I put a new tyre on last night (I’m quite proud anyway!) but it won’t seat very well – it looks like the wheel is buckled (perfectly true). I have tried pushing it, pulling it, bashing it, everything. Most of my tyres are like this to some extent (particularly near the valve) and when my friend does it, it’s the same story.

So, any hints and tips?

pump it up really hard – 80 psi or so. If that don’t work lube the bead with soap

I pump it up to a really low pressure (say 5-10 psi) such that the tyre still has some “give” and then use fingers/thumbs to coax the bead away from the rim where it’s gone in to far. When sorted then inflate to normal pressure. Works every time.

I wouldn’t use the TJ approach because if the tyre is badly seated (new tyre) then it could blow straight off the rim and give you a mild coronary 🙂

Assuming it’s a tyre with a tube (rather than crazy tubeless), then how did you put it on?

I favour the old school approach:

1. put one tyre bead into the well of the rim.
2. pump up tube to have enough air in it to avoid pinching it
3. put valve throuh valve hole
4. *important bit* – work the tube all the way round with thumbs so that it is “in” the rim, not hanging over it.
5. with thumbs, push outside bead over rim lip and start working round
6. as the bead goes over the rim as you work around, check it is seated properly then
7. if the tyre is very stiff, us a lever to pop the last bit onto the rim
8. squeeze the sidewalls all the way round to ensure that the beads on both side are properly seated
9. pump up to desired pressue

No pinch flats, no bulges. Job’s a good ‘un..!

Blow it up hard, let it down, give it good kneading with your hands when it’s at low pressures as you blow it up again.

Sometimes a tyre just has kinks in the bead and is consequently always a bit skew-whiff.

Wow! Thanks very much. I think I did all ourmaninthenorth said (although doubtlessly with less talent) so I shall try try again.

This one is with tube, however, the back wheel is tubeless and I noticed it’s the same story there. Oops.

Often it will seat itself properly while riding, but if not some soapy water on the bead before you pump it up will allow it to slide into position.

Firstly don’t pump it up to 80psi as some numpty posted, that will likely exceed the rating for an MTB tyre and could cause it to fail (likely at the bead) which could also result in rim damage. Over-inflating is a good tip but don’t go above 50psi (or whatever the max rating is on the tyre if it’s lower). If that doesn’t get it to pop on properly all the way around then deflate and use a soapy water solution and reinflate.
Also bear in mind some really cheap tyres might be just be crappily made and not have a consistent sidewall height all the way around so look uneven even if properly seated..

Washing up liquid for tubless, works a treat with the odd stubborn tubed tyre too.

8. squeeze the sidewalls all the way round to ensure that the beads on both side are properly seated

Thats not seating a tyre, that pushes the tyre into the centre of the rim (usually to allow slack so the tube dosnt get pinched when you inflate it). To ‘seat’ a tyre you can push/pull it or inflate it to a higher pressure, tho obviously you should stop and check the bead is not pulling off the rim before you go above say 20-30. You can easilly see by looking round the edge of the tyre when it has fully seated.

I think I did all ourmaninthenorth said (although doubtlessly with less talent)

I doubt that very much. It’s only recently, after a spate of phantom punctures on the road bike (traced eventually to a small but very sharp burr in the rim – no rimtape on Mavic Ksyriums), that I’ve perrfected my tyre changing. Before that I always had problems….

I find that MTB tyres do, by the nature of their size, often have the odd slight bulge here or there. Riding will probably knock it out.

fit tyre to rim, inflate, ride :o)

simonfbarnes – Member
fit tyre to rim, inflate, ride :o)

Exactly, but in the middle of inflation I bounce the wheel around on the ground to even out the seating. Check both sides of tyre, carry on pumping. Rarely a problem.

FuzzyWuzzy – Member

Firstly don’t pump it up to 80psi as some numpty posted,…………..but don’t go above 50psi …………

I am the numpty in question. All MTB tyres I have ever had have 65 or more PSI as max unladen. No way will they fail at 80 psi. 50 psi is too low to seat stubborn beads IMO. 50 psi is the recommended inflation level for contis

Want to be offensive. Get your facts right first and no need to be so offensive – expecially when you have no idea what you are talking about.

Blimey, if all mountain bike tires “failed” at +80psi then 90% of posters on here would be dead.

The other 10% would have knocked themselves out pumping them up in the garage.

Exactly, but in the middle of inflation I bounce the wheel around on the ground to even out the seating.

unnecessary IMO

Pump it up 80+ psi, wait for a pop, seated job done.

Would like to see a tyre fail like that!!

The reason that MTB tyres are not pumped up to pressures like that for riding is that, they need to be able to give when on rough terrain, otherwise they would just puncture easily.