Advice please: Fitting Foldable Tyres on my Road Bike( Conti 4 Seasons)

[Katherine]

I have been bought some of these for Christmas, having been recomended them.
I have a B Twin 520.
I have never seen foldable tyres before.
Is there anything I need to know about fitting them ?
Should we get them out of the box to get the folds out or is that a stupid question?
Thank you in advance.

 

[alicat]

You don't need to do anything special. In my limited experience they take on the normal shape soon after being unfolded.

 

[Katherine]

You don't need to do anything special. In my limited experience they take on the normal shape soon after being unfolded.

Thanks.

 

[potsy]

Not sure how your rims are usually but I found those one of the tightest tyres to fit..

 

[Sillyoldman]

I put a bit of air into the inner tube and feed it into the tyre to give it shape. Pop the valve through the rim hole and ease one side of the tyre bead over the rim then deflate the tube and feed ease the second bead over the rim.

 

[Cycleops]

Folding tyres always seem to require more of an effort to put them on.

 

[T4tomo]

warm them on radiator pre fitting, and talcum powder is your friend. Apply liberally!

 

[rrarider]

Having used both conventional wire-bead tyres and folding kevlar-beaded tyres on my difficult rims, I can say that the folding tyres have proved to be harder to fit. I think that kevlar beads, whilst being more flexible, are harder to stretch longitudinally than braided steel wire beads.

 

[iluvmybike]

Never had a problem fitting a folding tyre

 

[confusedcyclist]

They look funny and crumpled until you pump them up the first time. Don't be perturbed.

 

[andrew_s]

I find folders more awkward the first time.
They have a tendency to revert to the folded shape, which means that the first side has to be held against the rim until it's on all the way round, and they've seemed to average a bit tighter (which I reckon is because they stretch a little more and are hence made a bit tighter to compensate).

Once they've been on a bit, they are easier.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Good choice by the way! Don’t have any issues fitting them on my archytype rims.

 

[jay clock]

Not sure how your rims are usually but I found those one of the tightest tyres to fit..

me too, on my Fulcrum wheels, a right bastard. Not helped by razor sharp bladed spokes cutting fingers!

 

[Elybazza61]

Get them out of the box and in the warm to open out a bit,as mentioned above inflate the tube soit takes shape(not too much!) and care-fully fit to avoid pinching the tube.

If they are 25's inflate to around 85 psi ;you may need to experiment with the pressure but shouldn't need to go above 95.

I've found these tyre levers help getting tight tyres on the rim;

https://thecycleclinic.co.uk/products/irc-tubeless-tyre-levers

Makes putting tubeless climchers on a breeze so should be a big help for non-tubeless.

 

[Katherine]

Thanks everyone.