Are you using the Conti 2000 a with the wire bead, or the folding model? In general, I find wire beaded tires harder to mount than kevlar bead tires. I have a set of different Contis (with a wire bead) that was hard to mount initially as well. It took quite a few minutes of rolling (not sure how to describe it) the tire onto the rim. My hands were trashed when I was finished. All I can say is that you should be able to mount the tire with your hands. I wouldn't be too embarrased about taking it a shop. (I'd watch them wrangle with the tire to see if they have an easy time of it.)

FWIW, I just mounted a brand new set of Michelin Pro Race tires onto my training rims and was shocked at how easy it was. It was even easier than the old Axial Pros. I always end up recommending those tires and now even more so.

I had a very hard time mounting Kenda clinchers (wire bead) as I don't like to use tire levers. After 45 minutes of sweating and my hands just about bleeding under the fingernails I gave up. Next day armed with a new set of vinyl tire irons it took me half a minute to finish the job.

So get some good tire irons and if that doesn't do it take the tires back to the shop.

I agree with Pooks. I've had the hardest time installing Continental tires on my old Mavic rims to the point of my fingers being trashed. Now I use Michelin Pros and find it alot easier.

Check out this Crank Brothers Speed Lever. I use it all the time:

http://www.performancebike.com/...=2058&Store=Bike

Richard

I broke my speed lever trying to install a tire on the same Ritchey wheelset, had to go back to old levers and after a hour tussel the wheels are on.

I know. I almost broke mine too. It's my understanding that some wheels run slightly large and some tires run slightly small and when you get the wrong combination it's just bad news. I don't use the Continentals anymore for that reason.

Richard

ariel. you did not mention cursing a blue streak at the thing. this is valuable tool of any skilled mechanic. likely by now the tire and/or rim thinks they are boss - you must verbally wrest control of the situation. cuss that sucka out like a sailor - and you will be good.

just a little DH MTB trick .we use really tight wire bead tires that are a total pain to mount unless you lube up the bead area with something like Dawn dish soap. once the soap is on the bead the tires slide right on.

Hope this helps

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"on your Left"

Thanks for all the input... it's a folding tire, and the soap lube sounds like a good idea except that the bead was about half an inch from the rim, and that was the closest it ever came.

So I took the wheel down to my shop and the mechanic took all of three seconds to get it on. I had never seen his technique before -- he wrapped his entire hand around the wheel and used the crease between his palm and fingers to roll it over the rim. So I trashed my thumbs in vain. He mentioned that the Ritchey/Conti combo is often a tight one, fwiw.

Next time I'm buying the Michelins!

I had a hard time getting a new tire on my disc. I should have streched the tire before attempting. I was using a heavey duty tube, so I grabbed a pair of plyers and used that to get the tire on.

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Olen

Just wear protection!

what sort of rim strips are you using? i find that when i use velox its thickness adds extra circumference around the bottom of the rim and makes it harder to get the tire on. continental has a plastic rim tape that is thinner, and the tire goes on easier. once the tire's on the thickness of the rim tape doesn't matter, that is, the thinner rim tape won't make the tire blow off easier under pressure, as the tire bead is up and riding on the bead of the rim when inflated.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman