technotala

hi,

i purchased a set of 700x22c veloflex pave tires. i have mavic 700c rims. my friend and i attempted to mount these tires on my rims and they appeared to be way too small. we were afraid we'd either damage the rim or the tire itself if we forced it on with levers. we managed to get one bead on, but the tire was so tight that it didnt seem like it would even be able to inflate if we got the other one on (which we couldnt).

I looked up the technical specifications for my rims and it says "ETRTO compatible size: 622x15c". The leaflet inside of the tire box clearly says to ""use only ETRTO 622x13c rims". would that indicate that the tires are the wrong size?

i wrote to the people that sold me the tires and they assure me that they are the correct size (though they admit they are notoriously difficult to mount), but they seriously seem straight-up impossible to mount. has anyone else had this issue with these tires? if so, what resolution did you come to?

thanks for listening,
tala

merlinextraligh

you're on the edge of recomended rim width. See https://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html#width
And note the recomendations there are very conservative

Moreover, that really shouldn't affect getting the tire mounted. (It would more affect it blowing off).

Some tire/rim combinations are very tight. Use a tire jack if you need to.

POTFH

I had that problem w/ my Bontrager Race Lite wheelset. Ended up using levers w/ caution and it worked. No flats until about 1000 miles or so. Excellent tires. After first mounting, they stretch and remounting is a breeze. Good luck.

VentNoir

My experience with Veloflex Paves and Ksyrium ES's are that it is difficult to mount them, but certainly not impossible (I've mounted three or four so far). And the combination is extraordinary IMHO! Fabulous tires...

terry b

Difficult but not impossible. You just need to exercise a great deal of caution when using levers WRT the tube. A good pair of mechanic's gloves will save your thumbs and help you grasp the tire more effectively.

Veloflex on Campy Neutrons, now that's impossible. (although I've done it.)

oopfoo

I used gloves myself when mounting mine. These ARE some pretty tight tires. Keeping a set of mechanics gloves or some lambskin roping gloves in your box is always a good idea.

ridethecliche

I snapped a tire lever and bent two while trying to get on a tire today. It took 2 hours to get it off, patch the tube, and put it back on. I never want to do that again... haha.

Pasqually

yes, veloflex pave on campy rims is very very hard.

It is very very worth it though. .

I have not tried mavics, but sure it can be done and will be fine to ride.

technotala

it took some patience but we finally got the tires mounted. had to pre-stretch them on a different rim & use levers to get them on. its a miracle i didnt ruin the inner tube in the process.

my only concern now is getting them off when i need to change a flat. i guess ill cross that bridge when it comes!