I have NEVER needed tire levers in all my riding history untill I bought these.
The Neutron clincher wheel set.
Either I am getting weak in my old age or these rims have ZERO clearence?????
They are the hardest rim I've ever tried to put a tire on.

Yes, I've done a search on this topic and didn't have much luck.

I need to talk to people who own and use these wheels.

What tires are you using without levers?

I'm at the point where I want to sell these rims, what good are they if you can't change the tire?
Thanks for all who comment, that own these FRIGGIN' wheels.

What tires are you using?

While I haven't used Campy wheels, I've found that compared to Contis, Vreds, and Michelin offerings, Maxxis Hors Categorie tires are a doddle. In fact, most 90 y.o. people in nursing homes could mount them. I don't know if the ease of mounting extends across the Maxxis tire range....or at least across the range of Maxxis tires w/ kevlar beads.

Damned fine tires, too.

However, should you just find that no matter the tire, mounting still stymies you, consider getting one of these (http://www.crankbrothers.com/speedlever.php). I gots one, and it works better than any levers (although, I don't use it anymore.)

However, should you just find that no matter the tire, mounting still stymies you, consider getting one of these (http://www.crankbrothers.com/speedlever.php). I gots one, and it works better than any levers (although, I don't use it anymore.)
I have one and use it but it rather filmsy... how bout that... they offer life time warranty...

At home I use a larger Park heavyduty shop lever (similar in idea to Crank Bros') which works great with Campy wheels.

I have NEVER needed tire levers in all my riding history untill I bought these.
The Neutron clincher wheel set.
Either I am getting weak in my old age or these rims have ZERO clearence?????
They are the hardest rim I've ever tried to put a tire on.

Yes, I've done a search on this topic and didn't have much luck.

I need to talk to people who own and use these wheels.

What tires are you using without levers?

I'm at the point where I want to sell these rims, what good are they if you can't change the tire?
Thanks for all who comment, that own these FRIGGIN' wheels.

Welcome to the world of Campagnolo wheels........I have Protons and believe me, I was astonished at first as to how tight of a fit my tires were. I use Continental Attack/Force and have to use tire levers to get the last few inches on the rim and still have blisters on a few fingers when done. It's pretty easy after you get the hang of it. Put 1-lever under as close to the final few inches as you can and than use another lever on the opposite side lifting and seating the tire. Just be careful of not pinching the tube. With a few tries it becomes second nature.

If you have a flat on the road....do what I do.....have a second set of cheap wheels at home and call your wife and have her bring either wheel to you if needed!!!!!!

best of luck

I have NEVER needed tire levers in all my riding history untill I bought these.
The Neutron clincher wheel set.
Either I am getting weak in my old age or these rims have ZERO clearence?????
They are the hardest rim I've ever tried to put a tire on.

Yes, I've done a search on this topic and didn't have much luck.

I need to talk to people who own and use these wheels.

What tires are you using without levers?

I'm at the point where I want to sell these rims, what good are they if you can't change the tire?
Thanks for all who comment, that own these FRIGGIN' wheels.


Yep... been there and done that. They're a b!tch. I used Veloflex Pave tires with mine and the first mounting of a new tire equaled blistered thumbs even though I pre-stretching them as best as I could. It was so bad that there was a 50/50 chance I would snake bite the tube on the first attempt. Perhaps tubulars aren't so hard to deal with after all... ;)

just put veloflex blacks on my new protons, was a bit of a struggle to be sure.

my wheelsmith tire levers were up to the job.

i persevered and won out...eventualy.

i know i have an innate knack for missing the obvious, so don't be suprised when i tell you i cannot metally picture exactly what the method is you describe here.

if you could please elaborate then maybe i could get it.



Welcome to the world of Campagnolo wheels........I have Protons and believe me, I was astonished at first as to how tight of a fit my tires were. I Put 1-lever under as close to the final few inches as you can and than use another lever on the opposite side lifting and seating the tire. Just be careful of not pinching the tube. With a few tries it becomes second nature.

If you have a flat on the road....do what I do.....have a second set of cheap wheels at home and call your wife and have her bring either wheel to you if needed!!!!!!

best of luck

I have a couple of sets of Nucleons and Neutrons, with Veloflex Pave, Gommitalia Targa and Vittoria CX tires. I've never used tire levers to mount any of them. Granted, they're a bit of work when they're brand new and being mounted for the first time, but even then it's managable. After that, mounting or dismounting them without tools is a snap.

