What Are Your Tips & Tricks For Changing a Tire After it's Off the Bike?

[6zfshdb]

Yeah I know, this is just another bike tire thread that's been done to death but I'm hoping someone will post some new tips for making the process easier. I'm not talking about getting the wheel off the bike, that's another discussion entirely.

I've been changing bicycle tires all my life and for the most part, it's a pretty simple basic process. For some reason, tire changes on my ebikes are getting more difficult. I'm especially having trouble with my alloy mag wheels which have absolutely no flex at all. I'm now installing Tanus armor inserts in the Schwalbe Marathon+ tires on one of my bikes and the process seems to be damn near impossible. I remember it took several hours and a few broken tire tools to get the job done on another bike a couple of years ago. I had to use long handled tools with enough pressure that I was afraid of cracking the rim or snapping the tire bead wire.

I usually heat the tires with a hair dryer, use tire talc & diluted dish soap as a rim lube and these beefy tire spoons from Park:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014LC7Z6Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This worked well for my conventional bikes but for my ebikes, not so much.

What are your thoughts on tire talc & rim lube. Do you use them and if so, what brand? I once knew an auto mechanic that swore by brake fluid as a rim lube for tubeless tires. I'd be afraid that would damage the tube, Tannus Armour or even the bike tire.

Any other tips or product recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Gionnirocket]

Haven't tried Tanus but with Kenda KS Shield + the soapy water was enough lube to get the job done.
Perhaps the best thing to add would be to have a second set of hands if possible. That's what my nephew does at his automotive shop mounting low profile on a wide rim. That and something equivalent to this.

https://www.amazon.com/Ru-Glyde-Tire-Mounting-Paste-Pail/dp/B07H7VCWN5/ref=psdc_15709141_t1_B01H6HMPRK

 

[JRA]

Assuming that you are getting both beads immediately into the well of the rim that is about the best you can do to be able to get a tire iron under a bead enough to lever it over the rim edge. The slack that is created by doing this is key. Supposedly there are standards that the rim manufacturers and tire manufacturers adhere to so that tire fit is neither too tight or too slack but in my experience over the years it seems inconsistent. Especially after the advent of TLR or tubeless ready rims/tires?

Personally I never use any lubrication or tire talc because I now use tubeless exclusively as the components I use are well matched but once in awhile I do run into a tight fit doing a favor for a friends bike but never need more than two nylon levers although I do admit to breaking the spoon tip off a few over the years. Best for me is to get one under the bead, lift it over the rim edge as much as possible and then push it forward stripping the bead out of the rim but mostly it takes two with the second one being able to slide the bead out.

Narrower tires on narrow rims are the hardest to get off I have found also. But on the other end have struggled with the 4" tires I had to change. Sorry I don't have a magic method to share because there really isn't one unfortunately other than getting to know your equipment in the garage rather than out on the road and be prepared!

 

[RandallS]

2021–22 : Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

The Winter Has Come... I hate that part involving pulling the last centimetres of the tyre bead onto the rim... There are 'tricks' for this that make it easy peasy. Go down to your local bike shop and watch them change a few tires. You think bicycle tires are a _itch. Motorcycle tires can...

electricbikereview.com

As above post ^^ shows.

I use cheap plastic woodworking clamps to centre the beads for that last little bit.
A little soapy water of course, and a plastic garbage can as a workbench.

Some of my tires I can put on the rime without levers - some require significant effort.
But I run two sets of wheels now - one with studs for when the conditions demand, so I will not get as much practice.

 

[6zfshdb]

Personally I never use any lubrication or tire talc because I now use tubeless exclusively

I considered switching to tubeless but I'm not sure of the benefit. I understand simple punctures can be repaired on the road by sealant or plugging but most of the flats I get are from rips or tears caused by glass shards & sharp rocks. With a tube tire, I'm usually able to do a makeshift repair job to get home. With tubeless tires, it seems to me you'd be unable to repair such a flat on the trail considering the difficulty in reseating the tire without a compressor.

