patentcad

Why would anyone here have to pretend?

Cdy291

Cheap tires and cheap wheels usually equal hardest to mount. The one wheel I have used that makes almost any tire easy to mount would be Mavic Kysirium.

AssosMan

+1

Broke a tire lever trying to put on GP4000S tires and the job took hours (I'm a newb)! I would suggest Panaracer Stradius PRO tires: https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=5420

I put these on the same wheels as the GP4000S were on and almost wept with joy at the ease of putting these on. The Panaracers are also softer than the GP4000S so they provide a lot of grip, but probably won't last as long. The Panaracers were also new when I put them on compared to the 500 miles used GP4000S and they still were MUCH easier to replace.

CastIron

I've got 10sp campy set-ups in three sets of wheels. And a pile of tires. When you return to the tundra swing by and I'll let you try what I've got. I'm thinking Conti Ultra Gatorskins are a good bet. My Schwalbe Ultremos are a royal beast. Mundo cussing involved.

hoodooguru

Really , wow I haven't had problem one and I put over 15k on my set before "retiring" them to the beater. I was surprised too because they just kind of look fragile but I never even had to true them. Quality control must vary I guess.

patentcad

The biggest factor determining the ease of mounting or removing a clincher tire is how new or old the tire is. New ones are tough, older tires are easier after they've worn down and stretched out. I typically can get the Conti 4000GPs on by hand (I always need tire levers to remove them). Sometimes they're stubborn and I need the tire levers to mount them as well. It's more a technique issue than a sheer strength thing for me, but I'm an adult male, it would be tougher for a woman with less strength and smaller hands. Nothing tire levers shouldn't help you with.

It's more a matter of practice. I've been doing tire changes for 20 years in my garage, on the road, in the dark, etc. It's easier for me now than it was a long time ago.

Pasqually

Campagnolo rims & new veloflex clincher tyres.

Hardly low budget combination, but they will test your limits.

Terex

Did the same thing recently with Bontrager Race lites and Continental Ultra Gatorskins. The Park tire irons were looking hopeless it was soooo tight. I started working in bead with my fingers in the areas I "thought" were seated, and gradually pushed the unseated area over the lip. Genius.

Previous Vredestien's from Performance, and the Tri-comps were a piece of cake. No problems with Continental 4000's on Ksyrium SL's either.

superdex

+1 on Hutchinsons, I run the (relatively inexpensive) Top Speeds and I can change them with minimal usage of a tire lever. Wheels used include Velocity Fusions and Neuvations ...

banerjek

I'm male and in good shape. When my friends or workmates need someone to supply brute force to solve a problem, they call me.

There's nothing wrong with using tire irons. I use 'em all the time. Some tires mount and come off easier than others. I say stick with the tires you like and keep the irons. Even if you find tires you can change without tools, you may find that things work very differently when you can't feel your frozen fingers and your tires are cold.

Fox Farm

You will find the Continental Grand Prix tires to be very easy to mount. They are also a comfortable supple ride.

mascher

I had a heck of a time getting any tire on or off Campy Omega Strada rims. Less so with Schwalbe Stelvio Lights, getting them on, but not getting them off.

As for the Continentals, a 28 Gatorskin practically falls off my rim, but getting Continental Ultrasports on or off a Velocity or a Mavic rim is just stupidly difficult (and if baxtefer lurks here, he will concur ).

Hutchinson Fusions went on and off easy enough, Vittoria Tecnos were the easiest to get on or off any rim by far. I would guess the Open Corsas are the current version of these tires, but that's a wild guess, never rode the Corsas.

BillyD

I didn't know you were a female. Anybody else know she was a female?

Doesn't change anything. I'm just sayin'

Well actually I'm usually nicer to females so it does change some things, but . . . .