It must be technique, because it's not like I have strong hands. Heck, I often have trouble unscrewing jars. And it's never occurred to me to try stretching them before mounting.

Frankly, I have a much tougher time mounting up new tubulars on deep dish carbon rims, because the rim is so deep it's hard to stand on it to anchor it. A shallow box rim is much easier to work with.

Tires can be difficult although I still mount them by hand. My Eurus always amount in sore thumbs afterwards. I'm not big nor extremely strong and I think its just my technique. They do stretch after ridden so the first flat you have its a much easier process to unmount and remount the tire.

Vitorias.

I have used conti ultra 2000 with no problems - also have no problems with Vittoria rubino pros.

You guy's and your stories.
I guess I'm not worthy then, to own Campy wheels!
Other rims I always put some air in the tube, put the tube in the tire, mount the tire with both bead at the same time. I have NEVER pinched a tube, NEVER!!!!
I have broke tire levers trying to mount them on these wheels!!!!
Right now th count is I have destroyed more tubes trying to mount tires on these rims than I have ever had a flat with!!!!
I have own a lot of wheels sets in my time and these as I said in my original post are the toughest I've owned.
You guy's that can mount a tire on these rims without tools,...........my hats off to ya.
You talk about technique, you'll have to explain this.
It is absolutely impossible for me?
No matter how good or nice these wheels are, there for sale and I'll never own a pair of Campy wheels again.
Thanks for your input into this matter.

They are certainly a challenge with the first mount, but as the tire gets flexed by riding, I've found that they do get easier.

I won't bore you with the horror stories of the tubes I've pierced with the levers. I have 4 pairs of Campy wheels and while I love them for their quality, this problem is certainly annoying.

Best tires in my experience - Vredestein Fortezzas. I've had miserable luck with Veloflex (although I love those tires) and Conti Attack/Force/GP3000. The Fortezzas seem to be an easier tire in general.

They are certainly a challenge with the first mount, but as the tire gets flexed by riding, I've found that they do get easier.

I won't bore you with the horror stories of the tubes I've pierced with the levers. I have 4 pairs of Campy wheels and while I love them for their quality, this problem is certainly annoying.

Best tires in my experience - Vredestein Fortezzas. I've had miserable luck with Veloflex (although I love those tires) and Conti Attack/Force/GP3000. The Fortezzas seem to be an easier tire in general.

I'll have to try these tires again, I use to rid ethem all the time but I was having trouble with cuts. They went right trough and the tire had to be tossed(I wont patch a tire). I lost three tire one year and that was too much money to throw away.
If these tires are easy to install on the Campy rims, then I'll give em another try.
thanks

1. Install one side of tire. That should be no problem.
2. Lightly inflate tube, install. Again, no problem.
3. Deflate tube completely.
4. With the one bead you've already installed, work around the entire tire to make sure that bead is located in the central "well" of the rim all the way around. Easier to do if you have the original plastic rim strips than if you've replaced them with Velox, which is thicker.
5. Install remaining side of the tire. Start at stem, work outward in both directions. Yes, the last little bit is pretty tough. From all reports, probably impossible by hand with Michelins, but certainly doable with the tires I mentioned previously. It takes some determination, but don't give up. Go back, make sure installed bead is still centered. It can be done. Your thumbs will be a little sore.
6. Inflate tube to 40 psi or so, and make sure tire beads are fully seated.
7. Pump up, install and ride.

I do NOT have strong hands (or anything else. Lousy sprinter.) It is work to install a new tire. But once the tire has been on the rim and stretched a little, from there on out no more problems.

As long as you're using a folding bead tire, try this.

Put them in your clothes dryer (assuming you have one) on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Then immediately mount them.

I'd rather have a tight tire than a loose one. I had some Hutchinson Carbon Comps that went on so easy (on both Mavic and Bontrager rims) that I was concerned.

Rightfully so, as it turned out. First ride they BOTH blew off the rim. Luckily, I was cruising on the flats and NOT screaming down some descent.

