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Tip - fitting Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tyres

Posted: 10 Apr 2009, 10:28am
by noonoosdad
:D I've just spent about an hour replacing my worn Maxxis Overdrive tyres with 2 x new brand spanking Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tyres.
I was warned that these tyres can be difficult to fit but managed to get them on okay.
The problem is that these tyres have quite a 'definate' beading and the trick seems to be to get one side of the tyre over the rim first then. On the other side, keep repeatedly slowly turning the wheel and feeding the beaded edge of the tyre onto the rim. During the procedure, I did initially inflate the innner tube a bit but then let a little air out. Eventually the tyre just pops onto the rim with perhaps two or three levers. I then made a final check of the tyre to make sure it was equally seated on the rim on both sides.


<moderator edit: have copied this topic to "Too Good to lose" as it contains some good hints and tips, especially the link to this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XUFVrl0UT4 by Spa Cycles>

Re: Tip - fitting Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tyres

Posted: 10 Apr 2009, 11:07am
by thirdcrank
The reason using standard tyre levers to refit a tyre is generally regarded as a bad thing is that it's very difficult to avoid nipping the tube and causing a puncture.

Re: Tip - fitting Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tyres

Posted: 10 Apr 2009, 11:10am
by noonoosdad
thirdcrank wrote:The reason using standard tyre levers to refit a tyre is generally regarded as a bad thing is that it's very difficult to avoid nipping the tube and causing a puncture.


Yes I agree. That's the reason why I only now use sturdy plastic Park Tools levers which also stop any scratching of the wheel rims.

Re: Tip - fitting Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tyres

Posted: 10 Apr 2009, 1:53pm
by cycleruk
thirdcrank wrote:The reason using standard tyre levers to refit a tyre is generally regarded as a bad thing is that it's very difficult to avoid nipping the tube and causing a puncture.



The trick is to just inflate the tube enough so that the tyre lever can't catch it but not to much that tyre bead won't roll on:
"Just enough" is the secret. :)

Re: Tip - fitting Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tyres

Posted: 10 Apr 2009, 2:39pm
by robgul
The other trick with these (excellent) tyres is (as well as the slight inflation of the tube ... I thought that was standard practice) is to use a toeclip strap tightened around the tyre/rim once the tyre starts to go on to stop it "running round" while you grapple with the 3 handed process to get the rest of the tyre bead over the rim

Rob

Re: Tip - fitting Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tyres

Posted: 10 Apr 2009, 4:43pm
by nomisp
having recently fitted a pair of these excellent tyre ( 700 x 32 ) I found the only way to fit them was to use a number of straps , one every 8 inches and aslo partially inflate tube , I found if i did not use straps i would be having problems with the beading popping out all the

nomisp

Re: Tip - fitting Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tyres

Posted: 10 Apr 2009, 5:14pm
by cycleruk
What do you do if you get a p###ture when out on a ride. :cry:

Re: Tip - fitting Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tyres

Posted: 10 Apr 2009, 5:27pm
by rogerzilla
That's why I sold them after trying to fit them - I realised all this faffing with zipties etc was never going to work out on the road.

Re: Tip - fitting Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tyres

Posted: 10 Apr 2009, 7:33pm
by drossall
I've never had that much trouble. I do have a VAR lever for refitting tyres, but I don't always need that.

Re: Tip - fitting Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tyres

Posted: 11 Apr 2009, 6:45pm
by Paul Smith SRCC
Chris Juden had a good tip for fitting them:

Image

Paul_Smith
Touring Tips

Re: Tip - fitting Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tyres

Posted: 14 Apr 2009, 9:26am
by neilob
For what its worth....I use these tyres and have had just one 'deflation event' on the road in over 10k miles. That day I learnt to keep a small bottle of washing up liquid in my barbag. Put some on the tyre bead and it is much easier to slide over the rim using the Schwalbe plastic tyre levers. The rest can be used to clean hands!!
Neil

Re: Tip - fitting Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tyres

Posted: 14 Apr 2009, 1:07pm
by gilesjuk

Re: Tip - fitting Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tyres

Posted: 14 Apr 2009, 2:24pm
by neilob
But washing-up liquid is so much cheaper! Although does it have salt or other stuff in it that you need to be careful with?
N

Re: Tip - fitting Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tyres

Posted: 14 Apr 2009, 3:05pm
by Ivor Tingting
Using washing up liquid the ultimate in clean sustainable transport

Re: Tip - fitting Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tyres

Posted: 14 Apr 2009, 3:13pm
by ersakus
Some talk powder on the inner tube to start with helped me. No strings were necessary if I remember correctly. I had inflated the tube little bit before pushing the sides in. it was a struggle surely but was doable without any special tools in my case.