Fitting Nobby nic

marcarm

Can't believe I am having to ask this but.....

I got a 2nd hand bike last week, needed to make some changes to it.

Got a Nobby Nic come today and tried to fit it, but it took me over an hour, and it still isnt sitting right on the rim.

Just seemed to be so tight getting the last part over the rim.

I'm not tubeless (yet), and ruined one tube by accidentally pinching it with the tyre lever.

It will need to be removed and refitted, I have looked online for tips etc but everything I have seen has not worked to make it easier. Surely it shouldn't be that difficult? I am genuinely worried in case I get a puncture miles from anywhere and I cannot reseat the tyre after changing the tube.

27.5 x 2.35, running Mavic Crossride rims.

steve_sordy

"Not sitting right on the rim"

I'll take that as the tramlines are not parallel with the rim. If you look closely at the rim/tyre interface you should see a moulded line in the tyre. It should be 2-3mm away from the rim. The distance will vary by make of tyre, but the moulded line should be parallel to the rim. If it isn't, there are only two ways I can think of to get it parallel:

The easiest is to pump the pressure up to 60 psi, you should hear the tyre move into position. Sometime you get a "bang!" You sure do when setting up tubeless!

The next one is to reduce the air pressure, a lot! You want there to be enough pressure for the tyre to stay inflated, but not enough that it stops you doing what comes next. Remove the wheel and hold the wheel with both hands where the tramline is closest to the rim, with the section uppermost. Wave the whole wheel up and down using the weight of the wheel to pull the tyre away from the rim. If the tramline doesn't move, reduce the air pressure. Work your way around the wheel one side at a time.

If the tramlines are parallel and the tyre is still wobbling, then the tyre is out of balance. It is a moulded item not machined, so it will never be "perfect". If it is bad, then it is faulty. Otherwise live with it.

In terms of getting the tyre on, I always start with the tyre on the wheel, with the beads in the centre of the wheel well. This allows maximum room to move the bead. It will only be the last bit that is an effort. I can pretty much fit a tyre by hand except for the last 9"-12". If it is really tough, use soapy water to lubricate the tyre/bead interface.

marcarm

Thank you for that reply, i tried soapy water and it wasn't budging a bit

The parallel lines are not running around the rim, I would say about a 1/4 of the tyre is not seated correctly.

I will try your suggestions, the tyre is wobbling quite significantly when rotating the wheel so hopefully I will be able to get it sat correctly.

Thank you

02gf74

From my experience, tyres sit nicely on the rim or they don't and no amount of dicking around fixes it if they don't..


It's a mystery why some trye/rim combinations are like that...
.
Cheapest solution is to try a different tyre, kevlar beaded foldables are easier to fit than wired.
....
If you are struggling to put it on, then removing it especially when away from home will be next to impossible...

steve_sordy

02GF74 wrote:

From my experience, tyres sit nicely on the rim or they don't and no amount of dicking around fixes it if they don't..


It's a mystery why some trye/rim combinations are like that...
.
Cheapest solution is to try a different tyre, kevlar beaded foldables are easier to fit than wired.
....
If you are struggling to put it on, then removing it especially when away from home will be next to impossible...

I have always managed to get the tramlines parallel with the rim, but I agree with the rest of what you wrote.

CitizenLee

I have Nobby Nic USTs and they we're a right pain to get on Mavic UST rims. Had to heat them up with a hairdryer to get them on, plus extra wide Maxxis tyre levers helped.

The Rookie

steve_sordy wrote:

I have always managed to get the tramlines parallel with the rim, but I agree with the rest of what you wrote.

I had a Racing Ralph that took nearly 80 psi to seat (wheel was round the corner of the house from where I stood with the pump), that did go on with a bang, it was OK for that first install, after taking it off for winter when I tried to put it on next summer the bead failed. All the other Schwalbe tyres (including another RR) went on the same (Stans) rim no problem.

t0ffeeman

Your rims aren't 29ers by any chance are they ? ..........

Sorry, not very helpful, but it did enter my head.

marcarm

T0ffeeMan wrote:

Your rims aren't 29ers by any chance are they ? ..........

Sorry, not very helpful, but it did enter my head.

Ha, no definitely not 29er, the old tyres are 27.5 and it's written on the rims!

They are seated a bit better now, pumped them to 60psi last night and didnt hear a bang or anything, checked it again and it's virtually straight.

i did notice that I had some extra thick rim tape already on the wheels, is this tubeless ready? There is nothing on the rims to say they are tubeless ready, but the rim tape is a lot thicker than I have seen before. Hopefully all I will need is sealant and valves if this is the case.

Edit, actually after looking at some videos, it doesn't seem as though they are tubeless ready.

I notice PlanetX have tape and valves a lot cheaper than anywhere else, does anyone have any experience of these?

steve_sordy

I am puzzled by the extra thick rim tape. I freely admit to not knowing all there is to know about rim tape. But I have removed old manky rim tape and put a single layer of Gorilla tape on and it worked. When I removed the tyre a month or so later, the rim tape had been bowed into the spoke holes by air pressure. Therefore it was a point of weakness that may have failed at higher pressures. So the next time I taped a rim, I used two layers. That was a while ago now and I've had zero problems since. The bike mechanics at Sherwood Pines Cycles use Gorilla tape and swear by it.

marcarm

I say extra thick, but that's just compared to the tape that I used to use many moons ago when I was into cycling originally, I spent a fair few years away so I'm sure it's just normal.

i might just get some from PX, it's only a fiver so no harm in getting some

steve_sordy

marcarm wrote:

.............

i might just get some from PX, it's only a fiver so no harm in getting some

Get down to B&Q. Gorilla tape is cheaper than that! And there is enough to do loads of wheels. In addition, they have a black woven finish version that looks like carbon fibre. Nobody will see it except for you, but you will know it's there! 8)

swod1

CitizenLee wrote:

I have Nobby Nic USTs and they we're a right pain to get on Mavic UST rims. Had to heat them up with a hairdryer to get them on, plus extra wide Maxxis tyre levers helped.

Can’t be as bad as continental tyres can’t get them on or off my mavic wheels awful.

steve_sordy

swod1 wrote:

CitizenLee wrote:

I have Nobby Nic USTs and they we're a right pain to get on Mavic UST rims. Had to heat them up with a hairdryer to get them on, plus extra wide Maxxis tyre levers helped.

Can’t be as bad as continental tyres can’t get them on or off my mavic wheels awful.

Push the complete tyre into the centre of the rim. (I lay the wheel flat and use the handle of my mini-pump to push the bead off the rim). Only then use the tyre levers to remove the tyre.