Mavic MA2's - a struggle to get tyres on.

[mattr]

Just leave them pumped up to ~120psi for a couple of days and they'll all settle into place and should be easier to remove next time.

And it is all technique.
My party trick is getting skinny CX tyres onto 29er tubeless MTB rims (which is, according to many, actually impossible) using thumbs, swearwords. and sweat.

 

[The History Man]

Did you try the other side?

 

[greencat]

Despite maintaining bikes for 30 years I only learned this trick in the last year or so after wrestling with marathon tyres on bromptons.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XUFVrl0UT4[/youtube]

 

[bagpuss]

Re:

Get a Var tyre tool .
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tools/var-tyre-levers/

 

[glpinxit]

I have always found wire bead tyres much easier than folding tyres. Case in point- I have some wheels with MA2 rims which came to me with 19mm Michelin folding tyres on. I knew the tyres weren’t staying (red tyres are not my thing) but I found them impossible to remove and resorted to cutting them off. Replacement wire bead 23mm Schwalbe something were no problem though still quite tight.

 

[keithglos]

Re:

The mistake in the video: we always finish at the valve.
The wire bead has to go into the well of the rim, it can't when the valve is in the way.
Also when removing tyre start next to the valve.

Back in the 50s /60s I probably used tyre levers twice, and fitted 1000's of tyres.

 

[Woz]

Re:

I learnt the well trick a good few years ago now, but still there are times I reach for olive oil or washing up liquid for new Michelins.

PS: Don't believe it when they say metal core plastic levers are metal all the way to the tip. They still snap.