LBCwanabe 

I have a set of nearly new matrix my aero atb wheels that I can’t get tires on for the life of me. I’ve tried screwdrivers and soap. No matter what I can’t fit the tires on. This tim is very narrow. What am I doing wrong?

gugie 

First, more details on what "new matrix my aero atb wheels" is. Specifically what rim and tire combo are you using? A picture would help immensely.

BTW, never, never, never use a screwdriver to install a tire. You'll end up with a self-induced pinch flat 9 out of 10 times. Get some proper tire levers at a minimum.

TPL

Your rims are 571mm

You are trying to force 559mm tires on a too large rim

No go

Either ....get 571mm tires ....or ....559 rims

bboy314

I’ve always found Matrix hard anodized rims to be particularly hard to install tires on.

BFisher

How do you know this?
According to this past thread, the person seeking info about his own Matrix Mt. Aero rims eventually measured the ERD at 535, which aligns with an ISO 559 rim.
Matrix Mt Aero ERD

To the OP, if you still have issues after acquiring good tire levers, Kool Stop produces a tire bead jack that works well.

randyjawa 

I am unsure of the rim and tire sizes but I do know one thing for sure. Smaller width tires, say 23mm as opposed to 25 o4 28mm are a heck of a lot more difficult to install.

Forced to install new tires on my Jamaica Bianchi, I reluctantly opted to buy what was on hand in the Black River, Jamaica bicycle repair shop. The only 700c tires he (Conrad, a friend of many years) had on hand were 23mm. I bought them, took them back to my home in Treasure Beach and tried to install them.

With soon to be bloodied fingers, I managed to get a tire on the front rim. Try as I might, however, I gave up trying to fit the other tire onto the rear. It just would not go. So, hoping for the best, I jumped on my motorcycle and rode back to Black River. Though not a regular practice in Jamaica, my bike shop friend agreed to give me a full refund, offering to order a set of tires from Montego Bay. I was stuck and said "please do", asking for 28mm. What arrived, a few days later was a set of 32mm tires. Would they fit?

Well, the just barely fit, with less than 1/8" clearance between the chain stays. That is 1/16" per side. The tires went on with ease and by hand. I did not even need to use my tire irons, which incidentally, are made of plastic.

I would like to add to the warning of NOT using a screwdriver to remove or install tires. Doing so is just asking for damage to the inner tube and/or alloy rim.

SJX426 

Using a screw driver can also mess up your bead with the sharp edges of the side of the blade.
Make sure the bead is in the bottom center of the rim opposite the valve during the last bit of working it over the edge. you are trying to fit the last bit near the valve, right? Don't make the mistake of trying to fit a tire opposite the valve. The valve will not let the bead fit into the bottom of the rim profile.
If the tape covering the spoke heads is too thick, it may cause additional effort to get the bead over the edge.

LBCwanabe 

Thanks for all of the helpful info. I really appreciate it. Right now I am contemplating disassembling the wheels and using new rims.
Here is more info on the trims: 26”with inside rim dimension of 12mm & outside of 19mm. These rims are aero in profile

Hobbiano 

Have you tried any other tires on your rims? From your pictures, the bead on those tires looks thicker than most tires. It looks like the beads would take up most of the room available on those rims, which are very narrow, and probably better suited for narrower and lighter tires.

TPL

Your new photos speak VOLUMES !

Okay now, that is a MASSIVE amount of rubber you are attempting to squeeze inside the narrow spacing of the flanges of those rims

It may be possible, but this needs to be put in the hands of a real master mechanic = ( likely someone who was working on bicycles BEFORE there was such a thing as a mountainbike )

Thinner tires ....thinner tubes = better choice

Bianchigirll 

Where do you live? Most of are pretty nice people and always willing to help, so if tell where you live maybe for the price of few PBR Talls some kindly member with strong thumbs will be willing to help.

those all rubber tires could be part of the problem because these rims were likely intended for lighter “skin wall” type tires. However sometimes certain tire and rim combos just don’t want to work. I once had a set of aero Ambrosio rims and no matter how small the tube or how careful I cajoled the tire it was a beast to get any tire on them. I think I was secretly happy when the front wheel fell off the La Pre Alpina (last time I used the wheel holders) roof rack one day.

Im no longer a fan of aero rims but these look like real nice wheels, what do they belong to?

Classtime 

Cool rims. Maybe you need cooler tires? This video covers it. The most important part is getting the beads into the center well of the rim.

philbob57

Kool Stop Tire Jack: , if the tire size is right. Never a screw driver - even if it gets the tire on the wheel, you're likely to put a hole in the tube while you do it.

bboy314

Those rims came stock on many trek mountain and road bikes, I believe in the early 90s. Many were hard anodized, I don’t know if that has anything to do with it but tires always seem to be a VERY tight fit on them. I agree the kool stop tire jack can be very helpful, the technique may take a little practice though.

Also, if you’re working in a cold climate, try putting the wheel and tire next to a furnace or heat duct overnight before installing.

John E

I find modern tires generally fit more tightly than older ones of the same callout size. I now carry a KoolStop TIre Jack on every ride and use one for almost every installation. The Jack barely clears my 26 x 1.95 mountain bike tires, but it does work. It was the only way I got get a 700C x 28 Michelin folder onto the front wheel of my Peugeot. The Jack is designed for installation, but I have also been able to use it occasionally to aid with removal.

seedsbelize2

I agree with this. I have a single MA40 rim, onto which I can mount not a single tire with ease. I also have the Koolstop bead jack.

Mr. 66

Those are very fine rims, I think the picture of the rim tape shows the issue. That looks like handlebar tape, I think a thin plastic rim tape could help the mountings.

I have the road version of that Matrix, I don't recall any issues with tire installation.

nlerner

I think those rims are telling you, "Don't put those crappy tires on us!"

CliffordK

I've come to the same conclusion with many "modern" rims. I've pretty much given up on Velox cloth tape. And, use almost exclusively some kind of plastic rim tape. I haven't come up with a definitive answer of what is best, but generally a non-stick plastic ring.

Velo plugs are a unique solution, and also worth considering.

Bad Lag

STOP using the screw drivers. You are destroying the rims and the rim tape.

Go buy some STEEL tire levers.

madpogue 

This, at least in great part. Whatever the type, the tape looks too wide to me. Occupying the space where the tire bead will sit, effectively increasing the diameter. First thing I would try is a "dry fit" with no tube, no rim tape, just to see if that eases the installation. If that works, then the OP has the option, if in a pinch for the right tape/plugs, of trimming the existing tape to a narrower width.

And indeed, as stated above, that looks like an awfully wide tire to put on such narrow rims. There are plenty of narrower street-tread 26" tires out there (for example, Ritchey Tom Slicks come in 26x1.25 IIRC). If the OP is going for a fatter tire look/ride, then a wheel build with wider rims should definitely be on the table.