Mounting Your Michelin Tires

Mounting Tube-Type Tires

1. Carefully inspect the rim. A rim in bad condition, with dents or cracks, can be dangerous.

2. Inspect the rim band or rim tape. A rim band or tape that is damaged or cracked, torn or frayed should be replaced. A damaged rim band or tape is often the cause of punctures. Make sure the rim band's hole is centered over the valve hole, and keep the two holes aligned. Also make sure the rim band or tape uniformly covers the spoke holes and has not shifted to expose these often sharp edges. Note: Ultra-light tubes are more susceptible to punctures caused by internal abrasion from a worn or poor fitting rim band or tape due to their thinner wall construction.

3. Fit the first bead into the rim.

4. Slightly inflate the tube to give it shape and introduce it into the tire, starting with the valve. Coat the inside of the tire with talc in order to facilitate positioning of the tube inside the tire.

5. To install the second bead, always start opposite the valve and position the bead in the rim bed. Make sure the bead is working into the drop center of the rim to ease mounting. Finish the tire mounting at the valve.

Note: Starting at the valve restricts the bead from falling into the drop center when finishing mounting, making the job more difficult. Ending at the valve eliminates this issue. This is even more of an issue on tubeless tires due to the larger sealing head of a tubeless valve.

6. While keeping hold of the valve, push the valve into the rim and pull back to unseat the tube from under the bead in the valve area.

7. Check around the rim and tire to make sure the tube is not pinched between the bead and the rim. If the tube is pinched, work the tire with your fingers to dislodge the pinched tube or remount more carefully.

Demounting:Entirely deflate the tube and push the valve inside the tire, then work the beads loose from the rim flanges all the way around the rim by pinching the bead area into the drop center of the rim. Introduce two plastic tire levers under one bead of the tire, approximately 10 centimeters away from the valve (on both sides of the valve). Pry the levers at the same time to pass the bead over the rim flange. Finish the operation by hand. Note: Do not slide the tire lever around the rim and the tire to dismount the tire. This could cause damage to the bead of the tire.