Just changed my first tyre

popette

I just put on a turbo trainer tyre onto my husbands bike. Oh. My. God. That was such hard work. The tyre was so incredibly tight and really inflexible. It took me about well over an hour and now I'm sweating cobs!

I used a video off you-tube as a guide (and my friend giving me hints over the phone)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXnTqP7Nd_o

I'm so glad I didn't have to do that somewhere on the the side of the road and if I have to do it during the etape, I'm going to be eliminated for sure.

Now I've got to sort his rusty chain!!

Smokin Joe

Well done popette. It is easier by the side of the road, once the tyre has been ridden for a while it will loosen up a bit.

fossyant

Talc and lots of it !

scapaslow

Was that a Continental Ultra?

I put one on last weekend and it was a real struggle.At least 45 min. Had to use tyre levers to get it on and was afraid of pinching tube with the force needed.

popette

scapaslow wrote:

Was that a Continental Ultra?

I put one on last weekend and it was a real struggle.At least 45 min. Had to use tyre levers to get it on and was afraid of pinching tube with the force needed.

correct! I also had to use tyre levers. I can change any tyre after succeeding with that one.

trio25

I had to put one of them on my friends bike last year. Took me nearly an hour. She couldn't believe it, asking what I did if I punctured on the way to work. Thing is that tyre was so difficult, usually they are alot easier to change.

Gussio

0645 this morning, there I was changing a rear tyre by the side of the road in the pitch black and rain. Looked like a grease monkey when I finally arrived at the office!

dennisn

Wow, I can't get over all the people chimming in about how hard it is to change a clincher
tire these days. I haven't ridden them in many years but they seemed not all that
bad back then. Maybe they are built to higher tolerances now. For what it's worth,
I have been using Tufo tubular clinchers for some time now and once you get the hang
of mounting them, they come off and on fairly easily. And no problems on the road.

Dennis Noward

Smokin Joe

How do you get on with punctures, Dennis?

I fancy Tufos myself and would be interested to know about the repair procedure. Do you put that repair gunge in the tyre in readiness for a puncture or do you put it in afterwards?

woody-som

dennisn wrote:

Wow, I can't get over all the people chimming in about how hard it is to change a clincher
tire these days. I haven't ridden them in many years but they seemed not all that
bad back then. Maybe they are built to higher tolerances now. For what it's worth,
I have been using Tufo tubular clinchers for some time now and once you get the hang
of mounting them, they come off and on fairly easily. And no problems on the road.

Dennis Noward

I use them at times as well, and always ride them with the gunk inside, if it's in already, the hole will be filled (hopefully) before you even notice.
I once had a pinch puncture with one on the side, and this required me to put the hole at the bottom, and hold my finger over the hole for 30 seconds, then finished the remainder of the ride with only half the usual air pressure, but that didn't cause any problems

Nice and comfy, and just seem faster.

oldwelshman

popette wrote:

I just put on a turbo trainer tyre onto my husbands bike. Oh. My. God. That was such hard work. The tyre was so incredibly tight and really inflexible. It took me about well over an hour and now I'm sweating cobs!

I used a video off you-tube as a guide (and my friend giving me hints over the phone)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXnTqP7Nd_o

I'm so glad I didn't have to do that somewhere on the the side of the road and if I have to do it during the etape, I'm going to be eliminated for sure.

Now I've got to sort his rusty chain!!

You could have warmed up the tyre with your hair dryer Popette, then strectehd it with your legs

dennisn

Smokin Joe wrote:

How do you get on with punctures, Dennis?

I fancy Tufos myself and would be interested to know about the repair procedure. Do you put that repair gunge in the tyre in readiness for a puncture or do you put it in afterwards?

I used to put the repair grunge in at the beginning, but discovered that it tends to
clog the presta valve making them hard to inflate and deflate. Nothing is perfect I
guess. So I carry a small tube of sealant along on rides just in case. I also carry a spare
tire so I don't have to mess with that stuff out on the roads and can wait till I get home.
Always carry a spare. Once you get the hang of them you can change them really
quick. I even rotate them front to back on a regular basis.