Another issue for me is the mag wheels I have on two of my bikes. Although they have no spoke holes to seal, I'm told the mags aren't tubeless compatible for some reason.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I considered switching to tubeless but I'm not sure of the benefit. I understand simple punctures can be repaired on the road by sealant or plugging but most of the flats I get are from rips or tears caused by glass shards & sharp rocks. With a tube tire, I'm usually able to do a makeshift repair job to get home. With tubeless tires, it seems to me you'd be unable to repair such a flat on the trail considering the difficulty in reseating the tire without a compressor.

Another issue for me is the mag wheels I have on two of my bikes. Although they have no spoke holes to seal, I'm told the mags aren't tubeless compatible for some reason.

You do not remove the tubeless tyre on the trail. Either the small puncture is sealed by the fluid or you apply the "bacon strip" from outside. You do not need to remove the wheel! That's the whole catch with the TL.

A field repaired tubeless gravel tyre.

 

[AHicks]

Assuming that you are getting both beads immediately into the well of the rim that is about the best you can do to be able to get a tire iron under a bead enough to lever it over the rim edge. The slack that is created by doing this is key.

The biggest trick there is IMHO. I will generally use a "tire iron" of some sort to give me a hand getting the bead started off of the rim when pulling the tire off, but the rest is generally done by hand - with frequent checks that the tire bead is in the deepest part of the "well". I have changed out motorcycle tires the same way - pretty much no tools used from the point the first side of the tire is started off of the rim.

Nearly as big a trick is getting the tube set with "just enough" air. Too much makes it difficult to keep the tire beads "in the well", and not enough encourages/invites the potential for pinched tubes.

 

[Gionnirocket]

Nearly as big a trick is getting the tube set with "just enough" air. Too much makes it difficult to keep the tire beads "in the well", and not enough encourages/invites the potential for pinched tubes.

 

[Surly]

@JRA Had it right the first time, make sure it's 100% in the channel, pull the tyre back (away from the edge you're trying to bead, it'll pop the bead under the armour and in the channel.

Use a Cushcore bead dropper.

 

[Elkman]

Yeah I know, this is just another bike tire thread that's been done to death but I'm hoping someone will post some new tips for making the process easier. I'm not talking about getting the wheel off the bike, that's another discussion entirely.

I've been changing bicycle tires all my life and for the most part, it's a pretty simple basic process. For some reason, tire changes on my ebikes are getting more difficult. I'm especially having trouble with my alloy mag wheels which have absolutely no flex at all. I'm now installing Tanus armor inserts in the Schwalbe Marathon+ tires on one of my bikes and the process seems to be damn near impossible. I remember it took several hours and a few broken tire tools to get the job done on another bike a couple of years ago. I had to use long handled tools with enough pressure that I was afraid of cracking the rim or snapping the tire bead wire.

I usually heat the tires with a hair dryer, use tire talc & diluted dish soap as a rim lube and these beefy tire spoons from Park:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014LC7Z6Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This worked well for my conventional bikes but for my ebikes, not so much.

What are your thoughts on tire talc & rim lube. Do you use them and if so, what brand? I once knew an auto mechanic that swore by brake fluid as a rim lube for tubeless tires. I'd be afraid that would damage the tube, Tannus Armour or even the bike tire.

Any other tips or product recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

There is no difference between the rims and the tubes and the tires on my e-bike as compared to every other road bike I own. What I do is avoid tire levers and use only my hands to take tires off and to put them back on. I could use soapy water as a lubricant but I have not needed to do so.

 

[WilliamT]

I also have marathon plus tires on one of my bikes and this Koolstop Tire Bead Jack has really saved me a lot of time. Use one hand to hold it in place and slowly move it across the rim.

 

[m@Robertson]

What you need depends on what your tire and rim combo is. My SunRingle MTX39 rims ... tires almost go onto them all by themselves. MY DT FR560's of the same size need enormous effort. On fatties, my Weinmann/Origin8's are pretty easy, my Nexties need some finessing but my Surly MYOBD rims are so tight even my LBS - who took over the job when I gave up - said they were the most difficult rims to mount they had ever experienced.

It seems to me that tubeless rims, who depend in a tight fit to the bead, are much more difficult to deal with.

The technique noted above by @JRA is absolutely the best method. My Nexties are impossible ... until you put a bead in the channel and then you can seat the other one without too much trouble.

