I would avoid metal tire levers as they tend to lever into the rim and raise divots in the aluminum,
worst case they tear the aluminum and make really rough spots. Park makes a very strong set
of plastic levers, and Performance has had a knockoff that seems to work just as well. You only
need two levers anyway but they give you three. Wire bead tires are always harder to install
than kevlar bead and there are variances tire to tire and rim batch to rim batch so you occasionally
get a tight tire and a slightly large rim..... People with tough, strong hands can pop those suckers
on without levers but most of us will need levers at some stage of the process. New tires are always tighter than ones mounted for awhile. Steve
QUOTE=giantmdb]Most of the replied here are correct with their methods.
Try to avoid at all cost using a lever to remount the tire because it usually ends up biting the tube and putting a hole in it.
Always start at the valve stem and work to the opposite side of the wheel. Mount one side first and then the other. When you get to that last section and it just won't budge, use a little water from your bottle and wet the braking surface and inner tire area and it usually makes the tire snap right on over the rim. Ever notice that they do this when mounting car tires?
Give it a try. As some replies mentioned, some tires are a real pain to get on and some are really simple.[/QUOTE]