What do people do about tire punctures?

I was thinking of replacing my tires for one designed for urban commuting. I was eyeing the Kenda Krause and the Vee Speedster. I am hearing that the Speedster can get flats easily, what about the Kenda Krause? Are there any other tires I should look at? Please provide links. I am not interested in knobby tires, looking for a quiet tread.
Hi Pat,
I bought a pair of nice Kenda tires at rad power bikes, you might want to look at those.They have a reflective white wall on them. I like them a lot you might want to give them a try. Good luck mike
 
I've had good luck with Mr. Tuffy tire liners. I've put many miles on my current bike without a flat. I ordered some for my XP as well. These are for 26-29" tires, but I'm sure they can be trimmed down a bit. They're designed to have some overlap anyway.

Fat Bike Tire Tube Protectors - Mr. Tuffy 3XL (Fits: 26"/29" X 3.1"-4")
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U0FP8ZW/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_uXqIDbZYC6PTK via @amazon
Just a qualification on these- the only big, major flat I ever got was caused by one of these strips.
To be fair, the strip my LBS sold me was too narrow for the tire, and the tube was on the small side. Eventually, the tire strip wrapped around the tube, and boom! (More like pfffft actually)
So if you are going to get them, make sure they’re the correct size, and they’re installed properly. Some people sand the edges.
I now use Schwalbe Super Motos with green guard plus tire sealant, and have noticed that my bike is a faster, smoother ride without the tire strips.
 
Hi Pat,
I bought a pair of nice Kenda tires at rad power bikes, you might want to look at those.They have a reflective white wall on them. I like them a lot you might want to give them a try. Good luck mike
BTW, the best tubes I’ve used so far are Kenda tubes. Bontrager is a close second. They are thicker and sturdier, and the valves are better made, than some of the cheaper imports.
 
A few thoughts on tires, tubes and punctures.

I’ve had my Lectric since around 12-21 and have put about 250 miles on it. I’m expecting/hoping to do 3,000 miles or more this year and I’ve been a bit preoccupied with the topic of tires and tubes. I’d been thinking I might switch to a tire without knobs because about 85% of my mileage will be pavement. But I’ve read reports that those aren’t great for gravel and might be more likely to get flats so for now I’m going to hold off and just stick with the stock tires. I’d also considered switching to knobby tires with a better, smoother central tread and I may still do that. The debate I’m currently having with myself is the Kenda Krusade or the Vee Mission Command as both seem better than the stock in terms of rolling resistance.

One thing I did determine was that I should, at the very least, add Slime to my tires as a preventative and to be ready for a roadside repair. Back in the late 90s I worked at a bike shop for a couple years but I’ve been off bikes since a knee injury in 2000. Feeling very rusty with the process! This morning I deflated my rear tire and added slime. Filled it up. gave it a spin to check for any problems. As it happened I noticed a small brownish bit that didn’t just brush off the tire. I scraped it with my nail and it didn’t budge. It felt like something in the tire. Perhaps a small thorn. I dug at it a bit and determined that I needed to deflate the tube and check the underside of the tire. Better to do it at home than to wait and test the slime later. As it turned out it was fairly small but it was poking through to the underside.

I’m sharing all this because in the 30 minutes I spent delflating, adding slime, re-inflating, finding the thorn, deflating again, removing the tire and then removing the thorn I was reminded, after 20 years away from the routine of bike tire/tube maintenance, how easy it actually is. It’s a subject that seems to bring a lot of anxiety to people and I know for myself I was dreading it. I’d forgotten that it’s not actually difficult once you’ve done it a couple times.

A few suggestions...

Slime your tubes at home. I used 8 ounces per tire since they’re big tires. Flip your bike upside down to do it. On the subject of flipping your bike upside down to work on it... It’s more stable if you have a pack attached to the top of your pannier rack. The backside of the bike is heavy and without a pack it will want to tip backward towards the back tire. A good idea to have a pack anyway as you can keep locks, tubes, tools, gloves, etc in it.

