Originally Posted by
Sojodave
For kicks and giggles, I removed the tires on both rims. The rear one came off with not too much effort. I used my Kool Tire tool and it was much easier to put back on. The front tire, wouldn't come unbeaded with the strength of Thor. I finally removed one side and took the tube out, but the other side was like it was glued on. I tried several MacGyver tricks, none worked. I finally sprayed some Simple Green inside the rim and pushed as hard as my thumbs would allow and boom, they finally came off. I have an extra mini pump holder and I think I'm going to add it to my bottle holder strap and keep a Kool Tire Tool with me on all my rides. I feel confident I can get the tires on the rims, but removing them could be a huge challenge. I am going to also look into replacing the tape to see if that helps.
On one of my first sets of tubeless tires, I had a really, really hard time breaking a tight bead. I was so frustrated that I was very close to cutting a $90 tire off of the rim. Anyway, a tool-free method that I've found to work when all else fails - stand up and stand the wheel up in front of you, with the bead that you want to break facing you. Grip the tire/wheel with both hands and start twisting, one hand at a time, like you're rolling up a newspaper. You might have to really put your weight in to it. The goal is to essentially roll the tire carcass over the far edge of the rim, which will pull the bead away from you, popping it off the shoulders and in to the center of the rim. If it doesn't break after a few odd grunts, rotate the wheel a little and try to break it at another spot. It'll pop sooner rather than later. Oh, and unless your hands are like hooves, you should be wearing gloves or you'll tear 'em to **** in no time.