Mount a Bike Tyre With a Wire Bead

Introduction

A tyre with a wire bead holds a roughly circular shape at all times. It's a little heavier than the same tyre with folding Kevlar bead, harder to pack but easier to fit.

Step 1

Inflate The Tube

pump a small amount of air into the tube so it holds a circular shape and is roughly the same size as the folding bike tyre.

Step 2

Place The Label on The Wire Bead Bike Tyre

It's good practice to mark any coloured label or script at the valve hole. This may make it easier to trace a small elusive puncture hole. If the wire bead bike tyre doesn't have a label use the pressure information or some other identifiable marking.

Step 3

Mount One Bead

Fit one bead onto the rim by getting a section into the well of the rim -- the bottom of the rim nearest the centre of the wheel -- to generate enough slack to get the rest over the rim wall. The tyre is half on.

Step 4

Fit the tube

Feed the tube into the wire bead tyre with the valve adjacent to the label.

Step 5

Get In Position

Put the wheel on the floor with the valve at the bottom and the open side of the tyre away from your legs. Place your hands together on top of the tyre with your thumbs on the side away from your legs. Point your thumbs away from each other.

Step 6

Fit The Third Quarter

Push the first section of bead over the rim. Lock one hand in position and work the other away rolling the tyre bead over the rim wall. Once your hand is halfway down lock it and work the other in the opposite direction until it's also halfway to the floor.

Step 7

Deflate

Once you've reached the point where the tyre will stay in position on the rim deflate the tube. Hold the valve open(link) while you force the wheel against the ground to force as much air as possible out. The air holds everything together so it also makes the next step more difficult.

Step 8

Control The Bead

Go back to the start position with thumbs pointing away from each other. Squeeze the beads together and force them down into the well of the rim. Slide your hands apart keeping the tyre in tension so the length of tyre above your hands follows the shortest path available. You don't need to stretch the tyre just hold it in exactly the right position.

Step 9

Roll The Bead On

As your hands reach the three o'clock/nine o'clock position you can lean on the tyre to hold the beads in place. Get your thumbs to the point where the bead is going over the wall of the rim. Work the bead over the rim with your thumbs as you keep the tyre in tension to concentrate the slack at the area around the valve. Use this slack to roll the last section over the rim.

Pro Tip

If the last section is difficult, get the bead to the point where it sticks in place by friction and go back to the top and start again working the slack down to the decisive area. A very tight combination of tyre and rim may take a few repetitions to get on.

Pro Tip

Its never a good idea to use levers to mount a tyre as the lever can trap the tube and puncture it. Finishing at the valve means that if you really get stuck you can use the valve to hold the tube away from the bead and very carefully flick the last section over with a lever, if your technique is good this emergency measure will never be necessary.

Step 10

Check The Valve Seat Is Inside The Tyre

Press the valve up into the tyre to check the valve seat is inside the beads. If not the beads will lift off the rim when you press the valve. If the valve seat is trapped wiggle the valve to force the valve-seat though the tyre beads. If you don't do this the air going in to the tube will force the tyre off the rim, instead of locking the tyre on to the rim.

Step 11

Check The Tube Isn't Trapped

Inflate the tube to about 25psi or 1.5BAR work round both sides of the tyre, in turn, forcing the bead away from the rim to check the tube isn't visible. If you can see the tube it's trapped under the bead.