While you’ve got your bike upside down doing the Slime practice taking your tires off part way. The thing about roadside flat fixing is that often you don’t need to remove your wheels entirely. If it’s a small hole that the Slime can’t fix it’s hopefully small enough that you can patch it. Patching is relatively easy.

If you’re someone that’s not done this before practice! So, you’ve flipped your bike over and deflated your front tube (probably easier than the back since there's no rack in the way). Before you slime it use your tire levers (they usually come 3 to a kit with patches, glue and a little bit of sandpaper) to take one side of your tire off. Put it back on. Take it off again. Do it a couple times to get a feel for it. In my case I had the added step of checking to see if the thorn had poked through. I found it and used my finger nail to scrape it out. It's a good idea to do a similar inspection just for practice. Rotate the wheel and use your fingers to reach up into the tire, between the tube and tire, and just get a feel for it. Go all the way around to ensure that there's nothing poking through. When the time comes that you're really patching a tube puncture this step is essential. If you forget and re-inflate a patched tube you'll likely just give yourself a new flat if the object is still in the tire!

One thing to remember about working with tires and tubes is that you want to be careful not to pinch your tube with the tire levers. Be careful when you use the levers to pry the tire bead off the rim and when you are putting the tire back on be careful again not to get your tube caught.

When you partially remove a tire to patch, note the side of the tire that has the flat and that's the side to pry off with the levers. That allows for you to access the tube and check the tire for the object. More than likely you'll need to remove the tube to patch it. You may be able to just gently tug it out part way to patch. You can leave the wheel on for this which is why patching is the best first option.

The stock tires on the XP are pretty easy to work with. Start with a tire lever which you use to pry off the first bit of the tire bead. After you pop off the first bit of bead over the rim hold that lever in place with your hand or use the little hook on the opposite end to attach to a spoke which will hold it for you. Then use a second lever just a few inches down and pry off another bit. At that point you might be able to use that second lever to carefully and slowly push further down the tire and the bead will come off as you slide. Just be mindful of your tube as you slide the lever or pry with the lever.

For putting the tire back on it’s the reverse. You can often just use your thumbs to push the bead back up over the rim. If not just use a tire lever and in reverse use a second lever to gently pull another section of tire back over the rim. As you seat the tire back into the rim hold your original spot in place and be sure that you’re not pinching your tube.

I’m sure there are videos on YouTube showing the process. It’s really very easy, especially after you’ve done it a couple times. The more you practice in the comfort of your home/garage/yard the easier it will be when you have to do it when you’re out.
 
A few thoughts on tires, tubes and punctures.

I’ve had my Lectric since around 12-21 and have put about 250 miles on it. I’m expecting/hoping to do 3,000 miles or more this year and I’ve been a bit preoccupied with the topic of tires and tubes. I’d been thinking I might switch to a tire without knobs because about 85% of my mileage will be pavement. But I’ve read reports that those aren’t great for gravel and might be more likely to get flats so for now I’m going to hold off and just stick with the stock tires. I’d also considered switching to knobby tires with a better, smoother central tread and I may still do that. The debate I’m currently having with myself is the Kenda Krusade or the Vee Mission Command as both seem better than the stock in terms of rolling resistance.

One thing I did determine was that I should, at the very least, add Slime to my tires as a preventative and to be ready for a roadside repair. Back in the late 90s I worked at a bike shop for a couple years but I’ve been off bikes since a knee injury in 2000. Feeling very rusty with the process! This morning I deflated my rear tire and added slime. Filled it up. gave it a spin to check for any problems. As it happened I noticed a small brownish bit that didn’t just brush off the tire. I scraped it with my nail and it didn’t budge. It felt like something in the tire. Perhaps a small thorn. I dug at it a bit and determined that I needed to deflate the tube and check the underside of the tire. Better to do it at home than to wait and test the slime later. As it turned out it was fairly small but it was poking through to the underside.

