Wheel help

[Hrushka]

I have an REI Novara Randonee bike (I think it is a 2006 model) and I am having problems with taking the tire off the wheel every time I have a flat.  It is very trying to get the lip of the tire with the lever and then it is even harder trying to put the lip back in the wheel.  I know it is not me because on other bikes that I have it is much easier.

The wheel on the bike is Mavic A319 with a tire size of 28 x 1 1/4 x 1 3/4.   

My question is there something I can do? Do I need to by another set of wheels/tires?  If so which ones should I get?

Thanks

[Hrushka]

I do not know if this helps but the US size is 700c X 32.

[paddleboy17]

I am not familiar with 28" tires.  It looks like the bike was originally spec'ed with a 700cx32 tire.

There is more variance in tires than you think there should be.  I have had problems putting Continental tires on WTB rims in the past.  So it is not unusual to have a tire rim interoperability issue.

Get aquainted with your local bike shop, and ask them to recommend a tire.  The Mavic A319 looks like an OK rim for touring on (you never said what hub you have).  Schwalbe Marathons are quite popular.  Be for warned that half of the tires Schwalbe makes are named Marathon, and that Schwalbes tend to be wider than stated.

[Pat Lamb]

Check out Jim Langley's description of removing a tire without levers at <http://www.jimlangley.net/wrench/flattiresbyhand.htm>.  I'll admit I can't always get one off with my bare hands, but following the steps Jim lays out makes it easy to get the tire off with levers when you can just barely see the tire bead.

When replacing a tire, use the heels of your hands instead of your thumbs.  You've got more strength there, and if you're wearing your bike gloves, you don't need to worry about ripping skin off.  Use the same procedure of gathering all the tire "slack" up where the last part of the tire needs to go on the rim.

If that doesn't work, take a bag of double-stuff Oreos down to your LBS Wednesday afternoon and ask the mechanics to show you how it's done.

[whittierider]

I had that problem once when I had a rimstrip breaking out at the spoke holes, and I put another one over it instead of removing the first one.  The thickness of the two rimstrips together kept the tire from going down into the rim far enough on one side to get it up over the rim on the other side.

[ducnut]

You may try stretching the bead on your current tires. Don't get too crazy pulling on 'em. No way would I consider buying new tires or wheels over this.

[johnsondasw]

Also, it makes a difference what kind of tires you're using.  I have much less trouble with the folding type tires than I used to have with Armadillos.

[PeteJack]

Check out Sheldon Brown's article on tire sizing. It may help clear up what you are dealing with http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html Or it may just add to the confusion. The bit I like best is that a 27 X 1.5 is not the same as a 27 X 1 1/2 !!!

[CharlieR]

Check out Sheldon Brown's article on tire sizing. It may help clear up what you are dealing with http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html Or it may just add to the confusion. The bit I like best is that a 27 X 1.5 is not the same as a 27 X 1 1/2 !!!

+1 especially if someone else put the wrong sized tire on there to start with.

[rvklassen]

Some tires are just tough to get on some rims.   One mm in the rim outside diameter corresponds to 3.14 extra mm in circumference.  Tires don't want to stretch an extra 3 mm.  And the bead seat diameter may be dead-on. 

I've found a few that are absolutely beastly to get on - generally worst the first time, and not as bad coming off and then going back on.   One Continental I put on (and still haven't had to take off) resulted in multiple blisters, even after I spent an hour or more struggling to get it on in the evening and then left it most of the way on over night and finished it in the morning.  I don't know whether the tire stretched or my hands strengthened.   The nice thing about taking them off is that you can use tire irons (plastic if touring), whereas that's just asking for tube damage on the way on.

So far all folding (Kevlar bead) tires I've mounted have gone on easily.  Some so easily as to be scary - will they stay on?  You have to be careful to get them well centred so they do catch the bead in the "hook" on the rim.  My favourites are Schwalbe Marathon XR (I think they're discontinued).   I have them in 26" on the tandem and they went on very easily.  Of course they last thousands upon thousands of miles, so it doesn't matter as much...