How to change a 650 bike tire

NicoleC

I am having trouble changing a size 650 bike tire.  Not sure if it is the smaller size causing the problem or what.  It is not the first time I have had this problem.  I can change a 700 on my road bike no problem.  Anyone else have this problem with the smaller wheelset?  The tire is fits so tight I can't get an old one off or a new one on!!  Any recommended tools or special type of tire levers?  I'm about ready to throw the bike out the door, its getting so frustrating.  

Many thanks,

Nicole 

Al Truscott

Nicole - I hear you on this. I have 650 Zipp 404s, and over the past few years, as the arthritis in my hands (especially thumbs) has gotten worse, and I developed some additional hand muscle weakness from an injury last fall, I've had the same issues. I guess some wheels and tires are worse than others. I actually had to cut off a Michelin Pro tire I had struggled to put on. The Conti GP 4000s I've been using seem doable, but it requires a lot of patience, small steps to gradually work the tire out of the rim, and keeping the tire levers in place while I inch along to the next spot. Putting them is a reverse, using tire levers a little bit at a time to get the last 6" or so to fit on.

Also, I replaced my rim tape with these things, which are way more expensive, but provide a bit more room to work with.

Finally, if Nemo doesn't post to this thread, you might PM her, as she had the same issues last year with her 650 Zipps and may have discovered some additional tricks which work for smaller hands.

mancona

If you don't go with the plugs that AL mentions at least make sure you have a veyr thin rim strip instead of cloth rim tape. The extra 1-2mm the cloth tape add makes all the difference in how difficult it is change the tire.

Rim Strip: http://zipp.com/accessories/zipp-rim-tape

When I have a really tight tire, like the yellow home trainer tires, I use a QuikStik : http://www.amazon.com/Quik-Stik-Tire-Changer-Levers/dp/B000C128PC

NicoleC

Thank you both for the suggestions. I will try them. I was blaming my standard (Easton) wheelset for the problems, and suggested to my husband that perhaps if I had Zipps I wouldn't have this problem. From what I am hearing from you both it sounds like the size of the wheel might lead to such a tight fit. I don't have rim tape on my wheel set at all right now, and still can't get the silly tire on. Had my husband and brother-in-law try and neither one could get the old one off. We are laughing like crazy right now because we just cut the tire off, and you guessed it Al -- it was a Michelin Pro. Now we can't get the cheapo training tire on. Going to the bike shop tomorrow to get the items you mentioned.

GMAN 19030

Greatest tip I could ever share for putting a new tire on: put it in your dryer for a couple of minutes to warm it up. Seriously. Works like a charm and it's free.

Doesn't help getting old tires off though.

Kitboo

Nicole,
It's not so much the wheel size, but more likely a tire fit. Some tires fit tighter than others regardless of wheel size. I have tires (Vittoria Diamante Pro Lite) that my husband with freakishly strong hand strength could not get off the rim. On the same wheels, I bought a pair of cheap Hutchinson Carbon Comps that I can mount and remove without tire levers---and I have small hands (ring size 4) and zero hand strength. It's just a matter of finding tires that aren't too tight for your wheels.
BTW, I've broken several tire levers trying to get a Michelin Pro Race tire on/off my rims. Putting the tire in the dryer before mounting really helps---but if it's hard to get on at home, it will be harder to remove on the road when you get a flat. My reco would be to get tires that you can relatively easily mount/remove without any special tricks.

GMAN 19030

Yes, the dryer trick doesn't help so much if you're changing a flat outdoors but... the tire is generally warmed up enough from riding that it's easier to get on/off and it has also been on the rim and stretched out a bit. That's been my general experience.

I do agree with you about getting easy to mount tires.

Nemo Brauch

Nicole, Al is right, I had the same problem last year. I haven't yet switched to the plugs he and Matt recommended (will do that soon though), but I did find that two things helped.

1- Park Tool Beefy Tire Levers (Not the standard ones, these are thick and beefy): http://www.parktool.com/product/tire-lever-set-1
2- Being shown by the folks at Uphill Grind during the ride at IMWI Camp hast year that in fact, the tire WILL come off. Seriously, I was struggling so much that wasn't sure the thing would ever come off. But the guy there used the right leverage and got it off. Sometimes believing its possible is part of the solution. The technique he used was to stand over the wheel and push the tire off while applying pressure down and away.

Yasko Howell

Hi Nicole, I have the same issue last year with my 650 Zipp 404. Like Kitiima, I had a Vittoria tire which was impossible for me to remove (even my husband had a hard time). I went to 2 diff. bike stores, practiced with them, using soapy water to remove, etc. and it was just impossible. Then my local bike guy recommended Schwalbe tires, and boy, what a diff. it made. Very easy to put it on/off with minimal effort. I think I got Ultremo R.1 HS. I also changed the tape to a thinner kind. I might try the plugs this season as others suggested.

Al Truscott

Yasko - thanks for the tip. I use Schwalbes on my commuter and tandem bikes. I'll give this one a try (only buying ONE at first), and if it is easier, maybe this one or their ZX if they have it in 650 will be my go-to tire. Very light weight, it seems, and Schwalbes have a good rep for durability (also per my experience).

jwpicciotto

@Nicole - you might actually have an issue with the Easton rims. The rim design on some of Easton's wheels can be very difficult to get tires on and off of. Easton Circuits are notorious for this. You might have to check out a couple of tire types top find one that works for your rim as well. I find tires with a high kevlar content to be very difficult to work with on these rims. I can struggle with a tire on my Circuits, move it over to my Mavic wheels and have no problems.

NicoleC

Hi All,

Thank you for all the help! After returning from my bike shop last night it turns out it is a mix of the tire and the Easton rims. The bike techs gave a collective groan when seeing me roll in with the Eastons, but then of course made it look like childs play when getting the tire on. I will continue to try different tires (the ones you all suggested) until I find one that works (and of course continue to practice). For now I know that with the Eastons the Michelin Pro and Vittoria (I can't remember which model, but I can go check) are no gos. The mechanic also gave me lots of tips to help me out, the one that made the biggest difference was that I wasn't holding the tire lever at a sharp enough angle.

Finally, you might find this funny, but the bike shop confirmed what I originally thought about the rear tire (I had them look at the one we had to cut off) the heat in Louisville had melted the tire rim making it even harder to remove. Geez, I guess it was hot out there that day!!!

Thanks again,
Nicole