We run all of our tires, MTB, gravel and fat bike, tubeless. My wife cannot break the bead on her gravel tires without my help. This is not normally an issue, because we ride together primarily, but she does occasionally ride alone, and it is something that has concerned me should she get a puncture that sealant will not take care of.
Well... this came to a head recently. She has entered a women's only gravel race and wants to be self-sufficient and this is the one thing that really bothers her.
I have been looking for a product that I'm not sure exists: a tubeless tire bead breaker. One that is light and portable and she could carry in her frame bag. I have made such a thing from 2 blocks and a C-clamp for the one time I can remember that I could not break a bead. I have been searching, but coming up empty.
Does such a thing exist? Any experience or suggestions in this area would be appreciated.
I have never seen one, but I have never really looked. I find I can seal up most punctures with bacon strips when sealant alone doesn't work. That leaves the tube method for only really bad cuts, sidewalls, etc. I would have her practice laying the wheel on its side and stepping on the tire to pull it away from the bead.
mfitz wrote:I have never seen one, but I have never really looked. I find I can seal up most punctures with bacon strips when sealant alone doesn't work. That leaves the tube method for only really bad cuts, sidewalls, etc. I would have her practice laying the wheel on its side and stepping on the tire to pull it away from the bead.
I like this suggestion, but I don't know if stepping on it is the best call. If laying the wheel on the ground and pushing straight down on the tire doesn't break the bead (when plugs have failed), it's probably not a rim/tire combo that should be ridden.
I like this suggestion, but I don't know if stepping on it is the best call. If laying the wheel on the ground and pushing straight down on the tire doesn't break the bead (when plugs have failed), it's probably not a rim/tire combo that should be ridden.
Good point, if it is really that hard to unseat the bead, maybe there are issues other than grip strength to deal with.
my WTB Revolt/Giant CXR-1 rim combo had an unbreakable (by hand) bead. I needed to deflate it, clamp the flacid tire in the clamp of my stand, and then use the entire wheel as a lever to unseat it. I can close the Ironmind level 2 grippers (195 lbs) so I don't think it was a matter of grip strength.
Might be best to toss some different tires on her wheels and see if those can be removed easier.
my WTB Revolt/Giant CXR-1 rim combo had an unbreakable (by hand) bead. I needed to deflate it, clamp the flacid tire in the clamp of my stand, and then use the entire wheel as a lever to unseat it. I can close the Ironmind level 2 grippers (195 lbs) so I don't think it was a matter of grip strength.
Might be best to toss some different tires on her wheels and see if those can be removed easier.
This makes me think back..... at one point, I tried some Rene Herse Barlow Pass tires on her bike. They would NOT seat, so i ended up double-taping them. This might be the root of the issue. Thanks for all the tips and suggestions. I'll pull her tires this weekend and take a peek.
The only combo I had trouble with was more due to the rim tape. I had a set of Enve M60's that the builder (double?) taped with Gorilla tape. When I mounted the tires, some of the adhesive was turned up on the tape and actually stuck to the tire bead. This combination made for an EXTREMELY tight seal, but impossible to remove. I ended up clamping the deflated tire in my bench vice, and using the technique Volsung used to unseat it. After that I used some regular tubelss tape (can't remember if it was Stans or what) with a single layer, and haven't had an issue since. So long story short maybe check out the tape and see how thick it is; you might be able to make some improvements there.
This makes me think back..... at one point, I tried some Rene Herse Barlow Pass tires on her bike. They would NOT seat, so i ended up double-taping them. This might be the root of the issue. Thanks for all the tips and suggestions. I'll pull her tires this weekend and take a peek.
clarksonxc wrote:The only combo I had trouble with was more due to the rim tape. I had a set of Enve M60's that the builder (double?) taped with Gorilla tape.
I'm pretty sure the second wrap on these wheels was Gorilla tape. It works fantastic for making things seal and taking up diameter for a loose fitting tire, but you're absolutely right... I just had to pull a front tire off my MTB that was Gorilla taped and the bead, sealant and edges of the tape had formed a near permanent bond. I won't use that stuff again.... anyway, her tires come off for inspection and possible retape today or tomorrow. I also have a new technique for gettting stubborn tires to seat every time that does NOT require thick/double tape.