I'd be curious about anybody elses experience with Hutchinson clinchers.

i recently bought a proton wheelset and experienced the same problem as most campy wheelset owners have, especially with michelin pro2 race tyres. i had to use a tyre lever the get the last 6+ inch of tyre bead to sit into the rim. i use Pedro tyre levers, which seem to be very gentle on the tube, rim tape and the rim.

how did i use the lever? i use it as leverage to slide the tyre bead into the rim. working your way from the bottom to the top per the wheelset instruction, you will come to a point where you have about 6" to 12" of very tight tyre bead sitting outside the rim. i place the tyre lever at about the mid point by hooking it inside the rim. at this point, the lever should be about perpendicular to the rim with the tyre bead sitting above the lever. use an upwards motion on the lever to move the tyre bead into the rim. you will probably need quite a bit of force to do that. it will feel like you're about the rip the tyre apart or pull apart the rim, and then suddenly there is this loud snapping sound and the tyre bead now sits in the rim. no, the tyre bead hasn't snapped. that's just the sound made by the rim/spokes when the tyre finally sits inside the rim.

it sounds brutal but it works. took me 30 minutes to figure out this technique. mounting the tyre on the remaing wheel took about 10 minutes (could have been quicker is TV wasn't such a distraction). the ride quality of the protons combined with the michelin pro2race were definitely well worth the effort. 236km on the wheelset/tyres so far and no puncture or cuts despite running on glass, branches etc.

boon

i recently bought a proton wheelset and experienced the same problem as most campy wheelset owners have, especially with michelin pro2 race tyres. i had to use a tyre lever the get the last 6+ inch of tyre bead to sit into the rim. i use Pedro tyre levers, which seem to be very gentle on the tube, rim tape and the rim.

how did i use the lever? i use it as leverage to slide the tyre bead into the rim. working your way from the bottom to the top per the wheelset instruction, you will come to a point where you have about 6" to 12" of very tight tyre bead sitting outside the rim. i place the tyre lever at about the mid point by hooking it inside the rim. at this point, the lever should be about perpendicular to the rim with the tyre bead sitting above the lever. use an upwards motion on the lever to move the tyre bead into the rim. you will probably need quite a bit of force to do that. it will feel like you're about the rip the tyre apart or pull apart the rim, and then suddenly there is this loud snapping sound and the tyre bead now sits in the rim. no, the tyre bead hasn't snapped. that's just the sound made by the rim/spokes when the tyre finally sits inside the rim.

it sounds brutal but it works. took me 30 minutes to figure out this technique. mounting the tyre on the remaing wheel took about 10 minutes (could have been quicker is TV wasn't such a distraction). the ride quality of the protons combined with the michelin pro2race were definitely well worth the effort. 236km on the wheelset/tyres so far and no puncture or cuts despite running on glass, branches etc.

boon


I hate to ask, but how mant tire levers have you broke this way?
All these mounting tips are great if your home. What about on the road?????
I need a tire that will be "EASY" to change on the road and "NO" tire levers would be best because if you only have one extra tube you sure don't want to pinch it with a lever!!!!!

I have been riding for over 10 years and I do know how to change a flat tire at home and on the road.

As I mentioned above, the 2nd time is easier. Plenty of problems mounting them the first time, never a problem changing them on the road. I think a pavement beating softens them up a bit. Or perhaps a few months at 120psi. Either way, you may still need levers, but it's not nearly as hard.

I hate to ask, but how mant tire levers have you broke this way?
All these mounting tips are great if your home. What about on the road????? [...]

None so far. the Pedro lever seems pretty bombproof and besides, I only use this method to mount a brand new tyre on a brand new campy rim.

my other wheelset, Alex AT400 (came with the bike), doesn't require any tools for mounting tyres but then again, it doesn't ride as nice as the campy. so to minimise the need to change tube mid-ride, perhaps use a tyre that has the best possible puncture protection.

boon

I did not have problem mounting my Vittoria's to my Campy wheels. I was able to mount both without using tire levers. I also found Gammaitalia's mount without too much effort.

I'm completely unable to mount tires on my Campy wheels without using levers. I second the Crank Bros. tool. It works great, and I've never pinched a tube with it. When at home, I always use a little soapy water as a lube. On the road, I always carry a very small plastic packet of hand cleaner that can serve as a lube. Sunscreen can too. Campy rims are just a bit*h to mount tires on.

