Cont 4 season tyre-can't get in on DT swiss rim

Mendip rouleur
Mendip rouleur Posts: 163
edited May 2010 in Workshop
I feel like a complete numpty for posting this, but I just can't get a newish conti 4 season tyre back on the rim after a puncture. I've bent a metal tyre leaver, snapped a plastic one, as well as scratched the rim.

Has anyone else had this problem or is it a rogue tyre? Or am I just completely incompetent? Never had this problem with Contis in the past, so looking for help before i buy new tyre.
“I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle.”

http://mendiprouleur.blogspot.com/

Comments

  • eskimo Joe
    eskimo Joe Posts: 764
    Some tyre and rim combinations are a nightmare , I have seen myself using a hairdryer with conti's to get them on or get yourself one of thesehttp://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?PartnerID=79&ModelID=8176
    Suburban studs yodel better than anyone else
  • hopper1
    hopper1 Posts: 4,389
    I take it you took it off that rim,after the p**cture?
    So, it has to go back on...
    Try getting the tyre arm, use talcum powder, etc...
    But, at the end of the day, if you need to use so much force, or other 'tricks', this does not bode well for when the P fairy strikes, and your miles away from home!
    If it came off that rim, then step back and go over what you are doing, there may be somethng fundamental, that you are forgetting/overlooking... :wink:
    Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!
  • amnezia
    amnezia Posts: 590
    try hanging the tire on a radiator for a couple of hours before you try and put it on.
  • careful
    careful Posts: 720
    No wish to state the obvious, but are you making sure the beading is down in the well of the rim all round before attempting the last bit? Even tight tyres usually ease up a fair bit after some use.
  • Mendip rouleur
    Mendip rouleur Posts: 163
    Thanks for all the tips, it was heating the tyre up on the radiator that clinched it (no pun intended). Not sure it's a long-term answer out on the road so I'm going to take it on/off a few times before I ride on it, otherwise it's new tyre time. interestingly I found a few customer reviews that said the same thing about the tyre.
    “I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle.”

    http://mendiprouleur.blogspot.com/
  • tatanab
    tatanab Posts: 1,283
    Mendip rouleur wrote:
    interestingly I found a few customer reviews that said the same thing about the tyre.
    There is no fault in the tyre, it is a combination of tyre and rim. I've been using 4 Seasons for about 5 years now on Mavic Open Pro. They are snug to fit by hand (no levers) but 6 months later I can take them off by hand (again, no levers).
    So please do not blame the tyre, or the rim come to that; you've just learned about a particular combination.
    As has been suggested, are you pushing the bead right down into the well to ensure you have enough"slack" in the tyre to get it over the wall of the rim?
  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    Try the Conti/Campag combination if you're after a tight fit!
    Ben

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  • tenor
    tenor Posts: 278
    defintely the rim and not the tyre. I also use a special lever; a wishbone shape, but not sure of the maker, sorry.There are several on the market and I take this every time I go out on the otherwise lovely Campagnolo Proton wheels!
    For winter, commuting and general training there is nothing better than a set of handbuilts using Mavic Open Pro or Ambrosio rims - dead easy tyre fit, even with cold hands.
    Any recommendations for tyres with Campag rims?
  • blorg
    blorg Posts: 1,169
    Schwalbe tyres are quite loose- I am fond of Ultremos. I've found Conti GP4000s good tyres but quite a tight fit on Mavic rims. Using Michelin Pro Race 3 at the moment, again good tyres but even more difficult to get on the rim. I am replacing them primarily due to the difficulty involved in changing a flat quickly.
  • satanas
    satanas Posts: 1,303
    Agree that the problem is the rim. I used to dread it when I had to fit tyres to Campag rims at work, and DT are tight too. Mavic rims make things much easier - I've never had a problem with tyres being too tight on them. Campag rims = best avoided IMHO.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    I have Conti 4 seasons on shimano RS10 wheels and they are pretty easy to get off / on
  • northpole
    northpole Posts: 1,499
    on dura ace rims I was completely floored by pro race 3's - lovely tyres to ride on but impossible to fit to the shimano rims. Even brought one to the lbs to try and they succeeded - after they went through 4 tubes!!

    As others say, some rim / tyre combos are nightmares.

    Interestingly, I replaced the pro's with conti 4 seasons and they have proven much easier to pop on and off.

    It would be great if rim manufacturers included an advisory note identifying those tyres which work best. Dream on..

    Peter

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