Chances

+2. My cheapie pair of Hutchinsons are the easiest tire I've ever mounted. I can mount these tires all day long without tire levers. However, the rear looks like its only going to last 3000 miles, and the compound and contact areas aren't very ideal. Still, fantastic cheap tire.

bquine

Is it just me or is "Detonator" the worst name for a tire ever?

aikigreg

+a ton on this, and add in a set of speed levers - I think crank brothers makes them. I never leave home without them.

patentcad

Those speed levers look like bike weenie Jaws of Life.

Hocam

Hutchinson Top Speeds slide right on without tire levers to velocity aeroheads, I've only had a few flats with them over 1500 miles too. I have a pair on kryllion carbons waiting to replace them, so I'll see how easy they go on.

solveg

Is that what they're called? Speed levers?

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. My teacher in my overhaul class did show me a technique to help mount tires which involved working the excess to one side of the rim. I haven't tried it yet. I can't quite envision a similar technique for taking it off.

The rim I couldn't get the tire on was a Campagnolo Ypsilon rim. It took 2 tire irons, me turning red in the face, and* a big burly guy from my class to get the tire off of this rim.

solveg

Yeah! The worst!

waterrockets 

I would advise against relying on special tools to mount or remove your tires. You should always use the tools you're going to have with you on the road. As great as this tire jack might be, if you're not carrying it with you, it's not going to help.

I don't carry tire levers unless I end up with a tire that I just can't remove bare-handed, then I'll carry them for a month or two, until the tire loosens up.

There are a couple techniques for bare-handed removal that should help:

1. Make sure as much air as possible is out of the tube. Open the valve, clamp the wheel between your calves (tire on skin) and push down on the top of it, so you have four areas of contact.
2. Place the valve stem at the top, tire on the ground. FIRMLY pull the tire tight around the rim by starting at the valve stem with both hands, and sliding them down the tire until you get close to the ground. Grab the rim and tire with your hands so the tire doesn't slide back around toward the valve stem side.

You have now loosened the bead enough that you should be able to get it over the rim. This works for me for 99% of tires (including different brands on other people's bikes). It's VERY rare for me to need a tire lever, even with frozen hands (did this last week in 35F rain -- could barely feel my fingers).

banerjek

+1

Also, be aware that despite the fact that all tire irons are look similar, they are not created equal. Just last week, I helped a buddy change a tire. This guy rides over 10K miles a year and has changed many tires but was having difficulty due to uncooperative tires and cold hands.

I used his irons rather than my own. Although I got the tire off in a minute or so, his POS irons were easily twice as hard as mine to use. When I pulled mine out to show how they were different, he decided to buy another set.

mascher

For sure. It wasn't intuitive to me, but I actually prefer ones that are slightly "soft" and a tiny bit on the thin, or at least the not thick side. Certainly not the metal-cored ones.

I currently have Tacx ones that I like, and I like Parks too, though the Parks have been too thick or busted in tight fits where the Tacx haven't.

sedpedal

butterknife. beats all other tire levers i've ever used. its metal, rounded edges, and its thinner than most any tire tool i've used. that said, my rolf's and pro race 2's slip on like fuzzy slippers.

some talc powder and good technique go a long way.

yeamac 

Vittoria Diamante Pro folding tires are the easiest I have ever mounted. I always use levers to get off, because that's what they are made for, and the Diamante Pros are easy enough to mount by hand with very little force. I do make sure the tube is partially inflated and seated inside the rim and you can kind of stretch/coax the tire to get as much excess as possible where you need to finish mounting on the rim.

The Vittoria Zaffiro tires that came on my Bianchi are low end tires with a wire bead. Those things were so difficult to get off and on I replaced them prematurely because I was fearful of flatting on the road with them.

My advice, if you have a set of tires that are difficult to mount and you don't want that, try a different set of tires as suggested by someone here being easy to get off/on. The Diamante Pro is a better qualtiy tire and can be found at Probikekit.com for $25-30 shipped ($50 in LBS). I'd recommend those.