I read plenty of ‘I can’t get my tyres onto my Stans rims’ threads on here, but have had no issues whatsoever with my 29er Crests factory built by Stans on 3.30 hub that I bought last summer. So far I’ve had Racing Ralphs, MudXs and a Nobby Nic all go on using only fingers. Brilliant.

This week I took delivery of another pair of 29er Crests, this time on Superstar Switch evo hubs, built by Superstar themselves.

So far, I’ve destroyed 2 tyre levers trying to get either the MudX or Nobby Nic on. I say trying, because I’ve given up for the moment. 😐

The only difference I can see is the Superstar ones are built slightly looser (using the ping-test; I don’t have a spoke tension o meter). I know I shouldn’t, but I’m seriously considering putting half a turn on all the spoke nipples to try and pull the diameter in a bit.

Any other ideas before I destroy my new wheels?

Check the rim tape is sitting in the well of the rim and not stretched across it, if its stretched across the tyre beads can’t sit inside the well and you lose that little bit extra width it gives to get the tyre on,

I don’t think that tweaking the nipples will be the best approach.

Sounds like a difference in manufacturing tolerances. Your rims will be from different batches so will vary slightly – it might also be that Stans have tweaked the rim slightly following all of those comments about tyres blowing off the rims.

I found my Crest 29er rims on the CX bike a bit tight but lots of fairy liquid and a bit of swearing helped get the tyre on. Maybe stick the tyres on the radiator for a bit to warm them up and make them easier to stretch on?

but I’m seriously considering putting half a turn on all the spoke nipples to try and pull the diameter in a bit

Really? You think you’re more likely to compress the rim than stretch the spokes!?

Really? You think you’re more likely to compress the rim than stretch the spokes!?

Yeah, to an extent. It’s worked with open pro rims I’ve built in the past.

But no, I’m not going to tweak the wheelbuild; I’ve bought both these Crest wheelsets pre-built as I read before that non-eyeleted Crest rims were not very tolerant of my cack-handed wheelbuilding skills. 😳

I’ve just removed the rim tape and got the mudX on with the bead right in the channel. Looks like that was the problem, although they’re definately still tighter. I can believe it’s batch differences if it’s just a bit of extra effort, rather than herculean.

Time for a stans tape purchase rather than the tubes plan.

I reckon a lot of the problems with fitting tyres on Stans rims is the tape not fitted right, you have to press the tape in the channel first then press it down on the edges, if you press it onto the edge first it wont sit in the well but across it, the whole point of Stans tape is it doesnt stretch, so if it’s not pressed into the well you’ll lose that bit of extra room you need to fit the tyre

Try hanging the tyres on the radiator for a while before fitting?

You could stick the wheels outside as well (not that it’s really cold this time of year)in the hope they’ll contract slightly.

just have to wait ’til December then do the wheels outside and tyres on the radiator thing, they’ll go on easy then 😉

Stans yellow tape arrived to tubeless these new Crests like my older ones.

Once the tape was nicely stretched & fitted it was the same story as before, tyre very tight.

Using tubes to seat the tape initially (as per NoTubes vid), I managed to get the Nobby Nic on the front, but broke a tyre lever and pinch-flatted two tubes trying to get a MudX on the back.

Brilliant!