I’m sharing all this because in the 30 minutes I spent delflating, adding slime, re-inflating, finding the thorn, deflating again, removing the tire and then removing the thorn I was reminded, after 20 years away from the routine of bike tire/tube maintenance, how easy it actually is. It’s a subject that seems to bring a lot of anxiety to people and I know for myself I was dreading it. I’d forgotten that it’s not actually difficult once you’ve done it a couple times.

A few suggestions...

Slime your tubes at home. I used 8 ounces per tire since they’re big tires. Flip your bike upside down to do it. On the subject of flipping your bike upside down to work on it... It’s more stable if you have a pack attached to the top of your pannier rack. The backside of the bike is heavy and without a pack it will want to tip backward towards the back tire. A good idea to have a pack anyway as you can keep locks, tubes, tools, gloves, etc in it.

While you’ve got your bike upside down doing the Slime practice taking your tires off part way. The thing about roadside flat fixing is that often you don’t need to remove your wheels entirely. If it’s a small hole that the Slime can’t fix it’s hopefully small enough that you can patch it. Patching is relatively easy.

If you’re someone that’s not done this before practice! So, you’ve flipped your bike over and deflated your front tube (probably easier than the back since there's no rack in the way). Before you slime it use your tire levers (they usually come 3 to a kit with patches, glue and a little bit of sandpaper) to take one side of your tire off. Put it back on. Take it off again. Do it a couple times to get a feel for it. In my case I had the added step of checking to see if the thorn had poked through. I found it and used my finger nail to scrape it out. It's a good idea to do a similar inspection just for practice. Rotate the wheel and use your fingers to reach up into the tire, between the tube and tire, and just get a feel for it. Go all the way around to ensure that there's nothing poking through. When the time comes that you're really patching a tube puncture this step is essential. If you forget and re-inflate a patched tube you'll likely just give yourself a new flat if the object is still in the tire!

One thing to remember about working with tires and tubes is that you want to be careful not to pinch your tube with the tire levers. Be careful when you use the levers to pry the tire bead off the rim and when you are putting the tire back on be careful again not to get your tube caught.

When you partially remove a tire to patch, note the side of the tire that has the flat and that's the side to pry off with the levers. That allows for you to access the tube and check the tire for the object. More than likely you'll need to remove the tube to patch it. You may be able to just gently tug it out part way to patch. You can leave the wheel on for this which is why patching is the best first option.

The stock tires on the XP are pretty easy to work with. Start with a tire lever which you use to pry off the first bit of the tire bead. After you pop off the first bit of bead over the rim hold that lever in place with your hand or use the little hook on the opposite end to attach to a spoke which will hold it for you. Then use a second lever just a few inches down and pry off another bit. At that point you might be able to use that second lever to carefully and slowly push further down the tire and the bead will come off as you slide. Just be mindful of your tube as you slide the lever or pry with the lever.

For putting the tire back on it’s the reverse. You can often just use your thumbs to push the bead back up over the rim. If not just use a tire lever and in reverse use a second lever to gently pull another section of tire back over the rim. As you seat the tire back into the rim hold your original spot in place and be sure that you’re not pinching your tube.

I’m sure there are videos on YouTube showing the process. It’s really very easy, especially after you’ve done it a couple times. The more you practice in the comfort of your home/garage/yard the easier it will be when you have to do it when you’re out.
Thank you muchly, very clear and helpful.
I would like to see instructions, better yet a video, of how to remove the wheels, especially the rear.
I have never done one that has an electric hub and the wire, or one with derailleur gears and a disc brake. And I understand that there needs to be some spreading on the fork with some sort of a lever.

I think any of this, however, will be too late for me as I have the tools necessary to swap out the rear gear coming tomorrow and I probably will just do the job and figure it out as I go.
I note your suggestion to turn the bike upside down, however I have a bike stand and plan to do it on the stand. Is there some reason you feel that turning it upside down is preferable to this?
 
