Can't get my bloody tire off!

[Richie1964]

Hello all

I have had my first puncture of the season! I am on Continental Untra Sport tyres riding on Ritchey OCR Comp wheels. I have never encountered such a tight fit before! Anyone got any tips?

Thanks in advance!


Rich

 

[bonj2]

probably not much help, but I've got those tyres and they come off easy....

don't resort to metal tyre levers - you may damage the rim and / or tyre.

Make sure you are starting it off directly opposite the valve (i.e. as far away from it as possible).

Make sure the first tyre lever is definitely right under the bead, but once it is, try and get the leverage distance between the point where it is under the bead and the flange of the rim as small as possible, giving you the best possible mechnical advantage.

 

[andy_wrx]

Don't start off directly opposite the valve. Start off at 90-degrees from it.

Directly opposite, you want to get the bead as far into the middle of the wheel as you can, i.e. seated right in the bottom of the well, so that the bead where you're trying to lever is as slack as possible. And you can't do that with the valve in the way.

 

[Spoked Wheels]

 

[Stick on a Giant]

Try pushing the tyre out of the bead all the way round first, that will give you a little more free play to be able to lever the tyre over the rim.

 

[bonj2]

you mean pushing the bead of the tyre out of the rim flange. The bead is PART of the tyre.