The DW has to be the hardest tyre to seat that I’ve come across.

I’ve just spent 20 minutes trying to get a Dirt Wizard 29×3 tyre onto a surly Rabbit Hole rim.

Anyway, eventually, after pushing back the boundaries of creative swearing, I get the tyre on only to discover that in the process I’ve managed to pinch-flat the tube.

How can I get the second tyre bead onto the rim without puncturing the tube?

The tube in question was partially inflated and I was using (unsuccessfully) a couple of Pedros tyre leavers.

And before anyone says that the future is tubeless, no it isn’t (for the time being)

Tubeless.

Just wrap the rim in clingfilm then put a split 26″ tube over it, inflate the tyre and trim off the excess with a stanley knife.

With tight fitting combos I generally:

1 inflate the tube just enough so it takes shape
2 brush washing-up liquid on the rim of the wheel and the bead of the tyre
3 put the first bead onto the wheel
4 put the tube in
5 use thumbs to push the second bead onto the rim, starting at the valve
6 pull the wheel/tyre against abdomen while using thumbs to push the bead in. If it proves stubborn, work around the beads with thumbs making sure both sides are pushed well inside the rim of the wheel. If any part of the tyre is stuck to outside part of the rim it won’t seat.
7 Have a break and leave it for a while. Repeat 6.

HTH and good luck

Thanks for the replies.

Well, frustratingly I repaired the tube and then popped the tyre/tube/rim combo all together without any hassle at all.

I think the issue was that 1st time I tried it I seated the 1st bead before trying to get the 2nd one on.

Ah well, every day’s a school day

What rocket man said. Just no levers. Took me about an hour to fit two. Good tyres though, when they’re on 🙂

I once worked in a shop whose owner threatened to ban any customer who admitted to using a lever when mounting a tyre. Not a nice man, but he had as point.

Happy to hear it worked.