I was beginning to think something was wrong with me. 25 years of cycling and I never had any problems mounting tires, yet someone here has trouble every day.

I got a spare set of wheels and tires for the gravel bike at a co-op, to keep kid trailer miles off the good tires. Up front I ended up with a narrow Matrix rim from the 90s (with a Dura Ace hub, $20). I used a 23mm Gatorskin with a steel bead. It took me a good 20 minutes, some thumb pain, soapy water, and finally a switch to a narrower tire lever got it done.

The tube uber thankfully has a removable core, so I can use sealant, good thing cause I’d never get that off and back on while wrangling a toddler on a bike trail.

Not looking for advice, I just wanted to acknowledge that sometimes, occasionally, hard to mount tires are not just user error.

Those Matrix rims have been a chore for me also. I think I have a total of 6 of them and mounting tires is rough on all of them.

My wife's Trek 7900 features those rims. I don't fear them, but they've certainly earned my respect.

Umm...congratulations?

I just mounted new tires last thursday at lunch and had no problems. I was sure the ease of installation would be inversely proportional to the chances of getting a pinch flat or some other catostrophy, but, no....the tires have been just fine.

FWIW, continental Touring IIs were the toughest mount job I ever had. (1984 Nishiki International).

How did you rule out user-error?

Does sealant in a tube really work? If so, I might try this on my similarly-disposed Vittoria Corsa G+ impossibletomount tire on a wheel I had to irreversibly skewer onto a horizontal dropout. If that thing flats, it is walk-o-shame time.

Welcome to the club! I've got a set of 650b VO rims on my bike while my wife has some 650b Pacentis. I have mounted the same set of tires on both of them on several occasions and while mine are never any trouble I have a hell of a time every time I change hers. Some rims really are just... Tougher.

Ive got a couple wheels with fresh-ish orange seal that I’m going to suck dry because I want to run tubed GP4000’s on. I’ll use that used seal for this experiment.

I don’t know if it works. It seems like it should with the same drawbacks as in tubeless (drying out).

We both know that Slime works great in tubes. It’s also an option.

Do you use a bead jack to mount your tires? If not, it's something to consider.

Schwalbe Fat Franks in 26x2.35 literally fall off a 26in rim. I don't know how they even clinch. You can put 10psi in the tube and they still flap about. Can pass a finger between the tyre and rim. This on three different designs of rim. Yet with enough pressure it automatically seats evenly.

But recently I had to remove Schwalbe marathons from their rims Brompton size 16 3/8, 349mm. Bent the tyre levers and scratched the rims. It was like they were just too small. I'm converting those wheels to 355, the Schwalbe Big Apples in 2.0in go on very easily.

Btw I very rarely open a blind title topic. Tell us what you're on about or get low views.

I mostly do it when I post inconsequential fluff. Literally no one would have their ride improved or diminished by skipping this thread. I'm perfectly fine with that.

BTW I flatted that stupid thing today, 10 miles from home, and a crazy toddler running around. I had to ride a little ways to find a safe place for him while I fixed it. That trashed the tube and the spare was mistakenly for the gravel tires (much too big). I called my neighbor for a ride home.