I changed my tyres from Spesh Purgatory to Nobby Nic/Racing Ralph combo the other day and managed to break 2 tyre levers in the process. I’ve always found it hard to get the tyres on and off these rims but have no issue with other rims I’ve had/have.

The rims I have are 26″ ZTR 355s. Different brand tyres I have issues with too so it’s not just that combo that doesn’t fit easily.

Nope. Never needed levers for fitting (355s/Arch EX). Check you’re doing it right – do the valve last and get the tyre bead right down into the well of the rim. It also helps if you’re just using thin rim tape

Could be the rim tape. I’ve got the yellow tape for going tubeless but never done it. It could be stopping the tyres going right down into the trough as it’s fitted quite flat across the trough.

As above, there is a nack, but I found certain tyres simply dont play ball.

Stans rims tape should be fitted so tight that it drops right into the well of the rim so that could well be adding to your woes.

Arch Ex here and yes, they’re a total pig to get tyres on to. No advice, just empathy!

Could be the rim tape. I’ve got the yellow tape for going tubeless but never done it. It could be stopping the tyres going right down into the trough as it’s fitted quite flat across the trough

While they work with tubes they aren’t designed for them, so just go tubeless – or take out the yellow tape and just install rimtape.

FWIW sometimes with Stans rims and certain tyres I end up using steel DH tyre levers, tubeless though.

I’ve got Stans tubeless road rims. Yes, there’s an additional degree of effort required in getting a tyre on, in comparison to other rims, but I had put this down to my stans being tubeless and so therefore having a tighter fit of bead to rim. I’ve never broken a tyre lever though.

snapped lever trying to get Maxxis HR2 on to Arch EX, and that was with the rest of the bead as far down the centre well as possible.
Those Maxxis fell on to Mavic rims. As did the Nobby Nics. As did the same Nobby Nics on the Arch EX rims.

So not just rims, but must be tyre-rim combos. And possibly Hope grippy rim tape vs shiny smooth mavic rim tape?

Good job I used a tube. Tubeless juice would have ended up all over my kitchen floor, unless it was squirted thru the valve.

edit: tbf, the tyre levers were the freebie ones off the cover of one of the other magazines. but even still, my fingers and thumbs were fubared after one tyre that the other had to wait till the next evening.

yes

Definitely a factor. That’s why I’d recommend just using (correctly applied) Stans tape regardless of whether tubeless or not.

I struggled when using gorilla tape to get the tyre on my Arch EXs (purgatory & butcher).

1 layer of stans yellow is much better.

scotroutes’s advice is important (post 2) about technique.

Get some decent tyre levers, I’ve got some lezyne alloy ones, I think the rim would crack before these would, but you should bear that in mind!!

no issue on flow ex using HR2’s or 24 crests using hutchinson toro or kenda kinetic’s

This is how my yellow tape looks:

I’m guessing that correct application should look like this:

The tape was put on by Just Riding Along in Sheffield when they built the wheels. 😕

Yep. That’s your problem right there.

Ah.

And you pedal spanner is squint

I see a few comments that people are using the levers to get tyres on to rims. If you need to do that you’re doing it wrong. Especially if you’re running tubes as you can pick flat before you’ve got the the on! Get the bead of the side you’re fitting right into the well all the way round leaving the bit with the valve till last, then push the last bit on with your thumbs. If it’s particularly stubborn then turn the wheel round and pull the sidewall bead with your fingertips. I remember showing one of the new lads in the shop that when he bent a metal tyre lever.

had no problems in the past with various Schwalbe tyres on Olympic, Flow, 355 or Crest rims however the Magic Mary and Nobby Nic on my latest Arch EX where a right pig
I presumed it was due to the revised hook profile on the EX rims
It went on ok in the end though once I made sure the bead was in the well of the tyre as mentioned above, still needed 2 tyre levers and an old toe strap to get on though
Once it was on once with a tube, inflated then tube removed to convert to tubeless it went back on no problem, was just the initial fitting that was an issue

I had this problem Ric till i got rid of the tubes.

legspin – Member
I had this problem Ric till i got rid of the tubes.

Cheers Steve. Maybe I should try this but for the amount i’m riding now it aint worth it. maybe in a year or 2.

You really need to get as much of the bead as possible into the center channel, start opposite the valve, the second bead can be harder to get in the channel especially if you use tubes, keep going round pressing as much as the bead into the center as possible before getting the final bit over the rim. I almost always get tyres on by hand (Schwalbe, Maxxis) this can be easier than levers which need to lift & stretch the bead more.

I see a few comments that people are using the levers to get tyres on to rims. If you need to do that you’re doing it wrong.

but if it’s like that with one brand tyre but not another?

Get the bead of the side you’re fitting right into the well all the way round

did that. still wouldn’t fit.
pushed, pulled, tried everything. got the HR2’s into shape on the mavic rims over night. soaked them in hot water to loosen them up a bit (probably did naff all, but you have to try anything, and it won’t shrink them further still).

I assume they just want them as tight as possible now to stop all the stans slop falling out, and wider rims with the rest of the bead in the centre just means the tyre has that tiny bit extra to stretch.