Difficulty replacing tyre after puncture repair

On the way to work today I had my first puncture of the year. What was strange is that although the
Continental Gatorskins (700cx23)were easy to fit initially (2 weeks ago) I had tremendous difficulty
refitting them after the repair. The 'free' end of the bead retreated away as I forced on the other
end with my thumbs. Even trying with the tyre levers was unsuccessful as the free ends moved away as
the levers started to tension the bead. It was slightly wet underfoot but not raining. Any advice or
ideas VERY VERY welcome. Thanks.

If you fit the tyre starting at the valve and tighten the valve locking ring down it should hold the
bead in place as you work round the rim back toward
it. Works for me anyhow.

Michael Green <michaelrmgreen@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:e5c9d40b.0301130102.5cae633c@posting.google.com...
> On the way to work today I had my first puncture of the year. What was strange is that although
> the Continental Gatorskins (700cx23)were easy to fit initially (2 weeks ago) I had tremendous
> difficulty refitting them after the repair. The 'free' end of the bead retreated away as I forced
> on the other end with my thumbs. Even trying with the tyre levers was unsuccessful as the free
> ends moved away as the levers started to tension the bead. It was slightly wet underfoot but not
> raining. Any advice or ideas VERY VERY welcome. Thanks.

Michael Green wrote:
> On the way to work today I had my first puncture of the year. What was strange is that although
> the Continental Gatorskins (700cx23)were easy to fit initially (2 weeks ago) I had tremendous
> difficulty refitting them after the repair. The 'free' end of the bead retreated away as I forced
> on the other end with my thumbs. Even trying with the tyre levers was unsuccessful as the free
> ends moved away as the levers started to tension the bead. It was slightly wet underfoot but not
> raining. Any advice or ideas VERY VERY welcome. Thanks.

I suspect the cold played a part and made the tyre less supple (if it didn't shrink it?). Also,
fitting tight tyres is murder with frozen hands.

I don't really believe there is a great solution other than finding an easier-fitting tyre, but look
through the following for some suggestions:

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=ti...oe=UTF-8&hl=en

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=e...&q=tight+tires

(etc)

~PB

"bob watkinson" <bob@bwatkinson.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:avtvmv$ibn$1@venus.btinternet.com...
> If you fit the tyre starting at the valve and tighten the valve locking
ring
> down it should hold the bead in place as you work round the rim back
toward
> it. Works for me anyhow.
>
Thanks, I've always wondered why people say you should start and finish at the valve.

I've never used lock rings just one thumb on one end of the free bead and the other on the other end
and work them simultaneously towards each other.

"Pete Biggs" <pLime{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> wrote in message
news:<avu8cb$jd2o7$1@ID-144931.news.dfncis.de>...
> Michael Green wrote:
> > On the way to work today I had my first puncture of the year. What was strange is that although
> > the Continental Gatorskins (700cx23)were easy to fit initially (2 weeks ago) I had tremendous
> > difficulty refitting them after the repair. The 'free' end of the bead retreated away as I
> > forced on the other end with my thumbs. Even trying with the tyre levers was unsuccessful as the
> > free ends moved away as the levers started to tension the bead. It was slightly wet underfoot
> > but not raining. Any advice or ideas VERY VERY welcome. Thanks.
>
> I suspect the cold played a part and made the tyre less supple (if it didn't shrink it?). Also,
> fitting tight tyres is murder with frozen hands.
>
> I don't really believe there is a great solution other than finding an easier-fitting tyre, but
> look through the following for some suggestions:
>
> http://groups.google.com/groups?q=ti...oe=UTF-8&hl=en
>
> http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=e...&q=tight+tires
>
> (etc)
>
> ~PB
Sound advice. I had another puncture today (puncture resistance? I don't think so) but I ran my
thumb around the tyre sidewall when it started to tense. This forced the bead to detach from the
sidewall of the wheel and made the tyre easy to refix by hand. Success!

"Michael Green" <michaelrmgreen@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:e5c9d40b.0301130102.5cae633c@posting.google.com...
> On the way to work today I had my first puncture of the year.
What was
> strange is that although the Continental Gatorskins
(700cx23)were easy
> to fit initially (2 weeks ago) I had tremendous difficulty
refitting
> them after the repair. The 'free' end of the bead retreated
away as I
> forced on the other end with my thumbs. Even trying with the
tyre
> levers was unsuccessful as the free ends moved away as the
levers
> started to tension the bead. It was slightly wet underfoot but
not
> raining. Any advice or ideas VERY VERY welcome. Thanks.

To refit a tyre you start opposite the valve working around the rim attempting to keep the bead of
the tyre in the well of the rim thus allowing the tyre to pass over the rim wall.

If you start at the valve the tyre bead cannot drop into the well of the rim.

PK

> I suspect the cold played a part and made the tyre less supple (if it didn't shrink it?). Also,
> fitting tight tyres is murder with frozen hands.

I have just realise dthat it is atthis time of year I have to get the tyre levers out again.I really
think it is the cold shrinking the beads.

In article <vzWU9.496$SD1.429@newsfep3-gui.server.ntli.net>, peter.kidwell
<peter.kidwell@ntlworld.com> wrote:

> To refit a tyre you start opposite the valve working around the rim attempting to keep the bead of
> the tyre in the well of the rim thus allowing the tyre to pass over the rim wall.

You might - I don't.

> If you start at the valve the tyre bead cannot drop into the well of the rim.

