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Tools required for tyre fitting
For tyre fitting:
- Two plastic tyre levers Metal can easily damage the rim and inner tube
- Depending on the model, appropriate tool spanner for the wheel axle if necessary
- Floor pump with pressure gauge
In addition to the tube patch:
- one Breakdown kit consisting of patches of different sizes, vulcanising fluid and a small piece of sandpaper to roughen the hose
Tyre fitting: Changing the tyre casing
Down with the tyre!
Position the wheel so that the valve is at the bottom, clamp a tyre lever at the top between the tyre bead and the rim so that it lifts the tyre bead slightly and then hold it firmly with one hand. Place the second tyre lever a hand's breadth away under the tyre bead and then lever the tyre over the rim flange with both levers at the same time. Now you can push one of the levers further until the tyre jumps off the rim all the way round. Unscrew the valve and pull it out of the rim. Remove the inner tube and pull the other side of the tyre off the rim by hand.
Tubeless: Better without a tube?
Tubeless, i.e. tyre systems without inner tubes, are already commonplace in the mountain bike sector. So is this the panacea? After all, "If it's not there, it can't break!" Yes and no. Basically, the higher the pressure, the worse the tubeless system usually works. Narrow trekking bike tyres, which are ridden at 4-5 bar, are therefore less reliable than clincher tyres, i.e. tyres with inner tubes, simply because of the pressure. In addition, if there is a large hole in the tyre, an inner tube usually has to be inserted anyway, as sealing milk and possibly a repair plug directly in the casing do not always seal sufficiently. Unpleasant side effect: Whenever you remove the tyre, sealant leaks out. So mess included.
Fitting tyres: How to fit new tyres easily
On some tyres, an arrow on the tyre sidewall indicates the direction of rotation - this is important for some tyre profiles. First check the direction of rotation and then position the tyre next to the wheel with the valve hole pointing upwards. Now push one side of the tyre onto the rim by hand. This should be possible with a little pressure and without tools.
Then inflate the inner tube so that it retains its round shape - no more! Now insert the valve into the rim opening and tighten the valve nut a few turns. Then insert the inner tube into the tyre all the way round. Now start pressing the second tyre bead into the rim directly at the valve and continue working on both sides of the valve. This creates more and more tension on the tyre bead. The last open section should then be approximately opposite the valve.
Tip: If the tyre is already on the rim, press it into the centre of the rim if possible. This takes some of the tension off the tyre bead, as the centre of the rim is lower than the edge. This gives the tyre bead more play and makes it easier to lift it over the rim flange. Depending on the strength in your hands and the tension of the tyre, you can often use both hands to wiggle the remaining bead into the rim.
If not, this is where the tyre levers come into play: depending on how wide the gap is, you can slide one or two levers between the bead and the rim so that the small nose at the end of the lever comes to sit on the rim flange. Now the tyre can be lifted into the rim with a little force.
The final steps
Caution: Make absolutely sure that the inner tube is not pinched! If it does, the tyre sidewall must be levered off again slightly so that the inner tube can pop into the rim well.
Tip: The correct air pressure range is stamped on the tyre sidewall. You should always adhere to it. If you are a little heavier, use the higher value as a guide. The right pressure is important for safe and comfortable rolling - and it's what makes riding fun! Don't forget: After inflating, tighten the valve nut by hand - never with pliers! - by hand - never with pliers!
But we are not quite finished yet: each tyre has a narrow control line all around the sidewall. This line must have the same distance from the rim all around the tyre. If not, the tyre will "wobble", i.e. it will not run smoothly and you will feel a bounce when driving. Here it helps to inflate the tyre up to the pressure limit or even slightly above it, so that the tyre bead - usually with a rim click - jumps into the correct position all around. Then reduce the tyre pressure back to the correct level.
