Bicycle Mechanics - Can't get the tire back on the rim

For some reason, I can't seem to get the tire back on my rim. I put the tire in my suitcase when I was flying home, and I now have been sitting here for a couple of hours, but I can't force the tire on.

First, I partially inflated the tube, then placed the tube in the tire, then tried to get the tire back on the rim. I can't get about 25% of the tire on the rim.

I wondered if perhaps the metal on the rim expanded. I just talked to my friend, who is an engineer, and he said that even if the rim expanded, the rubber would too, since they're both at the same temperature.

Am I doing something wrong?

Put one side on at a time. The first side usually goes on without too much of a fight. Then make sure to insert the valve stem (I've forgoten before!)

Then starting at the valve stem work the 2nd bead around. Make sure the 1st bead is loose in the center (lengthwise) of the rim. This will give you much needed slack.

I grab the tire with my palms and roll the tire onto the rim using the palm of my hands. Hard to explain, easier to show you, but alas, I'm here and you're there!

It may also help to remove whatever air is in the tube. You just need enough in there to keep the round shape of the tire!

Hope this helps
L8R

Yeah, that's what I've done so far, with no luck. I've been trying to roll the rim onto the tire. The one side was easier, but the other side is just not budging. :( I also took most of the air out except a really small portion of it. :(

I may just take the tube and tire off and start all over again... again.

Thanks!

some rims do not like people!!!! And I know several Hemen will say never, never....but sometime you have to CAREFULLY use a couple of tire levers to get every thing back together.


BUT, it is much better to enjoy this learning experience in the comfort of your home, near the kitchen than on the side of the road in the rain, 30 miles from home.

Very true.... I'm glad I'm at home, so I can do it at my leisure. Funny thing, when I'm out and my tire blows, I have none of these silly problems. It's only when I'm at home in the privacy of my own home.

:confused:

Ok, can't get the tire on the rim for whatever reason- I've used levers, and I've tried to push it through by hand, but nothing, so I'm just gonna bring it to the bike shop first thing and let them charge me a fortune to get this last bit on. This is just odd, but I am not having much luck with my bike lately- I seem to have odd problems often here. :( The worst part is that I'll miss the Bike To Work Day tomorrow morning at the Daley Plaza... again! For once, I'm in town for it, and I won't be able to participate cause the bike shops don't open until 10am. :(

Koffee, what I do in those situations is use the levers I got and push them sideways against the bead of the tyre to get the tyre to sit into the rim. I have a lot of trouble getting my wire bead slicks on (I've broken a couple of levers already), but the push-sideways method seems to work for me.

When I say push-sideways, I mean push the lever sideways, along the curvature of the rim and bead.

What tyre levers are u using?

I'm in engineering, and from what I know of material properties, different materials require different temperatures to expand due to temperature. It is very probable that the rim and tire expanded/contracted at different levels.

Did you have problems with this same tire/rim combo before? I've been having the same problem as you with my current rim/tire combination, almost impossible to mount on rim. I am normally very a calm person, but this is one thing that can really make me cuss and through a tantrum!! Good luck!

One time, I was puting a tire on the rim and the bead of the tire had rolled over onto itself. I didn't notice and kept trying to get that bugger on. I took it off to start all over and notice the whole bead was rolled over.

<sigh>

Well, I took the entire tire off and tried all over again, but no dice.

On top of that, I did an experiment- I took the inner tube out and tried to put the tire on without the inner tube, and it does not go on the rim, no matter how hard I tried. So now I'm confused.

I'm ok. The bike shop opens at 10am, so I'll be heading over there to get them to put the tire on the bike instead. I'm going to get them to show me what they did, in case they're something I'm missing, although I don't think so. Usually, the hardest part of changing the rear tire for me is getting it back on the bike, not getting the tire on the rim!

Thanks anyway.

Koff

<SIGH>

Update...

I walked the 20 min to the nearest bike shop, and I told them about my situation and gave the guy my wheel. He said they'd have to charge me (of course), and I said go ahead, because I just wanted to ride!

So I give him my old inner tube, and he asks me if I want to put my new tube in instead, and I said no, use the old one. There was nothing wrong with it.

So he wrestles the tire back on the rim and pushes the inner tube in. He said it was a bit harder than normal to get the tire on the rim, then he puts the air i the tire, and he said he put in about 95 psi. They end up charging me $5, and I gladly paid it. The guys says that the Continential tire I bought normally have stiffer beads because they're for racing, so until I've used it for a while, the beads will be a bit stiff. I thought to myself "I'm gonna ride the hell out of this wheel, then!"

I was so glad to have this over with. I get home, and as soon as I put my hand on the wheel to feel how firm it was, I notice that the tire is flat!

I call the LBS all over again and explain the situation- he says there must have been a hole in the tube, which I tell him can't be possible. I rode the bike until the day before I left, and it wasn't flat. But the guy says that unless the presta valve wasn't screwed in, then it's flat, and I'll have to bring it back in.

So I hang up the phone and blow more air in the tire. Then I jump on bike forums. And I just check the stupid tire, and it's going flat again. ***** and damn!!! This day sucks.

I'm going to try and change the stupid tube myself. I have a new one- why didn't I just tell the guy to put the new one in to begin with? Damn, damn, damn...

This day sucks. Did I mention that already?

it's possible you pinched the tube when removing it and/or trying to put it back on.

don't forget to have the bead of the tire in the center of the rim when putting it on. that is, while you are using the tools on one side of the tire have the bead of the rim farthest away from the tools in the lowest part of the rim. this will allow you to pull the tire further w/ the tools helping it over the rim.

hope that made sense....