Soooo... problem solved. For this tire/wheel/tape combo at least. And it turned into a root problem identification issue rather than a brute force solution. I thought that I had used Gorilla tape on these wheels. Not true it turns out. What I had done, to get the older set of Rene Herse tires to seat, was put a double layer of the tape that Light Bicycle ships with their wide MTB wheels. It's great tape. I use it on all my wheels. But in this case it covers the rim from bead to bead. Great for getting tires to seat. Not great for trying to get the beads to unseat by hand. Add to that a tire that has just a slightly smaller bead diameter than say a GravelKing SS.... in this case a Vittoria Torenno Dry.... and a little bit of dried sealant, and they were nearly impossible to get back off the rim.
Retaped with a double layer of the narrower tape that sits down in between the beads and.... voila. She can now easily unseat the tire by hand.
Thanks to all the suggestions here. Especially those pointing me in the direction of rim tape, as I'm not sure I would have gotten there alone.
FWIW, I've been getting my tubeless tape and valves from Holdfast Cycling: https://holdfastcycling.com/ They sell tape in a variety of widths at good prices, so you don't need to screw around with Gorilla tape. Their valves are nice, too.
Speaking of tape, I have used several. The DT is great but the Muc-Off is as good. Both are better than Stan's and Whiskey though Whiskey is decent. I dislike Gorilla Tape and would rather not use Stan's. I will use the new Santa Cruz stems next...they do not clog and are much easier to set up new tubeless tires with the wider air channel. I'm using them on the mountain bike and they are far better than any tubeless valve stem out there...I have used 6-7 but they are all basically the same....very skinny and clog over time.
I have also run into the problem of not being able to break a tire bead from a tubeless rim. The first time I encountered this was on my Borealis snow bike with 5" fat tires. The ONLY method I've found to loosen the tires has been... - Completely deflate the tire - Finding something to support the rim (I used a wood step in the garage) and then CAREFULLY step on the tire to separate it from the rim - Once the first little bit is separated, rotate the wheel slightly and using my foot to separate another section - Repeat until the one side of the tire starts to brake loose and then use a tire lever to finish.
For background, I've changed thousands and thousands of tires. I'm a volunteer mechanic at the local bike Co-Op and I can assure everyone that with the new tubeless technology there are tire/rim combinations which will defy even the strongest of hands and snap the strongest of nylon tire levers.
BTW... +1 for NOT using Gorilla Tape. EVER! It works at first but sealants (Stans, Orange Seal, maybe others) will eventually seep through at which time the tape will leak. When removed, the Gorilla Tape leaves an awful mess. Been there, done that.
For a low cost alternative, Tesa 4289 strapping tape is said to be what Stan's rebrands. I've had good luck with Tesa.
mtbnut87 wrote:We run all of our tires, MTB, gravel and fat bike, tubeless. My wife cannot break the bead on her gravel tires without my help. This is not normally an issue, because we ride together primarily, but she does occasionally ride alone, and it is something that has concerned me should she get a puncture that sealant will not take care of.
Well... this came to a head recently. She has entered a women's only gravel race and wants to be self-sufficient and this is the one thing that really bothers her.
I have been looking for a product that I'm not sure exists: a tubeless tire bead breaker. One that is light and portable and she could carry in her frame bag. I have made such a thing from 2 blocks and a C-clamp for the one time I can remember that I could not break a bead. I have been searching, but coming up empty.
Does such a thing exist? Any experience or suggestions in this area would be appreciated.
I'll suggest the tool is at end of your leg called a foot and toes or heels. If the rim is on a firm surface your body weight or leg strength can roll into the tire pushing the bead towards center. It does require some subtlety and you could use some cloth you carry to protect the rim. I'll put a spare tube inside of an old sock to give it protection same time it means I carry a rag or cloth.
This push with toe or heel is super easy if you wear Five Tens but I have done it with care when I wear my clip/cleat type shoes.
