I did the same thing. Had to cut the tire off and everything. :lol:

Luckily it was an old tire...

steel core levers FTW

Get off my lawn!

I was searching the Internet for info about the Amidillos and saw a video about it on youtube. Then I clicked on other videos and this is what I saw:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a_Z-...eature=related

ROFLMAO! This guy is the best! :)

GOOD GREIF! SIGN THAT GUY UP FOR THE AMERICAN TdF TEAM PRONTO! ! ! ! :D

I'ts nice to see that my talent for not checking things as closely as I should has company... :D

In my defense it was back when I first started woring on my own bicycles. I had no idea that there were so many closely related tire sizes. I just assumed (and we know what that means don't we :D) that 700c and 27 inch were the same thing. Lesson learned in quick time.

Use the largest screwdriver you can find.

That film killed me!! Ahahahahahahahahaha!!

I know a messenger service that would hire that guy...

I think some of you are being a little harsh . Many of us have had years of experience of fitting and removing tyres, and do actually know the correct procedure. The fact remains that sometimes you can experience real difficulty, perhaps quality control of the tyre size was on holiday when the problem tyres were made ;-( I'd never had problems fitting (road) tyres to wheels, but on a recent bike with narrow rims I have never struggled so much. I had to resort to tyre levers and managed to nip the tube even being ultra careful. I struggled to get it back off, repaired tube - then nipped the damn thing again. After that I found I was avoiding anything on the road that stood a miniscule chance of causing a puncture. The bike didn't last for long!
My latest three bikes I've swapped the tyres about with no problems at all, all by hand - 700 x 23.
So, just because you may never have had any problems please don't dismiss others who do.
No offence intended

I still think that replacing them with Marathons is the best idea... which can also be a pita to install.

Okay so using the soapy water really helped, and I got the rest of the 1st tire on easily.


For the 2nd tire, I have the opposite problem: it doesn't want to seat in the rim!!

Yup me too. That's how we learn, right? ;)

about not seating in the rim. I've had that too. just keep at it. pump up the tube a little

That's what mine is like. It's really sloppy and won't stay centered while inflating. Stories like this make me wonder just what the quality control is like in the factory that makes the Armadillos.

I finally got mine to stay put by slightly inflating the tube but so that it was still squishy. I then had to hand center the tire's bead on the rim, put in a little more air, recenter and finally was able to blow it up to spec air pressure. If I hadn't done this the tire would have blown over the rim seat at the loosest point.

Those Specialized are awesome but brand new can be a ***** to install. Make sure tube is slightly inflated and placed inside of tire. Mount the tire using the valave stem in the hole first. Then work your way around from there. make sure your using a tire lever and wear a pair of gloves to make pinching the tire in all the way around A LOT easier. Most of all, good luck.

Just get a VAR tire-lever. It's plastic - strong - and won't scratch of bend the rim. Makes mounting any tire easier - or just have it on hand for the monsters prowling. Waiting for you after 100 miles and numb thumbs. :bike2:

What he said - but I always throw the new tire on the driveway, in the sun, before I even start to remove anything.

I have never, ever, had a problem, mounting any tire, with this proceedure.

Sure, you might have to go back more than once, recentering the tire, as it gets tension on it; but, it always works, even without levers.