I'm not a weak man........

[JackRabbitSlims]

nor am I a hulking brute!

but it has taken me well over 45 mins this afternoon to get a Michelin Pro Race 3 onto my Campy Neutron Ultra!
Much sweating, swearing, deep breaths, walking around the garage, broken tire levers(2).

I have changed many tires on many wheels in my 12+ years of riding road bikes, but this was by far the worst!.
My biggest fear is that I get a puncture and spend another 45mins on the side of the road looking and feeling like a right TOOL!

Is it just this Wheel / Tire combo? - These are my race / event wheels, should I be looking for an alternative tire to race on, if so, any suggestions?

 

[online-rider]

Harden the F*** Up !!!




[]

 

[Greyhound Velo]

Michelin tires are notoriously tight when they're new, but they do stretch out a bit and get easier to change over time. Also, the aluminum Campy rims were known for being very slightly larger diameter than others, like Mavic, and more difficult to get tires on (the old Trek Matrix rims were also a pain in the ***), so it wouldn't surprise me if the new ones were the same. Michelin makes great tires, but there are others that are just as good and easier to install, like Vredestein (probably the easiest), Vittoria, and Schwalbe (if you can find them). I'd give your Pro 3's some time to stretch, but it they're still a b!tch to get on and off in a month you should look for some Vred Fortezza tires.

 

[kiwirider]

Is it just this Wheel / Tire combo? - These are my race / event wheels, should I be looking for an alternative tire to race on, if so, any suggestions?

Like GV says, Michelin's are always tight to get on and off. They will stretch out a bit over time, but you'll still find them a bit more of a struggle than others on the market. That said, the Pro3 is a distinctly softer bead than some of their earlier tyres ...

I would stick with them - I use Pro3's as a general training tyre and find that they roll nicely and handle the NZ roads pretty well. I would also not suggest taking up GV's suggestion of the Vredesteins - my experience is that while they ride nicely, they can't handle the roughness of NZ roads and wear out in no time ... Conti's are similarly hopeless on NZ roads - although I have been told that the GP4000 does last a lot longer than their earlier models.

Vittoria's are a good option - some of their mid range tyres roll well, handle the **** volcanic chip that is used on the roads and have sufficient flex in the sidewall to give a nice ride. (Their top of the line tyres are gorgeous - but I have had similar wear issues to Vredesteins and Contis.)

But yeah, stick with the Pro3's. Practise changing them a few times and you'll find a way that works for you that makes changing them quick and easy.

BTW - how'd you get on the other week at Taupo? How'd the new bike set up you were asking about on another part of the forum handle the ride?

 

[Anonymous]

jack

Kool Stop tire bead jack. google it. cheap, light, works great. I vaguely remember it NOT being recommended for carbon rims, but have not seen anything in print. You could email the company.

 

[JackRabbitSlims]

Thanks!

Great replies! - Thanks for the info.

Yeah, I might just stick with the ProRace and see how I go - Honestly, my thumbs are sore this morn from all the work they did yesterday trying to roll the tire on!!

Vittoria - which clincher tire for racing on??

Hey Kiwirider - Mate, Taupo was a heap of fun and I really liked the event. We were just out there getting amongst it, not trying to compete or anything. The weather turned real foul at around 6pm and the track turned into a mud fest - but all part of the deal! My road fitness was a blessing, but my technique and technical ability needs plenty of work!
Bike was good, but I will look to drop the bars a few spacers and shorten the bar up a bit also - feel like my arms are way too wide and sitting a bit too upright. I'll tinker with the set up over the coming weeks.
Hey, one question: - Running XT Hydraulic brakes, the front brake has become really tight in the lever pull! - Only taking a very small one finger pull to fully engage the brake. I haven't touched anything on the bike. Can you suggest anyway I can rectify this?? I need to loosed it up a bit as it is way too tight.

OK - Gotta get ready for my group road ride (hammer fest).
Enjoy your Sunday.

 

[oldborn]

You should try Hutchinson fusion tubeless to mount it is pain in the a...
I am having now Vittoria Rubinho pro, but you can race as well on Diamante Pro.

 

[kiwirider]

Great replies! - Thanks for the info.

