tight tyres

[Apples]

I've just got some gatorskins for my mtb commuter.....they are almost impossible to get on or off.

Whats that all about ?? if I get a puncture on the way to work it'll take me till lunchtime to fix it !!

Anyone know why they dont fit properly ??

[Alex S]

if it was a folding tyre after a bit of riding any dents and bumps in bead get smoothed out so should be easier to get on and off after a while.

if it is a non folding tyre then it doesnt get any easier over time i'm afraid. you could either improve your technique for example ensuring the tyre is seated properly all the way round when trying to get the last bit of tyre on, deflate the inner tube a bit, and make sure the last section of the tyre to get on is where the valve is (as the inner tube has thicker walls at the valve it makes it harder to get the tyre on if the last bit to get on is opposite the valve)

Alternatively you could get both thinner and less wide rim tape, (either by buying the thinner plastic crap or stretching the rim tape when you put it on should make it thinner)

Or get smaller diameter inner tubes. for a 28C tyre using 20-28 will be easier to get the tyre on than using the 28-38C tubes, or if your tyre is 23C then using 18-25C tubes will be easier than using 20-28C tubes.

Or get stronger thumbs!

[Alex S]

So I answered a question you didnt actually ask. oh well.

Gatorskins are notoriously tough to get on and off.
As are specialized armadillos.

It does depend on your rim too, and rim tape and inner tube pressure/size as mentioned above!

[Apples]

thanks Alex. I reckon i would need some big ol' thumbs .

any recommendations for loser fitting makes ?

[Alex S]

i saw some halfords 26x1.5 tyres that are VERY loose. Not sure what brand, not one i'd heard of when I worked in Evans, but its sold in halfords.

[George]

continental 4 seasons are the best commuting tyres and are easy to fit with your thumbs not sure if you can get for mtb tyres though.

[Jon H]

I've got some Schwalbe tyres on my commuting bike that don't need tyre levers to get them off; they're the only 700c tyres I've ever known to not need levers.

[jon avery]

I had gator skins, once you have taken them off a couple of times it gets easier, must say i was VERY disapointed in them , they do NOT do what it says on the can, Now have Michelen pro race 3, easier to get on and off, and more bullet proof (famous last words )

[Andrew G]

Another vote for 4Seasons for commuting/winter tyres.

Doesn't help you now though Apples . As Alex said removal and refit and use softens the bead to make it easier. If you can it's worth removing, refitting, inflating, deflating, etc, etc a few times which helps a bit with really stubborn tyres.

Also try removing them over the weekend and leaving them in the airing cupboard overnight/when your water heats up. The general heat in there has helped me a bit in the past too to effectively speed up the bead softening. The shortcut to that is whack 'em in the tumble dryer but you have to be a bit careful with the heat and timer settings for that.

Washing up liquid helps with refit on tight tyres but you can only really do this at home.

Finally get yourself a VAR tyre lever which is the only safe way to use a lever to refit a tyre.

[Apples]

Thanks guys.

i wonder if its anything to do with MTB wheel size , I've got the same tyres on my road bike and they go on and off fine..

The mtb has 26"mavic rims . The conti touring tyres I used to run on them were nice and easy.

Expensive mistake

[Dombo]

[quote="Apples"]Expensive mistake

[Apples]

Dombo wrote
[quote]Not necessarily. Give 'em a wipe and stick 'em on eBay

[Wal]

I've had a pair of Specialized All Condition Pro tyres on my MTB commuter for a while now. Probably the best MTB slick I've used - and I've used quite a few. Lighter than most due to its folding bead and relatively narrow 1.0" cross section, but unlike the Specialized Fatboy, still offering good puncture protection. No problems to mount (using levers) on my Mavic XC717 rims.

[Ivor]

I use metal tyre levers for my little folder. the schwable marathons are a complete b***ards to get on/off. but the marathons are indestructable and punctures are very rare (vs the Kenda's that it came with where I averaged a puncture every week, three on one day was a low point!).

[Dombo]

+1 for the Spesh All Condition Pro and XC717 combo.
Had these on my mtb and did my inaugural CR on them. Nice and fast and can be pumped to 100+psi.