Mounting tires. Any tricks?

[RatRodDad]

I replaced the cruiser tires on my wife's Columbia bike a while back using some Cheng Shin tires (26 x 2.125). I just bought some more of that same brand to put on my Brittany bikes (26 x 1 3/8 ).

In both cases after I mounted the tires they seemed to be pretty out of round to the point that they feel funny when you ride the bikes - almost like a bulge in a tire. I turned the bikes over and spun the wheels and I could see how out of round they were.

In the case of the tires on my Brittanys they have a raised center tread section and that raised part even moves around on the tire so that it's not always centered on the tire as the wheel spins around.

So I'm wondering if it's just more Chinese junk that should be recalled - or if there is some trick to mounting the tires to keep this from happening.

I tried letting the air out and then pushing on the tire as I rolled the wheel around, and also using my hands to try to twist them to get the center tread straight on the wheel before I aired it back up. Neither thing seemed to make much difference and the tires were still out of round when I spun them.

I just put them on after they had been all twisted up in the shipping box, so maybe it takes time for them to straighten out once they are mounted.

So if any of you have run into this problem or you have a trick to mounting the tires to keep this from happening - assuming they are actually round and it's just my mounting job that's the problem, let me know.

Thanks.

 

[Rat Rod]

Make sure you are putting enough air in them (see sidewall). If there isn't enough air they will do what you are describing.

Happened to me on my 69 Collegiate.

 

[Hooch]

what i do with the newer tires is to inflate them to about 10 lbs off the bike then roll them on the ground pushing down on the top a couple revolutions
it seems to self center them then i go up about 10lbs and do it again continuing till i am full pressure

 

[Bicyclerick]

inflate them to full pressure and then let the air out and do it again, then check the sides and make sure the bead is seated. if not just repeat this process until they are.

 

[Multipass]

A little soapy water or WD-40 on the bead works well for me. If you want to get really fancy, you could use the same tire mounting lube the tire shops use.

The lube lets the tire bead slip a bit and properly seat itself onto the corresponding rim bead. The lube dries up afterwards, so tires slipping/rotating on the rims while riding isn't a problem.

-Mp

 

[user 135]

I had the out of round problem on a tire. I used soap to help seat the bead. Didn't help so I change the tube and much better.

The other ideas for the wobbly center ridge sound like it should work.

 

[RatRodDad]

As usual, thanks for all of the great suggestions. I will try some of them and see what helps.

I think the 26 x 1 3/8 tires are particularly tricky since they are so narrow. So any variation in the trueness of the raised tread is definately noticable, since at slow speed the bike wants to follow the tread, which causes a slight wabble feeling.

If I would have gone with another brand of tires on the latest purchase and had the same issues with them I would have assumed it was me. But since I ended up with Cheng Shin tires both times I wasn't sure if it was something I was doing - or maybe the tires themselves.

Hopefully one of your suggestions will help straighten things out for me and get the bikes running smooth again.

Thanks again.

 

[ricksterr1221]

what i do with the newer tires is to inflate them to about 10 lbs off the bike then roll them on the ground pushing down on the top a couple revolutions
it seems to self center them then i go up about 10lbs and do it again continuing till i am full pressure

I do this, or i put them on the bike and do the same thing.

 

[fast eddie]

only ride that bike on really bumpy roads, that way ya cant tell,
its like when my car makes weired noises, i just turn up the radio

fast eddie outty