Yeah, I might just stick with the ProRace and see how I go - Honestly, my thumbs are sore this morn from all the work they did yesterday trying to roll the tire on!!

Vittoria - which clincher tire for racing on??

Hey Kiwirider - Mate, Taupo was a heap of fun and I really liked the event. We were just out there getting amongst it, not trying to compete or anything. The weather turned real foul at around 6pm and the track turned into a mud fest - but all part of the deal! My road fitness was a blessing, but my technique and technical ability needs plenty of work!
Bike was good, but I will look to drop the bars a few spacers and shorten the bar up a bit also - feel like my arms are way too wide and sitting a bit too upright. I'll tinker with the set up over the coming weeks.
Hey, one question: - Running XT Hydraulic brakes, the front brake has become really tight in the lever pull! - Only taking a very small one finger pull to fully engage the brake. I haven't touched anything on the bike. Can you suggest anyway I can rectify this?? I need to loosed it up a bit as it is way too tight.

OK - Gotta get ready for my group road ride (hammer fest).
Enjoy your Sunday.

Like oldborn says, the Diamantes are a good mid level race tyre. Whenever Torpedo 7 have the Rubinos cheap I buy a few and use them as a trainer/commuter - still a nice tyre, roll pretty well and at the price that they discount them to, they're good value - just not as fast rolling as Diamantes or better tyres.

The best ones to ride on though are the Open Corsa or Open Pave (being a bit more robust they handle our roads and the amount of glass and crap left on them better). But if you want to go that way, go for one of the UK on line retaillers - you'll buy them for about the same price that your LBS will get them for in NZ. (I wont start on my soapbox about how NZ wholesalers are ...) If you want a couple of recommendations on who to deal with online, send me a PM and I'll tell you who I've found to be good.

And sounds like Taupo was a blast, ay?! Not sure which part of the country you're in, but if you've got the 12 hour bug, suss out the race at Mt Vic in Wellington later this year. Good course - a bit technical in places and some nasty little climbs to test you ...

As for the brakes ... swap them out for some good Hope Minis like i run! Seriously, I don't know anything about the XT brakes, but it sounds like you may have a sticking brake piston - possibly some crud in it? Take out the pads and make sure that it's all clean in behind them. Then try putting a wide flat blade screwdriver in between the pads and crank it so that the pads fully retract. Then pull the brake again and watch how far the pads retract afterwards. If they don't fully retract, repeat the process a couple of times and see if you're getting an improvement. If that still doesn't work, then I'd suggest a trip to the shop is in order ...

 

[oldborn]

Hey, one question: - Running XT Hydraulic brakes, the front brake has become really tight in the lever pull! - Only taking a very small one finger pull to fully engage the brake. I haven't touched anything on the bike. Can you suggest anyway I can rectify this?? I need to loosed it up a bit as it is way too tight.

Hi there!
Try on MTB threads, they will now better, but i had similar problems with Hayes Stroke or Rider. Is there some funny noise like squeaking, if yes there is some air. Try to change oil if air or no problem (alone or go to your LBS, this is most common solution), or just try to work out piston like Kiwirider wrote it.
Please do not unscrew anything or try to disassemble it (i almost gone mad)

 

[BroDeal]

Michelin tires are notoriously tight when they're new, but they do stretch out a bit and get easier to change over time. Also, the aluminum Campy rims were known for being very slightly larger diameter than others, like Mavic, and more difficult to get tires on (the old Trek Matrix rims were also a pain in the ***), so it wouldn't surprise me if the new ones were the same. Michelin makes great tires, but there are others that are just as good and easier to install, like Vredestein (probably the easiest), Vittoria, and Schwalbe (if you can find them). I'd give your Pro 3's some time to stretch, but it they're still a b!tch to get on and off in a month you should look for some Vred Fortezza tires.

+1

I have Vred Fortezzas on my Eurus. Those wheels are a pain in the ass to get other tires on without puncturing the tube with a lever. I still live in fear of puncturing because it takes about three times as long as normal to work a tire on without repuncturing the tube or leaving some of the tube under the bead.

There must be a special Italian metric system with slightly larger millimeters.

 

[Anonymous]

Worst possible combo you could ever have picked.

Michelin tires + Campagnolo clincher rim = @$#^%$#@#$%^%$#$#$@@#$%%#%!!!