Dennis Noward

Heaney

Dennis,
What is the advantage of a tubular clincher? I thought tubs were lighter but if they're a clincher then presumably they have the weight of a bead and so lose any advantage?

Incidentally I use the Gator skins too and they are the only tyre I have had to use levers on to get off, I can get them back on without but always have a careful check for pinching. My thumbs are sore too.

Smokin Joe

From what I've seen on the spec for Tufos a lot of the weight saving comes from having neither an innertube or rim tape.

Another one for Dennis,

do you carry a spare Tufo or a standard folder and tube? The Tufos look a bit bulky to fold up and strap under the saddle.

Dunedin397

Road clincher tyres are pretty easy to get on and off. The turbo trainer tyres, such as the Continental, are very inflexible due to the nature of what they'll be used on, ie turbo trainers and rollers. You wouldn't dare go out on the road and you'd be on the floor if you tried to turn.

I'd suggest to anyone wanting to use a turbo trainer tyre to put them on a spare wheel and leave the tyre on it as it'll be a lot easier to change the wheel to use the bike indoors instead of changing the tyre.

Dunedin

scherrit

Hmm, some rim-tyre combos are absolute swines..... and are exacerbated by thick rim tape...... I can get 90% of the tyres that come into our shop off by hand alone, after working the beads into the centre of the rim well, and working all the slack around to one point, but I have broken a tyre lever on a clincher as well!!!

And then you get the misery tyre/rim combos that won't seat without soapy water etc etc

I may re-train as an accountant if I get another like that!
Patience Grasshopper!

dennisn

Smokin Joe wrote:

From what I've seen on the spec for Tufos a lot of the weight saving comes from having neither an innertube or rim tape.

Another one for Dennis,

do you carry a spare Tufo or a standard folder and tube? The Tufos look a bit bulky to fold up and strap under the saddle.

I carry a spare Tufo and carry it in a jersey pocket. Not that big of a deal. They fold up
pretty well and as an added bonus people will think you're riding tubies(which you
kind of are doing). I'm 59 years old and don't race anymore so I'm not concerned with
tire weight too much. I like them for the ease of changing. I don't have any more
flats with them than the next guy riding clinchers and that sealant does work.

Dennis Noward

Felix-da-house-mouse

can i ask why YOUR doing it for your hubby and not him? give him a slap!!!!! :twisted:

popette

Felix-da-house-mouse wrote:

can i ask why YOUR doing it for your hubby and not him? give him a slap!!!!! :twisted:

I want to become really comfortable doing all of these kinds of jobs for my bike. I've relied on him in the past but think it's time to start doing it for myself. It was for me really as I'm stealing his bike and putting it on my turbo! (I just did an hour on there - it's not bad at all. I got a bit confused when the crowd started cheering for me - I thought it was the bin men arguing outside the house!!).

Felix-da-house-mouse

i take it you have a tacx trainer then ya snob

popette

Felix-da-house-mouse wrote:

i take it you have a tacx trainer then ya snob

I bought the imagic in summer when it was heavily discounted because people were doing real cycling I got a max rpm of 149 today - the house was rocking!

BMCCbry

I've just taken Continental tyres back to the shop because I couldn't get them on (certainly not without ripping my hands to shreds!) Fulcrum 5 rims...don't fancy being stranded in the middle of nowhere in pitch black feeling like an idiot because I can't change a tube! :oops:

As far as I'm concerned, Specliazed Pro are the way to go

Steve I

Scherrit hit the nail on the head there. Thick rim tapes, 2 rim tapes or running turns of insulation tape round the rim as well as using rim tape can all make tyre removal and refitting a chore. Also good advice about going round the tyre and pushing the bead well into the centre before even thinking of using a lever. Making sure all the air is completely out of the tube helps as well.

I nearly always use tyre levers to refit 700c tyres, much faster and saves destroying your hands. Just reverse the tyre lever, putting the hooked part over the rim, you just have to be careful not too pinch the tube.