A few thoughts on tires, tubes and punctures.

I’ve had my Lectric since around 12-21 and have put about 250 miles on it. I’m expecting/hoping to do 3,000 miles or more this year and I’ve been a bit preoccupied with the topic of tires and tubes. I’d been thinking I might switch to a tire without knobs because about 85% of my mileage will be pavement. But I’ve read reports that those aren’t great for gravel and might be more likely to get flats so for now I’m going to hold off and just stick with the stock tires. I’d also considered switching to knobby tires with a better, smoother central tread and I may still do that. The debate I’m currently having with myself is the Kenda Krusade or the Vee Mission Command as both seem better than the stock in terms of rolling resistance.

One thing I did determine was that I should, at the very least, add Slime to my tires as a preventative and to be ready for a roadside repair. Back in the late 90s I worked at a bike shop for a couple years but I’ve been off bikes since a knee injury in 2000. Feeling very rusty with the process! This morning I deflated my rear tire and added slime. Filled it up. gave it a spin to check for any problems. As it happened I noticed a small brownish bit that didn’t just brush off the tire. I scraped it with my nail and it didn’t budge. It felt like something in the tire. Perhaps a small thorn. I dug at it a bit and determined that I needed to deflate the tube and check the underside of the tire. Better to do it at home than to wait and test the slime later. As it turned out it was fairly small but it was poking through to the underside.

I’m sharing all this because in the 30 minutes I spent delflating, adding slime, re-inflating, finding the thorn, deflating again, removing the tire and then removing the thorn I was reminded, after 20 years away from the routine of bike tire/tube maintenance, how easy it actually is. It’s a subject that seems to bring a lot of anxiety to people and I know for myself I was dreading it. I’d forgotten that it’s not actually difficult once you’ve done it a couple times.

A few suggestions...

Slime your tubes at home. I used 8 ounces per tire since they’re big tires. Flip your bike upside down to do it. On the subject of flipping your bike upside down to work on it... It’s more stable if you have a pack attached to the top of your pannier rack. The backside of the bike is heavy and without a pack it will want to tip backward towards the back tire. A good idea to have a pack anyway as you can keep locks, tubes, tools, gloves, etc in it.

While you’ve got your bike upside down doing the Slime practice taking your tires off part way. The thing about roadside flat fixing is that often you don’t need to remove your wheels entirely. If it’s a small hole that the Slime can’t fix it’s hopefully small enough that you can patch it. Patching is relatively easy.

If you’re someone that’s not done this before practice! So, you’ve flipped your bike over and deflated your front tube (probably easier than the back since there's no rack in the way). Before you slime it use your tire levers (they usually come 3 to a kit with patches, glue and a little bit of sandpaper) to take one side of your tire off. Put it back on. Take it off again. Do it a couple times to get a feel for it. In my case I had the added step of checking to see if the thorn had poked through. I found it and used my finger nail to scrape it out. It's a good idea to do a similar inspection just for practice. Rotate the wheel and use your fingers to reach up into the tire, between the tube and tire, and just get a feel for it. Go all the way around to ensure that there's nothing poking through. When the time comes that you're really patching a tube puncture this step is essential. If you forget and re-inflate a patched tube you'll likely just give yourself a new flat if the object is still in the tire!

One thing to remember about working with tires and tubes is that you want to be careful not to pinch your tube with the tire levers. Be careful when you use the levers to pry the tire bead off the rim and when you are putting the tire back on be careful again not to get your tube caught.

When you partially remove a tire to patch, note the side of the tire that has the flat and that's the side to pry off with the levers. That allows for you to access the tube and check the tire for the object. More than likely you'll need to remove the tube to patch it. You may be able to just gently tug it out part way to patch. You can leave the wheel on for this which is why patching is the best first option.

