PRO Tire Tech: Fun in the sun.

Hello devoted Kenda Tire Tech followers! Over the next few weeks, or months, we thought it'd be a good idea to roll out a plethora of brief installation tips to help you mount your tires up like a pro mechanic.

This first installation is based on harnessing the sun's energy to make those difficult tires easier to slide on. Whenever I am faced with mounting downhill tires, I usually enlist Mr. Sun's help to perform the task at hand. Simply put, I'll take my tires and lay them flat on my driveway in the sun for 15~20 minutes prior to installation.

Why you ask?

It's an old motocross trick that I've adapted into cycling. MX tires are an absolute bear to mount by hand - that's why most guys don't do it or have the bloody knuckles to show for it. Downhill mountain bike tires, while not nearly as robust and difficult as MX tires, can pose some of the same challenges due to their burlier casings.

When you "bake" your hoops in the sun you'll find the tires will absorb the sun's rays and heat to make the casings a bit more pliable and easier to work with. Also, many tires will take a "shape" during transportation and storage. Laying them flat in the sun allows the tire casings to return to a neutral shape and can make the tire easier to bead up during inflation.

Just like anything though, too much of a good thing can be bad. You don't want to allow your tires to lay in the sun for hours/days/weeks on end. As stated above, 15 to 20 minutes in summer temperatures should be sufficient to make the rubber easier to work with.

While I focused mainly on downhill tires, nonetheless you'll find this trick works for just about any type of bicycle tire. It can be a real savior to help get any stubborn road or mountain tire on those tight rims that you've been wrestling with.

As always thanks for reading, and if you have tire tips of your own, send them over to us at bicycle@kendausa.com!


--- The Kenda Team