Start at the valve but push the valve stem inside the tyre as soon as you have both sides of the
tyre on the rim. Hold the two seated sides together with your knees and work the rest of the tyre
onto the rim.

Hope you understand the above - it's easier to do than describe:-)

--
A T (Sandy) Morton on the Bicycle Island In the Global Village

peter.kidwell <peter.kidwell@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:vzWU9.496$SD1.429@newsfep3-gui.server.ntli.net...
>
> "Michael Green" <michaelrmgreen@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:e5c9d40b.0301130102.5cae633c@posting.google.com...
> > On the way to work today I had my first puncture of the year.
> What was
> > strange is that although the Continental Gatorskins
> (700cx23)were easy
> > to fit initially (2 weeks ago) I had tremendous difficulty
> refitting
> > them after the repair. The 'free' end of the bead retreated
> away as I
> > forced on the other end with my thumbs. Even trying with the
> tyre
> > levers was unsuccessful as the free ends moved away as the
> levers
> > started to tension the bead. It was slightly wet underfoot but
> not
> > raining. Any advice or ideas VERY VERY welcome. Thanks.
>
> To refit a tyre you start opposite the valve working around the rim attempting to keep the bead of
> the tyre in the well of the rim thus allowing the tyre to pass over the rim wall.
>
> If you start at the valve the tyre bead cannot drop into the well of the rim.
>
> PK
>
>

Eh! Why? Utter nonsense!

Terry J wrote:

> I have just realise dthat it is atthis time of year I have to get the tyre levers out again.I
> really think it is the cold shrinking the beads.

I don't think so - I had a visit from the p*nct*r* fairy yesterday, found the bike parked in the
hall in the office with a flat front - the tyre was still a bugger to get on even though it was
warm. I think it's to do with being coated with salt and the water off the roads having washed out
all traces of the talc or French chalk which makes life easier. Plus the fact that the tyre *knows*
it's winter, so is expecting to make you cold and wet (tyres aren't clever enough to notice when
it's not actually dark or raining, they just work on the fact that winter usually is).

--
Guy
===
I wonder if you wouldn't mind piecing out our imperfections with your thoughts; and while you're
about it perhaps you could think when we talk of bicycles, that you see them printing their proud
wheels i' the receiving earth; thanks awfully.

Terry J <jonesfamily@bnroetathemail.net> wrote:
>I have just realise dthat it is atthis time of year I have to get the tyre levers out again.I
>really think it is the cold shrinking the beads.

I had to resort to tyre levers over Christmas. Very embarassing.
--
David Damerell <damerell@chiark.greenend.org.uk> flcl?

bob watkinson wrote:
> peter.kidwell wrote:
>> To refit a tyre you start opposite the valve working around the rim attempting to keep the bead
>> of the tyre in the well of the rim thus allowing the tyre to pass over the rim wall.

Easier said than done to keep the bead in (with ill fitting tyres).

>> If you start at the valve the tyre bead cannot drop into the well of the rim.

> Eh! Why? Utter nonsense!

Agreed, though finishing at the valve can help prevent squashing the tube.

With my easy-fitting tyres, I prefer to start at the valve to help keep the valve straight.

~PB

"Pete Biggs" <pLime{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> wrote in message
news:b03br5$l1tfm$1@ID-144931.news.dfncis.de...
> bob watkinson wrote:
> > peter.kidwell wrote:
> >> To refit a tyre you start opposite the valve working around the rim attempting to keep the bead
> >> of the tyre in the well of the rim thus allowing the tyre to pass over the rim wall.
>
> Easier said than done to keep the bead in (with ill fitting tyres).
>
> >> If you start at the valve the tyre bead cannot drop into the well of the rim.
>
> > Eh! Why? Utter nonsense!
>
> Agreed, though finishing at the valve can help prevent squashing the tube.
>
> With my easy-fitting tyres, I prefer to start at the valve to help keep the valve straight.
>

Ok now I'm totally confused.

First the answer that it stopped the bead popping out sounded OK, then the answer that it allowed
the bead to sit in the recess/channel/canal/middle seemed reasonable (I believe this very important
to removing a tyre)

I've always put the valve in first (push the valve stem in to avoid pinching) and finished opposite,
if the valve isn't straight it is easy to pull the tyre gently through a full revolution before it
is pumped.

In the end tyres are always easier to put back on than they are to get off, aren't they?

Frankly Frank and all, I don't know what on earth the last few messages in this thread are on about.
Talk about confusion! Anyway, people should remember that what works for one tyre and rim
combination, won't necessarily be appropriate for another. Different tyres, even supposedly of the
same size, can behave so differently because tyre and rim diameters (as well as widths) actually
vary a bit - from make to make and model, and even from batch to batch. And folding tyres are
different to rigid tyres, and some beads are stickier and more flexible than others. Rim tape can be
a factor as well.

Frank wrote:

/snip confusion and more confusion!

> I've always put the valve in first (push the valve stem in to avoid pinching) and finished
> opposite, if the valve isn't straight it is easy to pull the tyre gently through a full revolution
> before it is pumped.

It's certainly not easy to do that with all tyres.

> In the end tyres are always easier to put back on than they are to get off, aren't they?

No.

~PB

"Pete Biggs" <pLime{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> wrote in message
news:b05580$lt6d9$1@ID-144931.news.dfncis.de...
>
> Frankly Frank and all, I don't know what on earth the last few
messages in
> this thread are on about.

It's not rocket science Check out any book on cycling or the FAQ of rec.bicycles.tech for mending a
puncture. They will all explain it to you.

PK