The stock tires on the XP are pretty easy to work with. Start with a tire lever which you use to pry off the first bit of the tire bead. After you pop off the first bit of bead over the rim hold that lever in place with your hand or use the little hook on the opposite end to attach to a spoke which will hold it for you. Then use a second lever just a few inches down and pry off another bit. At that point you might be able to use that second lever to carefully and slowly push further down the tire and the bead will come off as you slide. Just be mindful of your tube as you slide the lever or pry with the lever.

For putting the tire back on it’s the reverse. You can often just use your thumbs to push the bead back up over the rim. If not just use a tire lever and in reverse use a second lever to gently pull another section of tire back over the rim. As you seat the tire back into the rim hold your original spot in place and be sure that you’re not pinching your tube.

I’m sure there are videos on YouTube showing the process. It’s really very easy, especially after you’ve done it a couple times. The more you practice in the comfort of your home/garage/yard the easier it will be when you have to do it when you’re out.

Well done... for the novice I would recommend pre-filled slime tubes to make the job even easier.;)
 
I note your suggestion to turn the bike upside down, however I have a bike stand and plan to do it on the stand. Is there some reason you feel that turning it upside down is preferable to this?
Oh, yeah, that was just for folks that don’t have a stand or for doing a repair in the field!
 
One more pro bike shop tip... get a Koolstop tire bead jack to make the job easy when changing tubes/tires.

It is the single best tool that I have purchased to remove and mount stiff tires... no more broken tire levers. ;)



1578977958634.png
1578977999743.png
 
Well, i rode through a very rough patch in the park (full of junk and debris) and picked up another flat. The tire went flat before I reached home and I rode it for about a block to the house. Upon a visual inspection, I found a drywall screw pressed deep into my rear tire. I added more slime to the back wheel and filled it back up. Nope, didn't work. I took off the back tire (which I was dreading because I heard it was difficult). It turned out the tire had too many pinch flats (from riding it while flat) and a larger than 1/8 hole from the screw. No slime or patch kit was going to fix that. Installed a new tube. It turns out that putting the tire back on the bike wasn't as difficult as people said. Just needed a large screwdriver and a few light taps of the hammer on a wood block or a soft face hammer to take the wheel off and put it back on. For some reason, I was getting the impression that I was going to need a fork spreader or two people pulling the fork to get the wheel back on. It was pretty easy with just the two tools. Anyway, ordered a Mr Tuffy liner and in the spring will replace the tires with a heavier reinforced one for urban commuting.
Not clear to me, still awaiting delivery of my Lectric XP (4x20 tires), if all ebikes, or most ebikes, being considered here are Lectric XPs. I've read that removing and remounting rear tires from Lectric XPs is difficult and frustrating, and that might not be true of all ebikes. I'd be interested in knowing the type of ebike referred to in your post.
 
A few thoughts on tires, tubes and punctures.

I’ve had my Lectric since around 12-21 and have put about 250 miles on it. I’m expecting/hoping to do 3,000 miles or more this year and I’ve been a bit preoccupied with the topic of tires and tubes. I’d been thinking I might switch to a tire without knobs because about 85% of my mileage will be pavement. But I’ve read reports that those aren’t great for gravel and might be more likely to get flats so for now I’m going to hold off and just stick with the stock tires. I’d also considered switching to knobby tires with a better, smoother central tread and I may still do that. The debate I’m currently having with myself is the Kenda Krusade or the Vee Mission Command as both seem better than the stock in terms of rolling resistance.

One thing I did determine was that I should, at the very least, add Slime to my tires as a preventative and to be ready for a roadside repair. Back in the late 90s I worked at a bike shop for a couple years but I’ve been off bikes since a knee injury in 2000. Feeling very rusty with the process! This morning I deflated my rear tire and added slime. Filled it up. gave it a spin to check for any problems. As it happened I noticed a small brownish bit that didn’t just brush off the tire. I scraped it with my nail and it didn’t budge. It felt like something in the tire. Perhaps a small thorn. I dug at it a bit and determined that I needed to deflate the tube and check the underside of the tire. Better to do it at home than to wait and test the slime later. As it turned out it was fairly small but it was poking through to the underside.