I've gone through 5 tire levers in the 9 months I've owned my Neutron Carbons. I even bought some steel core levers and snapped the 1/8" plastic off the very tip. Obviosly a metal lever won't break but it will mar the wheel. I've definately had a much easier time using Veloflex Black tires as opposed the the Michilen Pro's, but it's still tough. I geuss I should try the stock plastic rim strip to see if that helps - I put the Velox on right from the start. I've always stayed away from the plastic Michilen rim strip because I had one develop hairline cracks over time and pinch the tubes. That took awhile to figure out why I was always getting flats and never finding anything in the tire or seeing anything obvious.
While I've got all you Campy wheel guys' attention - why is there a tiny hole drilled in the rim just above the braking surface? I've never seen this on any other wheel I've owned.

I would second the notion to get rid of the Michelin rim strips if anybody is tempted to use these. They are junk and will split everytime and cause a pinch flat. Use the tried and true Velox cloth and you won't have a problem.

brewster

[...]While I've got all you Campy wheel guys' attention - why is there a tiny hole drilled in the rim just above the braking surface? I've never seen this on any other wheel I've owned.

i've read somewhere that it's a rim wear indicator.

I've gone through 5 tire levers in the 9 months I've owned my Neutron Carbons. I even bought some steel core levers and snapped the 1/8" plastic off the very tip. Obviosly a metal lever won't break but it will mar the wheel. I've definately had a much easier time using Veloflex Black tires as opposed the the Michilen Pro's, but it's still tough. I geuss I should try the stock plastic rim strip to see if that helps - I put the Velox on right from the start. I've always stayed away from the plastic Michilen rim strip because I had one develop hairline cracks over time and pinch the tubes. That took awhile to figure out why I was always getting flats and never finding anything in the tire or seeing anything obvious.
While I've got all you Campy wheel guys' attention - why is there a tiny hole drilled in the rim just above the braking surface? I've never seen this on any other wheel I've owned.

I maybe talking about the wrong hole here but if it's the I'm thinking about its a drain hole to get rid of water.
The valve hole on the plastic stuff is too big and the tube develops a hole right at the valve, it's not really a hole but the tube separates from the valve because it has no support as the hole is too big. Cloth rim tape is the best.

with all this talk about how difficult it might be to change tube from a puncture, i finally had my first experience of changing tubes with the campy protons today. on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the difficulty to mount a brand new michelin pro2 race tyre, then changing tube mid-ride was a 1. yup, it was almost effortless. like many others have said, once the bead stretches, it pretty much stays stretched. yes, i had to use a tool to unseat the bead from the rim and to push the final bit of bead back into the rim but the whole excercise took less than 3 minutes (does not include time faffing around with getting tools out, inflating new tube, removing wheel, cursing at the bloody glass that caused the puncture...).

now comes the fun part - mounted new replacement tyres. it was a 1cm slice diagonally across the tyre. i stuck a adhesive tyre-patch on the underside of the tyre to prevent the tube from bulging out. the tyre still did bulged but the tube didn't push through. looks like it's a write off and i've only done 254km on it. bugger. :(

boon

I had heard that it is drilled to allow the hot air to escape when the rims are welded. Apparently the spoke holes are drilled after the welding.

Unless you need to carry a spare tire with you, try to use standard old wire bead tires. They are always easier to fit than folding bead tires. My best luck has always been with Pariba/Vredestein tires. I prefer Ambrosio rims because of the smoothness of the welds. I hate the most recent Mavic rims, so much so that I got rid of all of them, simply too rough a seam. The Campagnolo rims are also good as far a seams go.

i've tried for 2 days to mount a pair of vittoria rubino pros on vento wheels but to no avail. the tire levers aren't even working as the un-mounted section just moves whenever i try to lift the lever. i'll be trying a version of the dryer method tomorrow when i set them outside in the sun for 10 min. hopefully the heat will relax the bead.

I had my first flat of the year last night.
I managed to unmount and remount my Michelin Pro2 Race front tire on my 2006 Eurus wheel without the use of any tire lever. It was surprisingly easy. It was around 30 celcius last night which is very warm for around here which seemed to help.