The right tyre
If you are considering fitting a wider or more profiled tyre than the one you have been using, there are a few things to bear in mind. The most important thing is the tyre size indicated on the sidewall. The ETRTO standard has now been agreed, but many tyre manufacturers still use other standards for their internal specifications. ETRTO (European Tire and Rim Technical Organisation) specifies the dimensions of the tyre in millimetres. For 40-622, the first number means four centimetres of tyre width. The second, 622, is the inner diameter of the tyre. This is a classic "28-inch tyre" - this specification also indicates the diameter.
The width is important. Many manufacturers are now creating more space in the fork and rear triangle to allow a wider tyre to be used. However, you should use the width of your old tyre as a guide: If it has less than one centimetre of free clearance at the points mentioned, we do not recommend a wider tyre. The same applies to the tread: studs add to the circumference of a normal road tyre. So you need to allow for a little more tyre height here - possibly too much for a tight-fitting mudguard.
Mend inner tube
Before patching: Check the valve!
A leaking valve is much rarer than a defective hose, but not unlikely. Sometimes the valve insert is not tight enough or is defective. To find out, spit helps: simply put some of it on the valve head. If bubbles form, turn the valve insert more tightly - you should always have a valve spanner (see picture) with you when using the Auto or Sclaverand valve. With the Dunlop valve, the entire insert may also be defective. You can always have something like this to hand in your wallet, for example.
Mending inner tubes - it's easy
First remove the wheel, dismount the tyre on one side and remove the inner tube (see above). Inflate the tyre. You can usually quickly tell where the tyre is leaking by the air escaping. If the hole is so large that the inner tube does not take shape when pumping and the hole is visible at first glance - "burst" - then you should immediately reach for a new inner tube. If you cannot find the hole by pumping alone, you should hold the hose in a basin of water and pull it through the water in small sections. This will help you find even the smallest hole. Mark it over a large area with a biro. Then roughen the tube around the hole so that the patch holds.
Roughen a patch-sized area with the sandpaper; place the hose on a resilient, smooth surface such as a table or a flat stone when travelling. Make sure that no bumps can be felt or seen, especially on the casting ridges. Then apply a small drop of vulcanising adhesive to this surface.
Important: Only continue when the area is so dry that the adhesive no longer pulls threads when touched. Now you can peel off the lower protective film of a patch of the right size, place the patch on the damaged area and press it firmly with your thumb for 20 seconds. If you have a firm, flat object to hand, you can use it to apply even more pressure to the patch. Then don't forget to remove the top protective film from the patch. Caution: The best way to do this is to press the patch firmly with both thumbs and then pull it apart (see below). If you try to remove the film from the side, it is very easy to lift the patch off the tyre again.
Avoid multiple defects!
We're not done yet: the tyre must be checked for any foreign objects that may still be stuck in the rubber - otherwise the repaired tyre will be a goner. To do this, take a small piece of household cotton wool between your thumb and index finger and slowly pull it through the tyre. If the nail or shard is still in the tyre, the cotton wool will be clearly visible. If you are travelling and don't have any cotton wool with you, you can also slowly and very carefully pull three fingers through the coat - you can also feel the foreign object here. Once it has been removed - or you simply can't find any - reassemble the hose and sheath as above.
The right hose with the right valve
The inner tube manufacturers make it easy for us: the tyre sizes to which the inner tube fits are printed on the packaging. So you simply compare the print on the tyre with the print on the tyre. Most inner tube sizes are available with different valves, so you have a choice. There are three types for bikes: The Dunlop valve, usually also called the bicycle valve. It is easy to handle and inflate, but does not withstand higher pressures for very long and needs to be inflated more often than others - especially when used on dirt tracks (dust!).
The Car or Schrader valve. It can be filled at any petrol station using an air pressure device and holds the air very well. Disadvantage: If you have a flat tyre, it is often difficult to handle with a hand pump, and a filling station is rarely within walking distance. The Presta/Sklaverand- or Road bike valve. Easy to handle, withstands high pressures very well and is therefore also standard on racing bikes - and our general favourite.
But beware: Schrader and Dunlop valves require a larger valve hole than the road bike valve! Before changing, you must therefore check whether the rim is compatible.
