Tubeless Tyres -"saying the same things about tubeless tyres over and over again" Hippy read the first f**king post

No further misadventures with Pro 1s (touches wood). They are very nice to ride.

Might get brave and take the tube out of the back.

I have a pair of Tubeless specific Vittoria cyclocross tyres.

They are incredibly difficult to get on the rims * - so difficult in fact, that I can't get them on if there is tape and a valve stem on the rim.

I have mounted many, many tyres and tubulars, but these leave me completely baffled. I've checked the obvious things - they are for 700 rims, and I've got the bead in the centre channel when trying to get them on. I've used water as a lube to try to help. No avail.

I removed the tape and the stem just to see if it was physically possible to persuade them on. It was. Just. With much cursing and swearing and tyre leavering. My hands are ruined this morning. Even if I could magic tape and a stem in there, I can't ever see them mounting with the bead that tight.

So before I burn them with fire, what does the hive mind suggest for making them more pliant?

* Stans Iron Cross

Which gen Iron Cross? I've never installed one of those that didn't leave me hating being alive. G-one speed on those were a horror show.

Which gen Iron Cross? I've never installed one of those that didn't leave me hating being alive.

I was a pretty early adopter of IC, so probably gen 1. I have some Grails which I could try, but I don't really want to dismount the Schwalbe Ones that are on them.

I've put a fair few tyres on ICs and never had a problem, but they have been a mix of regular CX tyres converted to tubeless and schwalbe tubeless specific stuff, not vittoria.

I've not had a chance to install any Vittoria CX, but the Corsa Speed was a fucking pain to go on a set of Hunts as well, and this was with Hunts 'official' tape rather than Stans, which is is basically decoration tape. Just couldn't mount them for anger or rage!

So I mounted them on another set of wheels with tubes and over inflated till they threatened to blow off. After that, they wen't on easier, but no cake walk.

So I mounted them on another set of wheels with tubes and over inflated till they threatened to blow off. After that, they wen't on easier, but no cake walk.

Yeah I've thought about trying this. PITA. And I can't see them being any easier to get on a TB14 or deep section Mavic thing though. Gah.

They look like nice tyres. FFS etc.

Yeah..3mm odd variation won't make much of a difference I wouldn't have imagined, but could be proven wrong.
If they were mine I'd risk doing the 'foot stretch' on them.

If they were mine I'd risk doing the 'foot stretch' on them.

Yeah - like the old 'how to ruin a tub in one easy step' technique?

I've also considered heating them to 45-50 deg...

What's the worst that could happen right?

Which is safer, heat or stretch? And by safer I mean least likely to ruin the tyre - they are only go on at 30psi for training / racing cross so blowing off the rim isn't going to be too horrible

I mean, if they don't stretch as is, there is no chance of them mounting without snapping the bead.

I'd stretch, at least you've got a degree of control over that no? Yank some, fit some. Worst comes to worst, go tyre level neanderthal on them, or find a sarlacc pit it can all get thrown into.

I suggest a dose of HTFU

Or stop riding cx.

I suggest a dose of HTFU

Yeah I thought it might be just me...but then...I know how to get a tyre on a rim. This aint normal!

Or stop riding cx.

I'd ruin less tyres that way. Killed a tubeless specific Racing Ralph on Thursday night at Frylands. Pinched it on something that put a 5mm rip in the sidewall. FML.

I have all the best answers.

Installation report
Schwalbe Pro One 700×25 11600809
Schwalbe Tubeless Easy Kit 16620021
DT R24 Spline wheels
Bontrager TLR Flashcharger

All went very smoothly, no tyre levers required. Used 2 layers of tape, since there was plenty in the kit. Weight is slightly below claimed at 500g for the pair. Width is 28mm; you'd probably have to mount them on 13mm rims to get them down to a true 25.

Tyres don't seem to want to stay up on the bead shelf when deflated, which negates one of the touted safety benefits of tubeless. There are two versions of the rim cross section drawing floating about, and neither of them looks like it has been designed to keep the tyre on the rim.

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I've never had tyre fitting issues, but Corsa Speeds have seen me kill tubes, levers and nearly myself on my Jet+. I think Vittoria have gone for the tighter end of bead diameters.

Corsa Speeds... ...Jet+

Same here.

Is there a risk that, by fitting tyres with such small circumferences at the bead, one's spokes might start loosening themselves off?

Or would the tyre have to be really tight?

There was some chat in the wheelbuilding thread about the effect of tubeless on wheel tensions.

IIRC the upshot was that tensions do drop but not enough to be concerned about, but some builders do compensate.

I did Duckle the subject and was surprised to learn that it also happens with a tube, although to a lesser extent.

I don't remember the difference in fit being discussed: my guess is that it would, but not by enough to cause a problem.

Iirc more significant is that the dish can change when the tyre is inflated.

Not if you ride fixed. :)

When I first fitted the Corsa Speed I had a nightmare getting the bead to seat, even at high PSI (with a tube). This caused the wheel to go alarmingly out of true, resolved with a bit of washing up liquid though.

Weak washing up liquid solution works as well. On my American Classics the friction between the tyre and the tape stops the tyre sliding over the tape and when the tyre jumps back to the centre well it destroys the tape. Don't need the solution on either sets of Fulcrum where I just throw the tyre in the general direction of the wheel (slight simplification but it only needs mounting) , inflate and it seals.

Might do. You might have a fixed rear wheel with dish. Disc brake for example.

Brakes on a rear fixed wheel?