I had a similar problem with my Hutchinson sectors on easton ust rims. I cut one off because there was a huge cut in it but the other had to be clamped a bike stand, with the clamp butted up against the rim. Place the clamp in the horizontal position, tighten the clamp and lever the tire off in an up or downward motion . Once the bead seal breaks, you should be able to get a lever underneath. I'm not sure what i 'll do if this happens out in the wild.

 

Muscle and more muscle + a soapy bead. I have only used a vice once and that was on a a MC wheel. I suppose you could use a couple blocks of wood and pliers but again I have never had an issue getting the tire bead off the shelf even w/ dried sealant.

 

Had an issue with my carbon Bontrager wheelset and super tight Schwalbe tires. Sealant glued the tire to the plastic rim strip and I couldn't even break the bead. Tried stepping on the tire. Tried the vice grip method. Nothing worked. I eventually just cut the tires off. Once cut, I saw the sealant did an awesome job of sealing because I had to use a bit force to rip the tire off of the rim.

 

I've been running tubeless for nearly twenty years and, until recently, never had a problem. But over the past few monhs I've had this happen, and have also seen it on a friend's bikes.

It's almost like the tire bead bonded to the rim strip, reinforced by the latex of the sealant.

We were able to salvage the tire after using vices and carefully prying, but it was quite the effort and I was a half step away from cutting the sidewall and sacrificing the tire. No amount of soapy water was helping, and we could barely get a screwdriver under the bead, let alone a tire iron.

 

as said, soapy water helps, get it in there as best you can

also lay wheel down use your feet to wrangle sidewall off bead lip

 

OK. Will try soapy water, though with a smaller tire 35c tire, I'm a bit afraid on getting on the sidewalls and making the whole tire slippery to pull on as well.

Just to be clear - I can see the tire bead break away from the rim enough to see the rim tape, but it just snaps back in place, once I release the pressure from my hands.

 

I had something similar happen with a Super Gravity Schwalbe tire. The sidewall was so stiff...I could not break the bead off the rim. I just cut the tire off. Good thing the tire didn't cost me anything.

 

Break the bead on both sides and move the bead to the center of the rim. Then you should be able to use a tire tool to move the bead over the rims edge. The center of most rims is a smaller diameter then the rims bead seat.

 

This is what I've learned, the hard way. If the tire is really tight, you can't just leave one side seated on the rim and take the other side off. You have to choose which is the easier side to get off, unseat the harder side (sometimes I've had to use a sharp instrument to scrape it away from the rim edge, just be careful), pull the harder side to the center of the rim, as in towards the other side as much as possible, then take off the easy side, then and only then take off the hard side. The easier side will be able to be taken off only when the whole tire is moved on the rim towards that side, so there is just enough 'extra' tire on that side to help get the easier side over the rim. Once that's off, the harder side will not be too rough to get off.

 

I once used a #4 C clamp to pinch the tyre together and then twisted and heaved on it 'till teh bead pulled away.
This on 2.6 Maxxis tyres mounted on RF Affect 30 rims.
Although tonight I simply used a plastic tyre iron jammed between bead and sidewall of rim twisting and pushing it back and forth.
I think teh issue is teh wider rims get teh wider teh flat area is you have to lever teh tyre accross to get to that groove in teh middle of teh rim, eh?

 

I've had to cut off brand new WTB tires of a custom Velocity wheelset. Some systems don't play well with others.

 

Put on some boots. Lay wheel sideways on ground, with tire deflated. Step on the bead your heels, spaced about 1 foot apart. Do your best deadlift impression with the rim.

 

I've had the same problem with my Bontrager Line Carbon 30 and 2.6 tires. Had a Pepis tire noodle inside. No chance without any tools. Finally it was working with one or two clamps put on the tire just close above the rim. This was the only way to break the bead. Without any noodle inside, this should be the way it works. Try it.

 

I had a similar problem with schwalbe wire bead tires. the bead would not come out into the well. I used a quick grip clamp to pinch the tire as close to the beads as possible and did this multiple times around the rim until it finally popped in one spot enough to push the rest of the bead into the well by hand. The quick grip clamps are nice because you have a little control when squeezing it

 

You have to get the entire bead of the tire on both sides into the center channel of the rim before you begin removing the tire. The tire beads must be in the center channel of the rim to be loose enough to remove. Push harder toward the center. If you can't get the tire bead to fall into the center channel of the rim then use a clamp of some kind.

 

My other tire (same tire/rim combo) came off easily with not much force with my hands.

I'm going to try again with the stubborn one armed with soapy water, hair dryer, boots, clamps, and maybe even a screwdriver. But first I'm going to eat some more wheaties and spinach.

 

OK. Finally got the stubborn tire off.

After coming home from the gym and drinking my protein shake I was able to forcefully push one side of the bead into the channel, pop the one side off the rim, and removed the tube. Smooth sailing for here right?

NOPE. The other bead was still way too tight and I could not push it into the center channel. I think given these were small cross tires, it's less to grab onto and pull into the channel. I was about to give up, but here's my...

