Gatorskin hardshell bloody tight !

Dudders29

I've just been putting on some of the above and it took the best part of 15 mins to get each tyre back on, and when I did I found both inner tubes had punctured !
Are they renowned for being bastards for getting on ?

And yes, I got the right size

dee4life2005

Don't know about the hardshell variant, but my normal Gatorskins are a pain to get on / off the rims. There is a knack that makes it a little easier, but it's still not that easy. Although they do get slightly easier once they've been on/off a few times.

My mate also uses Gatorskins and he can get them on his rims without any problems, but he struggles with mine too (got him to try mine as I thought it was something I was doing). It's not specific to Gatorskins as well. I've tried GP4000s and Vittoria Rubino and Michelin Pro4 ... all really tight to get on. Seems it's more to do with the rims rather than the tyres.

Dudders29

Well, after 1 hr and 2 new inner tubes I've got em fitted. I ain't relishing having to do this on road side !

Bordersroadie

They are (like many tyres) rim-dependent whan it come to ease of fitting, as different rims have different dimensions/profiles even though they are all "700c".

I just tried to get a pair of new Gator Hardshell 25c on my old steel winter bike.

Rear wheel - a brand new Ambrosio Excellight - easy to fit.
Front wheel - an old Mavic MA40 - just about impossible, I've given up trying, and I've been fitting tyres to rims for well over 4 decades!.

Like you I want not just puncture resistance but the *easy* ability to change the tube roadside if needed. I'm investing in a new front wheel build (with an Excellight rim) to fit the tyre. Sounds ridiculous but I believe it'll be worth the hassle as (this side of a Marathon Plus) these Hardshells are as puncture resistant as you can get - I'm sick of dark rainy tube changes with my GP4S.

sharky1029

I've heard contis can be pretty tight but my GP4000s' are fine.
To make them easier, either leave the tyres in a warm room or airing cupboard for a bit or use a hair drier carefully in order to soften it up a little.
The tyres also stretch once they spend some time on a rim so if you can get them on an old rim with or without a tube you can leave them for a day or two to stretch and they should be easier to get on.

e999sam

Bordersroadie wrote:

Front wheel - an old Mavic MA40 - just about impossible, I've given up trying, and I've been fitting tyres to rims for well over 4 decades!.

I had the same problem a couple of years ago with the same combination.
I've now got Gatorskins on Campag Neutrons which are also difficult. The only tip I can give you is when it gets impossible to push the tyre over the rim with your thumbs go back to the opposite side of the tyre and squeeze the bead together to ensure it's sat at the bottom of the rim well and just keep doing this until the tyre goes on.

maringirl

Seems to be very much rim/tyre combo - have just fitted gatorskins with absolutely no probs at all. Yet is was a battle to get the old Kenda tyres off!!! :shock:

cycleclinic

I put these on mt DT Swiss rim a couple of weeks ago, it was a doddle and no tyre levers but then again I rarely find tyres difficult to fit to any rim and even the tightest ones go in a minute of so with a bit of effort. It is all down to practice.

To help you should chase the tyre round the rims and there is a technique for getting the last tight bit on. It works everytime. I have showed girls with really small slender hands how to get Gator skins onto chrina rims ( a tight combo) it took her a while to get that hang of it but she did so it has nothing to with hand strength is what I am trying to say.

Bordersroadie

e999sam wrote:

Bordersroadie wrote:

Front wheel - an old Mavic MA40 - just about impossible, I've given up trying, and I've been fitting tyres to rims for well over 4 decades!.

The only tip I can give you is when it get impossible to push the tyre over the rim with your thumbs go back to the opposite side of the tyre and squeeze the bead together to ensure it's sat at the bottom of the rim well and just keep doing this until the tyre goes on.

Thanks for the tip Sam - I'm familiar with this one and had tried it for ages to no avail. Considering this was in a warm house, the idea that I could get the tyre on at a roadside in weather close to freezing was a distant dream.

There is genuinely a huge spectrum of rim/tyre combos with some almost falling onto the rim and others being an almost impossible task to fit especially at the side of a (cold) road.

It seems that Excellight and OpenPro are generally quite easy to fit all the 700 x 25c tyres I've tried, including Gator Hardshell.

andrew_s

Tyres vary in size, even when it's the exact same model.
I've had Conti GP 4 Seasons 28 that have been loose enough to fall off the rim when the tube is out for a puncture, and also that took the best part of an hour to fit, including changing the rim tape from Velox to something thinner. That's on the same actual rim.

Tools to help are the Simson Tyre Mate (home use) or the VAR lever (roadside), which include a lifting hook to get the bead over the rim without damaging the tube.
Note that the regular "removing" bits of the VAR lever are the same as any other thin plastic lever, and may to bend or break if a tyre is tight enough to need the fitting hook. I also take 2 steel levers if I've got a tight tyre on the bike.

Tyres do get a bit looser with use, so a tight tyre may not be too bad by the time you do get a puncture in it.

mmacavity

http://bike.michelin.co.uk/advice/how-t ... nner-tubes

http://www.hutchinsontires.com/en/mtb/82-stick-air.html

cycleclinic

You overplay the rim tyre combo thing. DT Swiss rim and conti tyres are tight but no conti tyre is beyond the strength of a human hand to get onto any rim without levers. If you find it hard you need to practice more. It is easy honest.