Campag Proton Rims and Tyres

tragically1969

Would anybody care to recommend a pair of tyres that will go onto and come off comfortably a pair of Campag Proton Rims without making my thumbs bleed and use expletives every time i have to change a tube ?

So far i have tried:

Panaracer
Michelin
Conti's

different models of each manufacturers tried with no sucess, i had to take the last pair of Contis into the bike shop to get them off as i couldnt budge them !!

ellieb

Try Vredesetein Tricomps.

Alternatively wait for someone to comment smugly that getting tyres on & off is easy-peasy & that the younger generation just don't have the strength in their thumbs theses days :x

tragically1969

ellieb wrote:

Try Vredesetein Tricomps.

Alternatively wait for someone to comment smugly that getting tyres on & off is easy-peasy & that the younger generation just don't have the strength in their thumbs theses days :x

cheers, will have a look at them

Admittedley when i tried to get the contis off i had just recovered from a broken wrist so might have been lacking a bit of strength !!

portuguese mike

Vredesteins are a bit easier to put on but they're still a bitch - i had to cut one of the rim because my tyre levers simply bent with the effort of trying to remove the bugger.

basically i now have a pair of protons gathering dust cos i won't use them any more even though they are otherwise excellent wheels after i got stranded by the roadside vainly trying to fix a p**&^%$e. thats not much help to you i suppose but since i got a pair of hanbuilts with open pro rims i am a much happier bunny - i don't even need levers to get the tyres on or off

notsoracy rich

I have some Proton wheels which I fit with Michelin Pro Race tyres.

I found the tyres impossible to fit when new until I tried a Crank Bros Speed Lever,which works for me. When the tyres have been on for some time and stretched they become a bit easier, but I still use the Speed Lever every time, for putting on as well as removing tyres.

Rich.

nickwill

I've got on ok with Michelin Pro Race tyres. Having used Contis for years, I finally gave up using them on my Protons. Unfortunately, I read somewhere that the new Pro Race3s are a tighter fit, so I might have to start looking again. It was suggested to me that I replace the plastic rim tape with something thinner to make the job easier.
Its a shame because in most other respects, I really like the Protons.

sward29

I used to have a pair of Protons and always found Vittoria CX's went on really easily.

Monty Dog

Try replacing the hard plastic rim tape with a thin fabric tape like velox - pinch the deflated tyre into the centre of the rim all around before trying to lift the tyre. A tyre with a supple sidewall is going to deform more easily too - as will a 25mm tyre too. I think manufacturers are playing it safe with tighter beads to prevent tyres blowing off at higher pressures.

kenbaxter

Monty Dog has a good point. There is definitely a knack to getting tyres on with your hands. I use Tricomps on my Protons and can do this without injury!

redddraggon

Get a Crank Brothers Speed Lever, makes getting tyres on Campag rims a hell of a lot easier.

tragically1969

Monty Dog wrote:

Try replacing the hard plastic rim tape with a thin fabric tape like velox - pinch the deflated tyre into the centre of the rim all around before trying to lift the tyre. A tyre with a supple sidewall is going to deform more easily too - as will a 25mm tyre too. I think manufacturers are playing it safe with tighter beads to prevent tyres blowing off at higher pressures.

Yeah it has the thinnest rim tapes i can get on, the velox ones, i was out with the guy who owns the local bike shop the other day and he has thumbs of steel, it still took 2 of us to get a tyre off !!

stevebendall

+1 for Vittoria CX's

andyrr

Some people have recommended using the same country's tyres and rims together so Mavic rims and Michelin tyres, Campag rims and Vittoria orVeloflex etc tyres. Worth a shot maybe.