TIP. I didn't have enough leverage with my hands just grabbing the tires, so instead I took the entire tube, rolled it up like it was new out of a box and wedged it between the tire and the rim. Then I pulled hard and the leverage from the tube popped the other bead into the channel.

Next challenge? Getting my new tires back on this rim and setting it up tubeless.

 

A little sunshine also helps. If you leave the tire in direct sunlight on a wam(er) day, then the side wall should be a little more supple/compliant.

 

Yes. I will try that with my new tires! Got them on the rim, but only with levers. But can't pull the beads back up on the hook of the rim. Hoping some sunshine will help.

Smaller gravel/cross tires are just harder to handle by hand. I can't imagine trying to setup a 25c road tire tubeless. Must be a nightmare!

 

This thread makes me feel better about the 2.35 Schwalbe G-Ones I have stuck on some carbon Easton Haven wheels at the moment. They are impossible to remove!

 

Place your wheel with the tire between some bench vice and close the vice jaws a bit (could use a cloth totake better care of the tire). Watch your rim so that you dont scratch it up. Push the wheel away from you and the bead should break.

 

Each new pair of Maxxis tires I buy they get harder to mount or remove--crazy harder.

Not going to risk damaging my Nox rims, already thinking about cutting off current Minions when time comes.

Positive is they hold sealant well.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

 

Put WTB Vigilante/Trail Boss tires on DT XM481 rims and they were beasts to get on. I sure as hell hope I never have to pull one off on the trail to install a tube. I had to break the bead to change the grommet on the underside of my tubeless valves (to get a better seal) and that was quite the wrestling match.

 

to break the bead from the rim, try:
lay wheel on side and stand on tire as close to rim as possible
reach fingers through spokes and grab underside of rim
pull rim up as hard as you can while holding tire down with foot

 

I've done my own motorcycle tires for years (BIG Harley tires).
A 'bead breaker' is a great tool. Basically two tire irons designed to connect the ends of the tire irons allowing them to be used as hinged lever. One iron lays flat on tire bead and the other wedges into the gab between tire and rim. When you squeeze them together the lever ends at the tire spread which breaks the bead.

https://www.motionpro.com/product/08-0519

I've had some MB tires that were difficult to extract but thankfully not like the OPs description. Mountain bike tires are getting to the point where a smaller version of the bead breaker could be something for tool makers to consider.

 

FWIW, my friend has this bead breaker. It didn't work in the situation I previously described in my above post, because we couldn't get enough separation between rim and tire bead to squeeze the tool in.

One side came off by hand. But only very careful prying with screwdrivers did the trick.

My speculation is that some type of bonding between the rim strip adhesive, sealant and tire occurred.

 

I had to do this again on a really tight tire and wheel Friday night, and after much frustration, took a large flathead screwdriver, pinched both sides of the tire to one side of the rim as much as I could, and worked the screwdriver in below both sides, through the small hole between the tire and rim (I created the small hole first with a plastic lever). Then lifted up the screwdriver and both tire sides came off one side of the rim. Yes it's a crude and potentially damaging method, but it works. I like things that actually work. I hate "...but in theory that shouldn't have happened, or shouldn't have worked...blah blah blah".

 

Well thanks to Keen for referring me to this thread.

I'm trying to remove a WTB Byway tire from a WTB KOM rim. The bead is locked onto the rim and nothing seems to unseat it. I tried all my hand strength and plastic levers. I even tried the method of standing with each foot on the outside of the tire and pulling up on the spokes. It won't budge - NOTHING! I'm using tubes, so there is no sealant.

I'm about to resort to a metal screwdriver or a vise. If I ever get a flat on the road or trail with this thing, I'm screwed!

I have a few choice four letter words for whoever thought tubeless tires/rims were a good idea.

 

how to break a bead with a hammer!

I've had this problem with carbon rims that have a bead-lock ridge to keep the bead seated. It's great for keeping the bead from unseating if you flat or loose enough air during a ride, but yes, it makes it a PITA to remove the tire.

Here's what I've found to work best when all else fails:

1. deflate tire but leave enough air to provide some side wall support (this is key)
2. lie the wheel on the ground and put both knees on the tire and rim at about 6 o'clock
3. take a hammer and press the base of the handle on the tire as close to the bead and rim as possible near 3 or 4 o'clock (if right-handed)
4. press down HARD on the head (anvil) using your weight to collapse the bead (be sure to hold the hammer vertical and not let it slip!)
5. as soon as one section breaks away, flip the wheel over and break the bead on the other side 180° away from the first bead break.
6. after one section breaks loose it's fairly easy to push the rest to the center channel

This method seems to work well because it applies high force to a small area. The wood base of most hammers has a good enough edge to get close to the bead near the rim but it is much less likely to damage a tire than using something sharp like a screwdriver. Sometimes I have to adjust air pressure to get the right amount of resistance in the tire so the sidewall will help support the hammer base.

In an emergency on the trail I would search for a short thick stick or equivalent to use as a substitute for the hammer. Fortunately, I haven't had to do so yet. A cut or tear that prevented the tire from holding any air would make it tough!