I do sometimes use a tiny smear of dishwashing liquid on the back of the tire bead to get that last bit on.

I usually rely on the Park levers @6zfshdb linked. I have two in every bike's tool kit. But the cushcore lever @Surly linked is a genuine game changer - when coupled with the Cushcore Bead Pro. I have two of them and oh gawd they are nice as a third hand that helps keep the bead you have already seated in place and not popping back up.

Amazon.com: CushCore Bead Bro - Locks Bead in Place, Rubber Bumper, Strong & Durable Plastic, Works with Any Wheel Size & Rim Width, Wheel Insert Installation Tool for Easy Installation, Bead Bro (Single) : Sports & Outdoors

Buy CushCore Bead Bro - Locks Bead in Place, Rubber Bumper, Strong & Durable Plastic, Works with Any Wheel Size & Rim Width, Wheel Insert Installation Tool for Easy Installation, Bead Bro (Single): Parts & Components - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

amzn.to

To see the hands-only method illustrated as well as I have ever seen it, watch this. The guy spends quite a bit of time yakking, but if you stick with it and watch what he does, .... you can watch him do the impossible right in front of your eyes.

 

[Ang1sgt]

I’ll tell ya, I’ve changed hundreds if not thousands of tires on bikes. Both at the shops I worked for, The Mountain Bike Program I help start with the Boy Scouts, as well as my own. For the most part when putting them back on, my hands and fingers could do the job. Of course with years of practice too. Now in my late 60’s my joints and my wrists are giving me problems. I still try and help anyone on a trail, or in the neighborhood with tire and tube issues.

This past week I had a problem with a Walker with 8 and 10 inch tires. The wheels were cast aluminum and were not very forgiving. The 8 inch ones took me an hour for each one to get it on the rim. My wrists are still aching from that job!

 

[Alaskan]

A few tire changing tips and tricks -

1. a little bit of soapy water around the rim can make mounting a tire much easier
2. moving the bead around the tire to the middle of the rim, where the diameter is smallest, often makes it possible to both remove and mount the tire without any tools
3. When mounting the tire, find the inflation information on the side walls and center it under the valve stem. This makes it easy to find down the road when inflating the tire.
4. Use CO2 to inflate the tire when fixing it on the road (easier to pack in a took kit than a high volume pump). Replace the CO2 with air when you get home. CO2 is thinner than air and leaks out easier.
5. Use a dollar bill or a thick candy wrapper, wrapped around the tube when you get a tear in the side wall that is too big to patch.

 

[rtp]

Same as others have said - get both beads down into the center of the rim where it's recessed is usually the 'real' trick.

I keep a spray bottle with some soap/water and spray the beads if need be. You can also look for some motorcycle tire lube, which is thicker/more greasy and I have but don't use as soapy water dissipates on it's own just fine and doesn't build up.

The 'third hand' clamping tools are useful as well if running into problems where one side slides on, and the other side is slipping out of the rim. I've got one somewhere but don't think I've needed to use it as of yet.

 

[PedalUma]

Yes, it is all about getting the beads to the center of the rim. Pinch the side opposite the leaver. Work that slack up toward the lever. Do that a couple of times to each side. You will gain slack at the lever and it will pop in place. I use baby powder and pre-inflate the tube partially to prevent pinch flats from twists or kinks. I am working on an '80's handmade road bike today. I put tubeless tire sealant inside the tubes because flats suck.

 

[m@Robertson]

... pre-inflate the tube partially to prevent pinch flats from twists or kinks...

yes!

 

[PedalUma]

"You can't get a T-anus where the sun don't shine."

 

[Rexlion]

My wife and I have struggled with tires and have ruined some inner tubes in the effort. Now I have developed a sure-fire method for easy tire changes. I take it to the bike shop!

 

[PedalUma]

My wife and I have struggled with tires and have ruined some inner tubes in the effort. Now I have developed a sure-fire method for easy tire changes. I take it to the bike shop!

I did last week. A guy named Jeff is better than me. I was putting new tubeless style tires on '80's road rims. He did it but a few days later it popped. I told the owner to take it back to that shop with a six-pack of IPA.