I've got Fulcrum Racing 5 wheels recently https://shop.sunrisecyclery.com/item/12841/
I'm having a very hard time putting tyres onto these wheels. I was not able to put my old Conti Gator Skin with wire bead on at all. Foldable Vredestein Fortezza SE were a bit easier and I managed to put them on after breaking a few plastic levers.

What's wrong? Is that wheels, tyres, or I just need to build more muscles?

Build more muscles.

Seriously Fulcrums are made by Campy and Campy wheels are notoriously had to put tires on...add to that the Contis can be hard to put on no matter what wheel you are talking about and the combo is a real b!tch to mount.

Never done it but i read somewhere that if you loosen them up in the microwave they will go on much easier

I'm thinking that this ^^^ goes in the category of a bad idea. I'm taking a polymers class right now, and one of the first things we learned was the difference between a thermoset and thermoplastic polymer. thermoplastics can be heated and remoulded then cooled and be just as good as before. thermosets break down with heat. take a guess which one rubber is.

If you guessed thermoset, you win. dont microwave your tires. just work on them a bit more. they'll stretch a pinch after mounting them a few times. try turning the unmounted part so that it faces away from you, and pull towards you with your fingertips to give your thumbs a break.

I dont think the idea is to cook them, just warm them up a bit

no microwave!!! Use your tire lever if you need to, just be careful not to pinch the tube. And once you get them on, rest assured you are less likely to have them roll off the rim while descending through a corner at 40 mph.

Use SOMA steel core levers or the extra beefy Pedros levers.

Thanks, everyone!
I'm using boiling water when I need to remove grips from flat handlebars. However, when rubber cools down it is hard again. Well, I can put tyre on this way, but what I'm supposed to do if I get a flat tyre? Carry a samovar with me?


Can anyone recommend tyres those are more loose?

Could you please post that you carry that in the "what do you carry when you ride" thread? Pleeeeeaase.

Ummm, continental seems to be the tightest tires in my experience. I've found Corrotec and Vittoria tires easier to get on. But I prefer tighter ones because I've had a tire roll off my rim before, and am just glad I was taking a right turn at 12 mph as opposed to descending the windy Potrero Rd at 35 mph instead!

vittorias are easy go get on, michelins are too