopefully you have spare tire levers hanging around also. My tip for always being able to find tire levers in your toolbox or wherever, is to always buy pink ones. Unless you have a particularly weird tool setup, the tire levers will be the only pink items in your toolbox.
posted by helicomatic at 5:03 PM on October 20, 2015
If you have spare toe straps hanging around, hopefully you have spare tire levers hanging around also. My tip for always being able to find tire levers in your toolbox or wherever, is to always buy pink ones. Unless you have a particularly weird tool setup, the tire levers will be the only pink items in your toolbox.
posted by helicomatic at 5:03 PM on October 20, 2015
Seconding the Bead Jack, especially if you're dealing with tubeless road tires
posted by strange chain at 5:31 PM on October 20, 2015
posted by strange chain at 5:31 PM on October 20, 2015
Personally, I prefer my tried and true method of cursing and drinking.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 5:57 PM on October 20, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 5:57 PM on October 20, 2015 [5 favorites]
I'd like to see this guy do this in 93 degree heat with sweaty hands and all of his friends heckling him to go faster so the ride can get back under way. Also, straps?! C'mon!
posted by photoslob at 6:14 PM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by photoslob at 6:14 PM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
I have lost several tubes to getting impatient, forcing the tire on with a lever, and pinching a hole in the tube as a result. Never again.
BTW I recommend Pedro's tire levers for tire removal. They don't bend like the plastic Park levers do.
posted by pmdboi at 6:31 PM on October 20, 2015
BTW I recommend Pedro's tire levers for tire removal. They don't bend like the plastic Park levers do.
posted by pmdboi at 6:31 PM on October 20, 2015
I've had rims (Kinlin) that were impossible to mount without levers. They have very shallow center wells. Even with very thin plastic rim tape, and no tube installed yet, a single tire bead (Continental GP4000) down in the well wouldn't even allow the tire to slide around the rim to line up the tire label with the valve hole. Just no slack at all.
But it's actually quite easy to mount these tight tires. The folding bead is flexible, so I just lift less than an inch of bead over the rim, slide the lever over a little, and repeat. It goes fast, and it takes very little effort on the lever. A smooth, rounded end on the lever avoids pinching the tube. Pedro levers are good for this.
posted by jjj606 at 6:43 PM on October 20, 2015
But it's actually quite easy to mount these tight tires. The folding bead is flexible, so I just lift less than an inch of bead over the rim, slide the lever over a little, and repeat. It goes fast, and it takes very little effort on the lever. A smooth, rounded end on the lever avoids pinching the tube. Pedro levers are good for this.
posted by jjj606 at 6:43 PM on October 20, 2015
Schwalbe studdeds; I said F- it and just left them on all summer for the knobby factor. Really fond of the 100psi ability, and the sound. PITA to mount/unmount. Thanks for the FPP.
posted by buzzman at 6:55 PM on October 20, 2015
posted by buzzman at 6:55 PM on October 20, 2015
...and the sound.
posted by buzzman
Eponysterical.
posted by Rat Spatula at 7:41 PM on October 20, 2015
posted by buzzman
Eponysterical.
posted by Rat Spatula at 7:41 PM on October 20, 2015
→ My feelings on Schwalbe Marathons are the same as Adam Buxton
I'd completely forgotten about the set of Marathons I put on my Brompton. They were so difficult that I managed to rip the pads of my thumbs under the skin, so I had big blood blisters on the sides of the pads. Thankfully, they were the first-gen Brompton ones that had the ply flaw that caused them to delaminate, so I rode them until they went out of round and BLAMMO! They came off of their own accord. In pieces.
posted by scruss at 8:02 PM on October 20, 2015
I'd completely forgotten about the set of Marathons I put on my Brompton. They were so difficult that I managed to rip the pads of my thumbs under the skin, so I had big blood blisters on the sides of the pads. Thankfully, they were the first-gen Brompton ones that had the ply flaw that caused them to delaminate, so I rode them until they went out of round and BLAMMO! They came off of their own accord. In pieces.
posted by scruss at 8:02 PM on October 20, 2015
This is all well and good, but you still can't remove the old one without them.Nah. I don't even carry levers. What you do is pinch the tire all the way around like this guy does. Then, balance the wheel on your feet with the valve side up. Pinch the tire and pull it out to the sides, away from the valve (but in line with the rim.) Slide your hands outward and keep pulling. As you move around the wheel, you'll transition to pushing down on the tire, stretching it, and eventually concentrating the slack at the bottom. Hold the slack there, flip the wheel up and pop the bead over with your thumbs. Same procedure for getting the tire back on. Strength is useful, but I have weak thumbs and it works for me.
I've done this with Marathons, Gatorskins and a bunch of other road tires/rims, but obviously there are combinations which are impossible.
posted by klanawa at 10:20 PM on October 20, 2015
I've got irons (plastics?) in my under-seat bag, but where am I going to find toe straps?!?
posted by oheso at 10:49 PM on October 20, 2015
posted by oheso at 10:49 PM on October 20, 2015
I've found using a little bit of soap on the outside of the tire helps slip it in there. You don't have to bring soap with you (although if I'm touring, I might have it), just stop at a bathroom, or something.
