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  • 29'er Crests – Are there any easy to fit tyres for these?
  • jimification
    Free Member

    Got a couple of bikes with 29er Crests on, so changing rims isn’t really an option…

    From what I’ve read, Crests seem to be problematic with many tyres… Tried Rocket Rons and Racing Ralphs (29×2.25 Pacestar) and both were like wrestling with an alligator to get them on. I’m using tubes, so not bothered if they’re “tubeless ready” or not, just want something light and easy to fit so I can fix a puncture on the trail or change tyres without recourse to washing up liquid and heavy machinery. Thanks.

    Nick
    Full Member

    I found it much easier to get tyres on and off without a tube in the way, easier to get both beads in the centre of the rim you see.

    So why not get some rim tape, a couple of valves (make them from old inner tubes if need be) and some sealant and go tubeless? No more punctures to wrestle with.

    hock
    Full Member

    Specialized ‘The Captain’ S-Works 2.0 running with tubes and not a problem.
    …but come to think of it I didn’t have to touch the tyres yet (came on wheels, no puncture yet)

    Sorry not helpful… take it as a bumper!

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    charliedontsurf
    Full Member
    Aidan
    Free Member

    I’ve found Maxxis folding tyres go on pretty easily and I’ve got puny thumbs. With Crests, I’ve used Beavers, Ignitors, and Ikons. All been fine. Bonty Mud-X were a right battle.

    ssboggy
    Full Member

    Maxxis Beavers went on easy first time, Crossmarks where a battle the first time but are a bit easier after that

    mtbmatt
    Free Member

    I have Crests and 2.25″ Ralph pacestars. Don’t see the problem, they go on easily with just my hands, no levers.

    Blazin-saddles
    Free Member

    Ron, Ralph both 2.25 pacestar and Maxxis Aspen Exeption slide on to my Crest rims no bother. Strange that some do and some don’t….

    reggiegasket
    Free Member

    you try and get 28mm GP4Seasons on them…..

    I’ve found a new word… GNNFFRRRAACCCKKKEEERRRR

    jimification
    Free Member

    Thanks for the helpful replies.

    Nick: Might try tubeless again at some point, preferably when the weather’s warmer, as my last (indoor) attempt resulted in the walls of the spare room / temporary bike assembly parlour being redecorated in Stans when tyre blew off rim. Wife not pleased!

    hock: ha ha! that sounds perfect.

    Charlie the bikemonger: thanks, that looks like a good idea – you’re out of stock btw! 😛

    Aidan: Thanks, I quite fancy a go with the EXO Ikons actually…

    SSBoggy: Thanks, I’ve heard good things about Maxxis, though a friend was running Beavers and had problems with them being a bit light / thin. (lots of flints around here) He sustained…would you believe it…”a gash in his beaver“. 😆

    MTBMatt & Blazinsaddles This is the annoying thing, I think with some tyres there’s quite a variance and it’s definitely the case with the Schwalbe’s, some seem to drop right on and some (mine!) are absolute bu**ers. Sort it out fellas!

    reggiegasket: Thanks, some consolation to know that others are experiencing tyre fitting misery too 😛 I can’t stand reading those posts where people are all: “it popped right on the rim, inflated first time with the minipump and I was away! havn’t had to touch it for seven years“.

    jota180
    Free Member

    The latest RRs are impossible on my 29er Crests, earlier models were fine
    They even altered the spoke tension

    I’d hate to have to try a trail-side repair with them
    Conti Race Kings are easier

    Loads of info on the Notubes forum
    http://messageboard.notubes.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2895

    AndrewJ
    Free Member

    I second the soapy water. I fill my sink with very hot soapy water, leave the tyres in there for 10 minutes so the rubber expands a little and they go on a lot easier.

    Shandy
    Free Member

    I gave up trying to put tubes in my Crest/Schwalbe set-up after about 5 minutes. They both popped no problem with a single run of yellow tape and the valve core removed. The tolerances between the rim/tape diameter and the thickness of the bead are key to the whole thing, tyres that will go up tubeless easily are always going to be tight with a tube in. I would worry about having to force a tube in there but I have only properly ripped one tyre in 5 years of riding.

    Farticus
    Full Member

    I thought it was just me …

    Had no trouble with 819, Arch or Flow rims with Vredestein Killer Bees but it was only my steel tyre lever that would be the same tyre onto the Crest. Not a newer version of the tyre either, one of a batch bought together before they went out of production.

    Strangely emboldened by the tight fit, I inflated it (a 2.3″) to 50psi where it was happy for a week. Then it blew off the rim, nearly killing me an some innocent passers-by of shock with the noise and explosion of white fluid.

    After that the same tyre seated by hand, and has run tubelessly at 30psi witout problem.

    Shandy
    Free Member

    There is a lot of advice out there about inflating tubeless tyres to very high pressure, to make sure they’re seated. If you do that with Stans, particularly on non-UST tyres, they’ll just blow off the rim. I scared the bejaysus out of my neighbour a couple of years back, she thought somebody had been shot.

    mtbmatt
    Free Member

    Might sound stupid, but are you fitting them properly? Making sure the bead is in the centre channel and pulled tight before putting the last section on?

    Schwalbe now have a product that is supposed to make it easier to fit the tyres. Could be the solution you need?

    hock
    Full Member

    I second the soapy water. I fill my sink with very hot soapy water, leave the tyres in there for 10 minutes so the rubber expands a little and they go on a lot easier.

    Trail-side puncture no problem then. In Iceland. Close to a geyser. :mrgreen:

    jimification
    Free Member

    Cheers.

    I actually talked to a very helpful guy at Schwalbe about this. Sadly, I don’t think there’s an easy solution to the problem. So many people seem to have problems with Stans rims (and Crests in particular) it just seems like you have to get lucky and find a tyre that is on the large side of the variance. Longer term I think the rim and tyre manufacturers need to work a bit more closely with each other to resolve these mismatches – Maybe the current ETRO standards (Euro tyre / rim sizing standards) aren’t prescriptive enough or manufacturing tolerances are too loose….

    jota180: Yeah, that seems ridiculously tight. I like the tread on the RoRo’s but that scares me. I think whatever tyres I try next I will send them back if they are that crazy a fit.

    AndrewJ: Ah will try the warming thing, cheers!

    Shandy: Yeah, the high pressure method sounds not so good. I had the one blow-off already (new max HR discovered!) so not keen on another..

    Farticus: Oops, that’s the thing about tubeless. It seems great for some people but currently it feels like a bit of a lottery.

    mtbmatt: It’s not a daft question, yes I start with the bead in the middle and work my way around to the valve etc. Actually those tyres have stretched a bit – I’ve used them with tubes for a few months now and I can get them on with that method without too much struggle. Still need tyre levers though. I might look into the Schwalbe liquid stuff. Anything to make it easier!

    hock: Moving to Iceland would work, though carrying water, soap, a jetboil and a washing up bowl in my Camelbak would be the less extreme solution.

Viewing 18 posts - 1 through 18 (of 18 total)

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