[macko]

I HATE flats. Normally it's no big deal, but it's so gawddamn difficult to unseat the bead on these things. Is it a specific combo that makes this such a problem? Would a different set of rubbers possibly be easier?

My buddies can just about pop their tires on and off w/o using a lever ... it's almost assured that I snap at least 1 lever each time I have to change out my tube. What gives??

Rims: Sun Black Eyes
Tires: IRC Serac XC 2.10

 

[ThePriceSeliger]

Pedros has really nice tire levers, or if you can get a hold of the metal removers, it works well. My tires, all I have to do is bend them to one side of the rim and they come off most of the time, but it's never hard.

Rim:Sun MTX
Tires:Maxxis Minion 2.3

 

[binary visions]

Yep, it's the combo. Sun rims are especially bad, though apparently Price has no problem. My Rhyno Lite/Michelin combo is awful.

Get yourself some metal tire levers (Pedros and Park make some, and your local moto shop will have some), and if you're at home, some soap suds will do wonders.

If you really can't live with the problem, don't just blindly buy a pair of tires and hope they're better. Try some of your buddy's tires first and find a set that you like and that work.

You could also move to a Stan's setup and never have a flat again

 

[sanjuro]

SOMA makes a steel lever, encased in plastic.

 

[Jayridesacove]

Yep, it's the combo. Sun rims are especially bad, though apparently Price has no problem. My Rhyno Lite/Michelin combo is awful.

Yea, when I was still running sun singlewides, taking off tires was such a pain and time consuming process. I recall one time where I spent about 30 minutes cursing the tire while trying to pry it off the rim's deathgrip.

With my arrow frx's, I can put on my tires with either one lever or my hands.

Tires I run are michelin comp16, 24, and 32.

 

[Changleen]

Mavics are generally about average. Not hard, not easy.

 

[dhpimp]

Sun rims [generally] don't have a deep enough channel in the center of the rim to allow you to remove the tire without much of a pain. Tioga's are the same.

Changing your tires isn't going to help that much.

The Pedro's DH tire levers work wonders.

 

[caputo1989]

Everyone must own a quickstick lever.

 

[Spunger]

Everyone must own a quickstick lever.

For XC'ish tires sure, but DH tires they just bend. I still have mine though

The SOMA levers look to be the best fit. It's like the park levers with steel inside. Can't beat that. I end up bending the park ones pretty easily. Again, this is on DH tires.

I have Mavic's, Sun, and Arrow rims. My EX721's (D521's) are pretty easy to remove. Not that hard at all. My Arrow rims (DHX) are stupid easy. A 2.5/2.7 comes off with little frustration. The Sun rims (singletracks) are a little harder, but still 5-10 minutes max to get a tire off, tube in, and back on. It is much harder though then the others.

I have Intense tire levers (metal moto ones), Park ones, and the tire lever thing above. The SOMA ones are next on my too list though. Just patience and futzing with it. I've even had a guy at a shop curse at my wheels because he couldn't get the tire off without pinching the tube each time. Once it was on it stayed on for a long time.

Some tires are easier to seat then others. Intense and IRC wern't the easiest. Maxxis so far for me have been the best.

 

[blue]

I've got a pair of Tioga Red Phoenixes mounted on some rebranded Sun DS1s (XC kevlar stuff) and they are a complete BITCH to take off. However, my Maxxis tires on my WTB Speed discs are effortless (DH steel bead). New rims+new tires=happiness.

 

[Bicyclist]

Soapy water helps a lot. I recommend Pedros levers, they have a lifetime warranty and they won't jack up your rims like metal ones.