Trouble dismounting tires

[Ferdinand]

My new MTB is the first bicycle that I've owned in almost 20 years. I don't remember tires being so difficult to take off of the rim - although the wheels on my last BMX bike were made of plastic - Tuff wheels. I have Tioga 26X1.95 tube type tires on Black Eye rims. As suggested by the dealer, I bought a set of three plastic tire tools. I've been using the tools as indicated by the directions included with them and it's taking me over ten minutes to remove a tire from a rim. And it seems to require a lot of force. Tonight I broke the tip off of one of the tools. I've watched people dismount a tire, patch the tube, and remount the tire in less time than it takes me to just get the tire off the rim. What's the right technique for removing tires? Thanks in advance.

 

[peet9471]

I spray mine with a dry lube and take the valve out of the stem. That lets the bead on the other side of the rim slide into the groove and gives me a little more freedom to get the tire bead over the rim on my side. It's a lot easier with older and worn tires than it is with the new stiffer beads but I imagine the safety factor went way up. So go with the flow.

 

[AzzaC]

Practice, practice, practice. It also depends what type of tyres you have as some are easier to get on/off than others. I have had troubles with Continental tyres before.

Have you tried pushing the bead(s) in after the tyre is deflated as sometimes they get stuck under the rim of the sidewall. Another tip is to start trying to take the tyre off on the opposite side of the valve.

HTH.

 

[peet9471]

I start on the same side as the valve so that I can get as much pinch in on the opposite side. The thickness of the valvestem might just be the extra little bit that you need to push the tire over the rim. Also, after pinching the tire in to get it on, you might have to make sure it pops back into place. Otherwise, you might have a high side and a low side.

 

[domaindomain]

I used to use spoons, now I have plastic tyre levers! You will only need two to get most tyres off and they come as a set of three for about £1.50 I think....