Just tried fitting a Maxxis Holy Roller to a new Stans Crest rim. Probably the hardest tyre I ever fitted! I had to resort to a tyre lever in the end.

The problem is that the tyre bead is sitting on the rim tape and because it’s so tight on the rim I simply can’t move it off and it looks like it’ll cause me problems if I pump it up – i.e. big bada boom.

I’m not expert in wheels and I bought the new rims as a wheelset from Superstar. Should the rim tape be so loose fitting that it moves around when fitting the tyres? Or even with a very light prod? The tape on my old wheels is very solid and doesn’t want to be moving anywhere, or does that come with age and use?

Probably cheap rim tape? The plastic continuous ones are often loose. It will also be stopping the tyre dropping into the central channel so making it harder to fit. Best off replacing it with some yellow tape or similar. Makes fitting tyres much easier.

If you pump the tyre up (carefully) it will probably seat fine. Still wouldn’t fancy a puncture on the trail if it is hard to get the tyre off.

I bought some crests recently and had the same problem, once I’d thrown the rim tape in the bin and replaced it with a couple layers of electrical tape fitting the tyres was easy.

If you’re going to go tubeless, replace it with Gorilla tape.

If you are not going tubeless, replace it with masking tape.

In my expert opinion.