If you need a tool to mount your tire you had better have it with you on the road or you are going to be stuck when you have a flat. I will not ride a tire-rim combo I cannot easily mount by hand.


If you are using Velox or similar fabric tape and you are determined to use those tires you might consider putting on a thinner rim tape, or a couple of layers of Kapton tape instead. I like Continental Easy Tape, it is thin and slick and makes tire mounting much easier.