Originally Posted by sciencemonster

Getting the tires off and back on. Breaking the little plastic levers. Popping the tubes inadvertently, either with the levers or becasue it gets improperly seated. Blowing the tires off the rims and popping the tube. Leaking valves. It seems to be something different every time. But it is always something. I tried everything. Read every hint. Did every trick. But it was just one thing after another.

I got so pissed at one wheel after popping two tubes, I took the thing down to the shop and had them _show_ me how to change the damn thing. Felt like an idiot.

I've had plenty of practice. I've gone thru dozens of bikes, replaced tires on my three speeds whenever I felt like trying different tires, experimenting. It never got easy, and it never got foolproof. I _always_ had to have extra tubes around just in case.

Changing tubulars was a revelation. I don't like hit or miss. That's why I like old machines - they are reliable. Whatever goes wrong, you can fix it. Clinchers just never work as reliably. For me. Painting the glue on, letting them set, pulling them on the rims...it's all methodical. It's 1, 2, 3, done. Just like renewing the bearings in a pedal.

When I drive my '45 Rudge (w/clinchers) around, somewhere in the back of my mind, I'm half expecting the damn tire to blow off the rim again.