I’m sharing all this because in the 30 minutes I spent delflating, adding slime, re-inflating, finding the thorn, deflating again, removing the tire and then removing the thorn I was reminded, after 20 years away from the routine of bike tire/tube maintenance, how easy it actually is. It’s a subject that seems to bring a lot of anxiety to people and I know for myself I was dreading it. I’d forgotten that it’s not actually difficult once you’ve done it a couple times.

A few suggestions...

Slime your tubes at home. I used 8 ounces per tire since they’re big tires. Flip your bike upside down to do it. On the subject of flipping your bike upside down to work on it... It’s more stable if you have a pack attached to the top of your pannier rack. The backside of the bike is heavy and without a pack it will want to tip backward towards the back tire. A good idea to have a pack anyway as you can keep locks, tubes, tools, gloves, etc in it.

While you’ve got your bike upside down doing the Slime practice taking your tires off part way. The thing about roadside flat fixing is that often you don’t need to remove your wheels entirely. If it’s a small hole that the Slime can’t fix it’s hopefully small enough that you can patch it. Patching is relatively easy.

If you’re someone that’s not done this before practice! So, you’ve flipped your bike over and deflated your front tube (probably easier than the back since there's no rack in the way). Before you slime it use your tire levers (they usually come 3 to a kit with patches, glue and a little bit of sandpaper) to take one side of your tire off. Put it back on. Take it off again. Do it a couple times to get a feel for it. In my case I had the added step of checking to see if the thorn had poked through. I found it and used my finger nail to scrape it out. It's a good idea to do a similar inspection just for practice. Rotate the wheel and use your fingers to reach up into the tire, between the tube and tire, and just get a feel for it. Go all the way around to ensure that there's nothing poking through. When the time comes that you're really patching a tube puncture this step is essential. If you forget and re-inflate a patched tube you'll likely just give yourself a new flat if the object is still in the tire!

One thing to remember about working with tires and tubes is that you want to be careful not to pinch your tube with the tire levers. Be careful when you use the levers to pry the tire bead off the rim and when you are putting the tire back on be careful again not to get your tube caught.

When you partially remove a tire to patch, note the side of the tire that has the flat and that's the side to pry off with the levers. That allows for you to access the tube and check the tire for the object. More than likely you'll need to remove the tube to patch it. You may be able to just gently tug it out part way to patch. You can leave the wheel on for this which is why patching is the best first option.

The stock tires on the XP are pretty easy to work with. Start with a tire lever which you use to pry off the first bit of the tire bead. After you pop off the first bit of bead over the rim hold that lever in place with your hand or use the little hook on the opposite end to attach to a spoke which will hold it for you. Then use a second lever just a few inches down and pry off another bit. At that point you might be able to use that second lever to carefully and slowly push further down the tire and the bead will come off as you slide. Just be mindful of your tube as you slide the lever or pry with the lever.

For putting the tire back on it’s the reverse. You can often just use your thumbs to push the bead back up over the rim. If not just use a tire lever and in reverse use a second lever to gently pull another section of tire back over the rim. As you seat the tire back into the rim hold your original spot in place and be sure that you’re not pinching your tube.

I’m sure there are videos on YouTube showing the process. It’s really very easy, especially after you’ve done it a couple times. The more you practice in the comfort of your home/garage/yard the easier it will be when you have to do it when you’re out.