Love me Marathon Pluses. They have god-awful rolling resistance, but yeah: they last for years, with few punctures.
a Pedro's bicycle tire lever follows me still, everywhere. Still tubeless tires are a revelation. A little bit of Stans with ya, and you're good to go, without having to put in an inner tube, most of the time.
posted by alex_skazat at 11:14 PM on October 20, 2015
Love me Marathon Pluses. They have god-awful rolling resistance, but yeah: they last for years, with few punctures.
a Pedro's bicycle tire lever follows me still, everywhere. Still tubeless tires are a revelation. A little bit of Stans with ya, and you're good to go, without having to put in an inner tube, most of the time.
posted by alex_skazat at 11:14 PM on October 20, 2015
I want to be done quickly and easily, and I don't mind if I need levers to do it, but I do like that man and his soothing voice.
posted by pracowity at 12:35 AM on October 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by pracowity at 12:35 AM on October 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
Yeah, Schwalbe's are the only ones I've had trouble with, also. I usually have a lever with me anyway...
posted by J0 at 8:27 AM on October 21, 2015
posted by J0 at 8:27 AM on October 21, 2015
Why are bicycles the only wheeled vehicle where every rider is expected to be a fully-independent mechanic?
Just take it to the local bike shop already.
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 2:55 AM on October 27, 2015
Just take it to the local bike shop already.
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 2:55 AM on October 27, 2015
I guess because once you have the tools ($5 for a pair of levers, $7 for a tube, $3 for a patch kit, $20-$60 for a pump) and the knowledge, it transforms "Aww man, I was going to ride my bike today, but now I have to load it in my car and drive it to the bike shop first" to "Oh, flat, bummer. Well, this will only take 5 minutes."
Or it can change "Shit man, yeah, I'm fucked on the side of the road with a flat, can you come get me?" to "Dude, flat, gonna be 5 minutes late, order chips and salsa for me."
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 8:30 AM on October 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
Or it can change "Shit man, yeah, I'm fucked on the side of the road with a flat, can you come get me?" to "Dude, flat, gonna be 5 minutes late, order chips and salsa for me."
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 8:30 AM on October 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
I dunno, you just go "aw crap" and hop off and wheel the thing a couple blocks to the nearest bike shop. But I get that some people do rural sport cycling and not just pootling to the shops. I guess you have to be independently technical there. And I guess you're more likely to get a flat if you're on rough roads in thin tyres?
But how many people change a flat on their own car when they're six blocks from home and three from a service station?
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 3:55 AM on October 28, 2015
But how many people change a flat on their own car when they're six blocks from home and three from a service station?
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 3:55 AM on October 28, 2015
Not everyone has the luxury of living in a city that has a bike shop every 4 blocks. Some people use their bikes to commute and don't have time for the inconvenience, so they prefer to be self sufficient.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:04 AM on October 28, 2015
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:04 AM on October 28, 2015
Why are bicycles the only wheeled vehicle where every rider is expected to be a fully-independent mechanic?
Of the myriad wonderful things about bicycles, the fact that most every rider is capable of being a mechanic, at least for the simple things, is pretty high on the list. I guess it's also fair to point out that a bike is not quite sufficiently robust that you can assume it won't break somewhere far from immediate professional assistance. Because it definitely will. That's just part of bikes.
I mean, I have all the mechanical aptitude of a particularly dim tree sloth, but I can still easily carry the tools and supplies needed to deal with all the common-case failures in a 20 mile commute through a landscape devoid of local bike shops, and I've learned the hard way that having the tools and a little bit of experience fixing flats / adjusting derailleurs / etc. is what makes it workable to treat a bike as a go-anywhere kind of vehicle. Spare tube, little pump strapped to the frame, decent multi-tool with a couple of tire levers on it. I wouldn't leave the house without this stuff any more than I would without a good light and a u-lock. Or any more than I'd drive a car without a spare tire and a jack, come to that.
posted by brennen at 9:11 AM on October 28, 2015
Of the myriad wonderful things about bicycles, the fact that most every rider is capable of being a mechanic, at least for the simple things, is pretty high on the list. I guess it's also fair to point out that a bike is not quite sufficiently robust that you can assume it won't break somewhere far from immediate professional assistance. Because it definitely will. That's just part of bikes.
I mean, I have all the mechanical aptitude of a particularly dim tree sloth, but I can still easily carry the tools and supplies needed to deal with all the common-case failures in a 20 mile commute through a landscape devoid of local bike shops, and I've learned the hard way that having the tools and a little bit of experience fixing flats / adjusting derailleurs / etc. is what makes it workable to treat a bike as a go-anywhere kind of vehicle. Spare tube, little pump strapped to the frame, decent multi-tool with a couple of tire levers on it. I wouldn't leave the house without this stuff any more than I would without a good light and a u-lock. Or any more than I'd drive a car without a spare tire and a jack, come to that.
posted by brennen at 9:11 AM on October 28, 2015
I live in a city with a good number of bike shops and mostly am a transportation cyclist - going to work or going out to meet friends, not riding out in the country where there are no shops. But there still aren't any bike shops open at 7:30 am when I'm riding to work, and there aren't any bike shops open at 10pm or midnight when I'm riding home from being out with friends. Having the tools and knowledge to change a tire at those times comes in handy.
Now, truthfully, sometimes if I get a flat I'll walk the bike home or put it on the rack on the front of the bus to get the rest of the way to my destination. I'm not always pulling off and changing tires on the sidewalk as the flats happen. But it's also nice to be able to change a flat at home and not wait until the next time the shop is open and my schedule is free enough to take my bike there.
posted by misskaz at 9:02 AM on October 29, 2015
Now, truthfully, sometimes if I get a flat I'll walk the bike home or put it on the rack on the front of the bus to get the rest of the way to my destination. I'm not always pulling off and changing tires on the sidewalk as the flats happen. But it's also nice to be able to change a flat at home and not wait until the next time the shop is open and my schedule is free enough to take my bike there.
posted by misskaz at 9:02 AM on October 29, 2015
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