I consider myself somewhat mechanically inclined. I do all my own bike maintenance and have changed a zillion flats and replaced tubes and tires.

That being said - putting on a Continental GP4000s onto my Flo 30s was the biggest PITA I've ever had in doing anything bike related. I broke two tire levers in the process. After blistered thumbs, broken levers, numerous expletives, I finally got them on. Hands down the hardest thing bike related I've ever done.

Thank God I've never flatted in them. And when time comes to change the tire I'm taking it to the LBS.

YMMV, but it's ridiculous how hard they are to get tires on. Can't comment on the 45.

I've found that if you pinch the beads inward and force them in to the center of the rim, while working your way around the rim, you can get them on a Flo 30 without tire levers. You want to keep pressure on the tire, keeping it in the center channel as you work your way around. It helps if you stand over it, forcing it in to the channel while pushing the tire down.

Sometimes brand new tires are pretty tight, but I just put them out in the sun for 10 minutes and they're a bit easier.

I have as set of Flo 45s and among the various wheels I have had over the years, I'd rate them in the "easy to change tires" category. I too am running Conti 4000s and have had no issues at all. I was even able to make a very quick flat fix last weekend under the pressure of 40 fellow group riders standing around heckling me ;-)

Absolutely agree. I have a set of Flo 30s that I only use indoors or for short rides when I will be close to home. Cannot imagine changing a flat on a Flo 30 during a race.

I have a CC set of Flo 60/90. I think they are the same as the 45 from the point of view of changing a tire. I have changed more tires than I can count in my lifetime. I did not notice anything different or difficult installing a new set of GP4K2 25mm tires on my Flo CC60/90 wheels.

I have owned 2 sets of FLO 60/90s with Conti 4000s and had zero problems with tire installation or removal.

+1 on the Flo30 being hard to change. Literally every tire has been hard (wire/non; race/training). I've pinched so many tubes that I've lost count. Runs true and had no mechanical problems, but I loathe changing the tires. -J

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Life is tough. But it's tougher when you're stupid. -John Wayne

My guess is the Flos are tight because they are tubeless ready and have the step next to the head. I find them to be much easier to swap tires than the HED wheels. Getting a TLR on any HED is tricky.

If you want an easy rim for tire mounting get the FireCrests. These are almost too loose fitting.

I have a set of Flo 30's and have zero issues changing tires on them. Also have a Flo 90 carbon-zero issues. Flo alu/carbon disc......PITA.

I would +.5 this too.
But...I would add that it was never impossible and I never broke a lever.
My first two weeks of having Flos:
60/90 with the same tires as the OP. They were delivered the day after I had a rear wheel flat on my old wheels/tires.

Day 1:
-Initial mounting of new tires on the Flos.
-re-mounting of tires when numbskull me noticed there were arrows and directions on the tires that I had previously ignored and had them on "backwards"
I don't remember the initial mounting as TERRIBLE...they were tougher than any previous "used" tire I've changed (I had never installed fresh tires before). I assumed it was a little tougher because it was fresh tires.
The remounting was BRUTAL. Maybe my hands were tired, but I would have thought it would have been easier.

Day 2:
-50 mile ride, flatted out at 45 miles (distinctly remember getting stuck between a car and putting my rear wheel into a rut/expansion joint)...I can clearly see some 'marking' on the rim
I recall this change as being relatively easy, but that may just be in comparison to being mad about the car/expansion joint and the air nozzle thingy that was busted and I had to fix with a rock and the curb, and that it was my second flat in as many rides.

Day 3-7:
-no riding

Day 8:
-35 mile ride, flatted out the rear tire at 32 miles. 3rd flat Starting to worry that it was the new wheels. Or a burr caused by the expansion joint. OR....that the backup tube I used the week before was pretty old. I was going through tubes like water at this point so who knows how old this one was and what state it had been stored in.
Nothing to report. No recollection of it being difficult. Nice warm sunny day. Fresh tube on the rear. Easy peasy.
-changing out the front wheel at home to insure a new fresh tube.
This was the worst of the bunch. No clue why.

So, yah, I had a lot of experience in my first week with them. They're tougher than anything in my LIMITED scale of experience with other wheels. Not unpossible. And no rhyme or reason as to why it seemed harder or easier under different conditions. Other than the heat of the day and friction heat made them easier to change on the fly.

I will definitely try the tires in the dryer move the next time I put new tires on these.

I have a set of Flo 30s, 60 carbon clinchers, aluminum 90s, and a disc. No special issues mounting on any of them compared to any other wheel I've ridden (HED, Zipp, Mavic).
I ride GP4000sii on the 30s.
I ride latex tubes, training and racing, on all wheelsets.
I mount tires by hand without levers.

Practice.
There's nuances in lining the tire on the rim that makes it easier.

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@christopher_borden •
Spinning Spoke • Dimond Bikes • Flo Cycling • Castelli Cycling

I run GP 4000s on Flo 30s and have no problems at all getting them on and off. That said if you are having trouble get a tire bead jack: https://www.amazon.com/...d-Jack/dp/B001AYML7K

I had real trouble last year with GP 4000s and Enve 7.8s getting a new tire on, but this tool helped make it easier.

Also note, if you are having trouble mounting tires switch the rim tape to tubeless rim tape. The tire bead will slide much more easily over this surface than cloth or other types of rim strip material.

This is very good information. A tubeless rim bed can make installing a tire much harder if you don't know to keep the tire bead in the center of the rim.

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Chris Thornham
Co-Founder And Previous Owner Of FLO Cycling

A lot of this comes down to technique. I don't expect everyone to be a tire changing expert, but watching a video or two can really give you some great pointers that a lot of people miss. When I first started riding I thought changing/installing a tire was nearly impossible and I feared doing it. Today, I've changed hundreds if not thousands of tires and the process is much easier, simply because I've learned a few tricks along the way. For example, during our last trip to the wind tunnel I did 60-100 tire changes in two days and didn't pinch a single tube, even when installing ridiculously tight tubeless tires. The only tires I "struggled with" were tubeless tires, but they are designed to be much tighter. All none tubeless tires went on easily... many without even needing to use a tire lever (I know, I'm breaking rule 1 below).

I'm not suggesting that the people on here don't know how to change a tire, but a tubeless rim bed can be tough to work with if you don't remember to keep the beads in the center.

A few things I've noticed over the years...

1. Use a tire lever. I'm blown away by how many people write to saying they can't put their tires on, but aren't using a tire lever. They make them for a very good reason, and they make the job infinitely easier. If you don't know how to use one properly, please watch our how to video.

2. As I said above, keep your tire beads in the center of the rim bed.

3. Don't have too much air in your tube.

4. Don't use extra thick or multiple wraps of rim tape. Get a good quality rim tape and use that.

5. Some tires are tighter than others. If you are working with tubeless tires, be prepared to sweat a little. If you are working with specific brands of tires, also be prepared to potentially break a sweat.

6. Last but not least... (yes I know I'm repeating myself), make sure you are doing things the right way. If the steps are unclear, you can call me or facetime me. Honestly, my phone number is 702-529-4744. I'll walk you through the process. I don't even care if you bought our wheels. I'll help you install a tire on a competitors wheel simply because doing it the right way makes things much easier.

I hope that helps,

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Chris Thornham
Co-Founder And Previous Owner Of FLO Cycling