Great post Beardy

It would be nice to see someone go start to finish changing a back tire on an XP on a Youtube, including flipping the bike over, (does anyone have a link on those mini-jacks you place on handlebars when flipping bike over?) checking for thorns, screws etc and then actually fixing the hole on the tube. I have seen some partials but not on the XP. It would also be nice to see exactly how they get the rear tire off and back on without a crowbar. On another note-if the LBS just recently Slimed my front tire and I still have a slow leak, can I add more Slime or is there a limit?

Thanks in advance,

Taylor
 
Great post Beardy

It would be nice to see someone go start to finish changing a back tire on an XP on a Youtube, including flipping the bike over, (does anyone have a link on those mini-jacks you place on handlebars when flipping bike over?) checking for thorns, screws etc and then actually fixing the hole on the tube. I have seen some partials but not on the XP. It would also be nice to see exactly how they get the rear tire off and back on without a crowbar. On another note-if the LBS just recently Slimed my front tire and I still have a slow leak, can I add more Slime or is there a limit?

Thanks in advance,

Taylor
I've had 2 flats in 23xx kms. On one I had to change the tube so removed the wheel and on the other one I fixed it on the side of the road. I bought those handlebar jacks and found them interesting but fiddly, what I use instead is some 3" pipe insulation for 1" water pipe that I put on the hand grips as it costs and weighs absolutely nothing. I always keep my screen a little loose so that if I get caught in the rain or bright sunshine I can adjust the angle of the screen so when I flip the bike over I can move the screen out of danger when I have to work on it. I found that my normal bike pump takes forever to fill these tires so went to the dollar store and found a 1/2 size floor pump for $4 which works absolutely perfect for filling the tires. Here is a video that I copied to fix my tire, it is a different bike but the idea is the same.
 
I've had 2 flats in 23xx kms. On one I had to change the tube so removed the wheel and on the other one I fixed it on the side of the road. I bought those handlebar jacks and found them interesting but fiddly, what I use instead is some 3" pipe insulation for 1" water pipe that I put on the hand grips as it costs and weighs absolutely nothing. I always keep my screen a little loose so that if I get caught in the rain or bright sunshine I can adjust the angle of the screen so when I flip the bike over I can move the screen out of danger when I have to work on it. I found that my normal bike pump takes forever to fill these tires so went to the dollar store and found a 1/2 size floor pump for $4 which works absolutely perfect for filling the tires. Here is a video that I copied to fix my tire, it is a different bike but the idea is the same.

Great post Kimbo. I need to practice turning my Lectric XP upside down but am hesitant to break the controller or brake levers. I wish there was a portable jack that could travel with me in case I needed to fix a flat on the road...
 
One more pro bike shop tip... get a Koolstop tire bead jack to make the job easy when changing tubes/tires.

It is the single best tool that I have purchased to remove and mount stiff tires... no more broken tire levers. ;)



View attachment 44026View attachment 44027

This Tire Jack is incredible...it has always gotten my tires back on the rim. I had my repair shop for three years and this tool always got the tire back on the rim. I do not have strong hands, and it gave me the leverage to work the bead back on the rim. I enjoy fixing flats for people with this tool.

I have used Schwalbe tires, and have never had a flat with one. I had a sidewall bulge on one once, but it did not go flat. I have 17,000 miles on my bike. Had a flat with a Continental once or twice. I only buy Schwalbe now.
 
This Tire Jack is incredible...it has always gotten my tires back on the rim. I had my repair shop for three years and this tool always got the tire back on the rim. I do not have strong hands, and it gave me the leverage to work the bead back on the rim. I enjoy fixing flats for people with this tool.

I have used Schwalbe tires, and have never had a flat with one. I had a sidewall bulge on one once, but it did not go flat. I have 17,000 miles on my bike. Had a flat with a Continental once or twice. I only buy Schwalbe now.

I have the little gizmos to take the tires off of the rim, I need a portable stand or 2 little mini jacks to place on the handlebars when I flip the 63 pound beast on his backside...
 
I have gone more than 10,000 miles without a flat using Tannus Armour and a slime filled tube.
 
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