Nightrider Won't Come off Rim

Unicycles and Equipment
1

Well, I’m ready to admit it.

I can’t change my own tire for my KH36. :angry: :astonished:

I’ve done tires of all shapes and sizes, high pressure to low. But I cannot get the !@#$%ing bead over the rim to get my Nightrider off the rim of my 36er.

I tried in 3 sessions of half hour each, and to date I’ve broken: 2 Park tire levers, one Pedro’s milk lever, a Stanley flathead screwdriver, and a paint can opener.

I once did a high pressure skinny tire for a roadbike on the side of the road and it was a bear, but once I got that 3rd tire lever in, she popped right off. This sucker just won’t budge.

Anyone else have crazy difficulty changing 36er tires, or am I just “special”? :roll_eyes:

2

If it is warn and needs a new tire, could you cut it off?

3

I have fixed flats several times on my 36"nightrider. I purchased steel tire irons to facilitate the process–I had the same problem you found with plastic ones.

It helps to deflate the inner tube and to move the tire to the center on the rim, where the rim is smaller. This positioning of the tire gives you more room to stretch the tire on the opposite side of the rim to dismount it.

Scott

4

I’ve not removed a 36 yet, but it definitely helps to have metal levers (good ones) and don’t forget to squeeze the tire together at the opposite side of where you are working on the tire, it will relieve some of the pressure. It’s a problem, and you must problem solve it. You might have to use 2 levers at once, with 1 already locked to a spoke, or have someone else help you.

5

i used windex to get mine on and off.

6

As a lubricant? Windex is ammonia, does that have any degrading effects on the compounds used with tires?

7

The tolerances on 36" rims and tires are not good; it’s common to have issues where the fit isn’t right.

That said, if it made it onto the rim it can make it off the rim. Don’t count on plastic tire levers to help you here; get steel ones, or at least steel-core. Work around the tire, separating the bead from the rim on both sides all the way around, and make sure all the air is out of the tube. Sometimes on stubborn beads it helps to use two tire levers right next to each other to get the first bit over the rim.

8

doesn’t seem to, i’ve had mine at a high psi for 600+ miles. i’ve had it for a year and 3 months, 0 problems. udc recommended me to use windex. the first tire i had blew off the rim because of a defective bead. when they sent the next, that’s when they recommended the windex and i’m glad they did. i struggled with it without windex for 30 minutes straight, when i used the windex it was on within 5 minutes.

9

Hmm, and how did you use it exactly? Just sprayed it on the bead areas you were working on?

10

yeah, got the point where it seemed impossible that the rest of the bead would go on (maybe 5-6~ inches left to go on), and just sprayed it on that part.

11

Maybe try heating it up by leaving it in the sun or using a blow dryer.

This might make it more pliable and easier to remove…

12

check out the tire levers you’re using. Luckily I haven’t had to do this job yet, but if they’re thick plastic it’s a problem. I assume that’s why the steel ones work better? I would be weary of the steel most of the time just because I’d be afraid it’d bend my rim. : (

13

I’ve broken all manner of plastic tyre levers while trying to wrangle 36" tyres off the rim, even the steel-cored ones. The only ones I find up to the job are ParkTool TL-5 metal ones.

14

My solution is to let two guys at my LBS wrassle with it and then charge me the same price they charge for a piece-o-cake road tire. They seem to like it; like it’s a sport or something, and they’ve never damaged anything. :slight_smile:

But I did get my Nightrider off my rim a few weeks back, when I had to take the wheel apart due to the broken hub. I forgot about the Windex trick (it kills ants, too!), I do have a massive, metal tire lever I bought specifically for 36" tires. I finally got a piece of tire wedged off with that, then crammed one of my metal-core levers in there, hooked it to the spoke, and started working it off from there. I’m pretty sure the guys at my LBS will get the honors of putting it back on when the time comes… :slight_smile:

15

To elaborate on this a little more, I think the key thing is to have a completely flat innertube to allow the side of the tire bead you are trying to remove to slide to the center of the rim where the diameter is the smallest. Another pair of hands will usually work, but if you are by yourself, you can use spring clamps (think giant sized metal version of the wooden closeline clampey things) to help keep the bead in this channel if it seems to want to creep back out of the center.

Bryce

16

Yeah, I brought it into my LBS and after they got over the shock of seeing my massive wheel (“We honestly didn’t think it was THAT big!”- Them; “That’s what she said.”-Me), followed by the obligatory circus jokes transitioning to legitimate unicycling questions, two of the techs pried it off with some TL-5’s.

They were nice enough to trade me a set for some of my “excess” money.