Originally Posted by
BruceMetras
If it were me having that much trouble with a set of rims, I'd just lace up something else... the only time I have ever had a problem with any 406 wheel over the last 8 years was with genuine Rolf wheels and Continental Grand Prix tires... ever .. that combination is seriously tough.. with all the Downtubes I've had, never a problem swapping tires around ... so I'd assume your VIIIH rims are oversize for whatever reason and just swap them for most anything that works.. then your tire choices become a more normal selection process.
Given the fact that folding tires are lighter and the fact that, even on normal rims, changing out a steel bead on the side of the road isn't exactly a picnic (and especially not with an IGH), I think rebuilding other bike components in order to make wire bead and/or nonkevlar belted tires more appealing is counterproductive.
There are many reasons why folding beads and kevlar belts are better and even if I jump through hoops to eliminate the most compelling reasons, the other reasons will still remain. What you're proposing is a bit like noting that one bike is faster than another and then concluding that one should ride the fast bike with the brakes on.
Besides, like you said, even premium tires on premium rims can cause problems, so we (I) might as well figure out how to pick tires that work regardless of what rim they're mated with and that entails finding tires which:
1. Have enough give to muscle on even if they don't quite fit.
2. Hardly ever need to be removed.