Hey Koffee just a thought, liquid dishwashing detergent with a little water will work as a lube, this may help slip the tire on the rim. In addition, good metal tire levers, like Park’s TL-5, may give you the leverage you need.
Good luck.

It sounds like either you or the mechanic pinched the tube while trying to mount the tire. I find that wired beaded Contis in most part a pain in the A to mount. If I can afford it, I buy kevlar beaded tires.

last time i hadto put a tire on a rim that was tight, i jus used the giggest damn screwdiver in my toolbox. it was a ***** to put on

Baby powder helps also.

Today is friday the 13th, afterall.

I purchased some wire bead 1" slicks for my little sisters "mountain bike". They honestly took me 3 hrs to mount. Good luck with chaning the tire, I'll never buy a wire bead tire again.

Well-

I finally got the freakin' tire on the rim- I had to muscle it in, and I feel like my wrist is going through some carpel tunnel syndrome.

I'm thinking of getting rid of the tires and going with some kevlars or something along those lines. I hate these Continentials. I really do. I just can't imagine what I would do if I got a flat in the middle of nowhere, then spent hours and hours trying to muscle the tire back onto the rim! I'm going to call around to some bike stores and see if anyone will take them for a trade- then I can get some new tires that will put me through less stress.

Dang, I can hardly type... my fingers and wrists hurt that bad. I guess I'll chalk this up to a learning experience.

Thanks for everyone's advice.

Koffee

On that note, has anyone used one of those crank bros' speed levers? I bought one, and have yet to need it (knocking on wood) I wonder if it would work in a situation like this.

two things that I have found to work, a little lubricant on the end of the lever works, I prefer corn oil like mazola or something to that effect, or if all else fails, just shove your rim into the freezer before you are going to run a tire around it. Wear gloves though, I have had my hand stick to the sidewall of a rim before.

the speed levers work well, with kevlar bead tires, otherwise you will break the end off of it.

I always found that old standard bicycles to be very difficult to put tire back on but yours is 26" modern new standard stuff?Heres what I do put the tube in tire then insert valve then get both hands going opposite the valve and work your tire on the rim.I have found it needful to let a bit of air out of the tube towards finishing up and then you should have no problem at all...If your still having problems get some dish water soap in water and add a bit to your tire and rim.Some can be extremely easy and others need a little bit of english here and there?:(

Originally posted by Koffee Brown
I hate these Continentials. I really do. I just can't imagine what I would do if I got a flat in the middle of nowhere, then spent hours and hours trying to muscle the tire back onto the rim!
Which model of Continental are they? what rims are they mounted on?

I feel the exact same way about a pair of kevlar bead Michelin's that I installed a few weeks ago. I thought my thumbs, and tire levers, were going to break trying to install these tires. I dread the day that I'm sitting on the side of the road trying to repair a flat. I'm trying to imagine what it's going to be like getting the tire off. I should practice at home to find out if it's even possible with the tools that I carry.

Hate to dredge up an old thread... but...

Many people are mentioning "letting air out of the tube right before you finish mounting the tire" and etc. Are you supposed to have air in the tube while you are mounting the tire? I feel dumb... :-)

Originally posted by jfk32
Are you supposed to have air in the tube while you are mounting the tire?

Yes. Put enough air in the tube to give it shape. That keeps it from getting pinched between the tire bead and the rim. If you can't get the last bit of the tire on the rim, letting the air out of the tube helps.

Since this thread popped up again, I want to add Formula 409 to the list of slippery stuff that can help you get a tire on (or seated). For those who live where Formula 409 isn't sold, it's an all-purpose cleaner with good degreasing abilities :)

Don't feel dumb- everyone's gotta start somewhere. And the only dumb questions are the ones that are never asked!

You don't mention tire levers, I find these indispensable to R&R tires. The safest way to put tires on is with the thumbs but my thumbs are nowhere near strong enough for about 90% of my tires. I switched to Kevlar beads yrs ago because of the wire bead problem. Park tire levers have been unbreakable so far in my use. Other levers have all broken. Do Not use screw drivers or metal levers, they ding the rims and raise sharp edges. It is very easy to cut the tube when levering the tire over the edge, even with kevlar and you have to pay very close attention to the last 12 inches of bead because the tension is so high it acts like a scissors on the tube. Slight inflation of the tube tends to move it up into the tire away from the rim and helps. The lever helps poke the tube up into the tire also. Lubing with soap the rim/bead can greatly ease the last bit of popover. Some tires are slightly undersize, as are some rims sl oversize. I swore off Contis and Michelins for several yrs because they always seemed tight on my Trek 5000 wheels. The Mavic CD rims have not been a problem. When I dinged a rim once I kept the rim and use it (no spokes) as a tube repair tester and tire stretcher. A few months on the rim and the tires are always a smidgeon larger and easier to mount than when new. You want difficult: try mounting wirebead Stelvios on my undersized Velocity 406 rims for the bent! Last time it took me 30min and two spring clamps.
Steve

A couple of useful tools: Crank Bros Speed Lever for your saddle bag and Kool Stop Bead Jack for your home tool kit. Both help to lift the last of the bead of a tight tire onto the rim. Be sure to leave some air in the tube with the Speed Lever, it can pinch the tube.

This was a frusterating thread to read. I almost got on a plane to Chicago.

Putting a 650c tire on a 700c rim eh?

This was a frusterating thread to read. I almost got on a plane to Chicago.

Putting a 650c tire on a 700c rim eh?

You should have come! I would have welcomed the extra help!

I wasn't putting a 650c tire on a 700c rim. I was putting a 700c tire on a 700c rim, BUT I'd gotten a narrower tire- instead of the usual 700x 26, I got a 700x 23 instead. It was a b!tch putting on, but I don't regret it as much- I am going a bit faster now than before with the fatter tires!

Koffee