Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Tips to mount Scwalbe Marathons?

After having 9 flats last month I decided to upgrade to Schwalbe Marathon Plus HS348 tires. They finally arrived at my LBS on Friday (flat #9 was on my way to pick them up ;-)

I've been trying for the last hour or so to mount these wonderful tires. My front wheel is a Mavic MA 622-15 rim I got last summer. I used to struggle a little mounting the flat-prone Michelin Dynamics, but nothing like these. I can't even get close so far--the tires won't squish in enough to get both wires under the hook.

It's almost like it should be mounted to like a 45mm rim!

The rear wheel has an old Rigida 13-19 rim and I'm having the same problem with that.

Before I scrap the century scheduled for tomorrow and load everything up in the cage and head into the bike shop, does anyone have any tips for getting these on the rim?

Thanks!

Jeff

I had a similar problem getting a Continental tire onto a Bontrager rim with cotton rim tape. After I pinched (and patched) two holes in a new tube and snapped a couple of plastic tire levers, I tried putting the tire completely on without a tube in place, just to try and stretch out the bead a little. Then I used two steel Park tire levers, a Kool-Stop tire jack, and some carefully applied brute force to get the tire on with the tube in place. I partly inflated the tube (just enough to hold its shape) to reduce the likelihood of pinching.

If you're using cloth rim tape, the thin plastic rim tape will leave a little more room for the first bead to sink down, making the second bead easier to get on. Plastic rim tape doesn't last as long, though, it cracks after a year or so and the cracks cut the tube.

The second rim that I mounted the continentals on was a Velocity Cliffhanger, a wide V-section rim with a deep U-shaped area inside the rim for the tube to sit down in. I used Veloci-Plugs on this rim instead of rim tape, these are individual plastic plugs for each spoke hole. The wide rim, deep center section of the rim, and plugs instead of tape left so much room for the tire that I was able to put a brand new tire on without tools.

Thanks for the inspiration!

I stomped and stretched and pulled and yes there was wailing and gnashing of teeth but I finally got both tires mounted.

They'd better not go flat at least until I can get some better tire tools!

I do use the metal tire irons...plastics are hopeless with new Marathon's in my experience. I also use Schwalbe's tire lubricant...lots of it.........This next point may be a ridiculous way of doing it, but this works for my 60 yr old hands....I use two plastic wood clamps to keep the tire in place, then use the tire lever, move a clamp, use the tire lever, move a clamp, etc....just replaced my two tires last week after more than 3,000 miles before an "event"......note, I never use the "F" word...

I did replace a tube 2 weeks ago in the field....the tire with 3,000+ miles on it was easily changed with just my hands...needed the metal tire iron to get it off, but was able to get it back on with just my hands...

Some combinations of tires/rims are tough (older Mavics and Continental Gatorskins are especially heinous).

Get a Kool-Stop tire jack. Lightweight, but a tad bulky...still, it beats spending 20 min. on the side of the road cursing and spraining your thumbs.