How 'bout a completely different approach? Buy your tires in advance. Mount them on easy to mount rims and blow them up hard. Wait 3 weeks. Bet you a dime they are a lot easier to mount and you won't have to ride in fear of getting a flat.
You've got a nice shop with space for a nice wheel rack as I recall.
Ben
dayum Hab, that bike is sweet!!
What kind of frame is that?
get yourself one of these. You can mount any tire on any wheel
cheap too,
+1 bikesabit. I have one of those and it works great for mounting tires. Can't remember the name or where I got it though.
I take tires on and off those rims like it was my job. Because it actually is part of my job. Or the job that I'm trying to make my job so I can get rid of this pesky other job.
Vredesteins fit pretty well, Vittorias are okay, Maxxis are okay, Specialized are okay. Continental Gatorskins are without a doubt the most incredibly difficult tires to mount on those rims. I would rather chew on a Gatorskin than install one on those rims. GP4ks are not much better.
Plastic levers are fine to use. My business cards are actually plastic tire levers. I built a new build of our 85mm clincher last night (same rim manufacturer) and put a Vred TriComp on it. I used two levers. It would be really hard to break the break track with plastic levers, although you could do it if you are careless. I will be going to test that new build in about 20 minutes. Apparently in a thunderstorm. Hooray for me. Fortunately it is a rear wheel.
It is called a "Tire Mounting Jack". Not too original, but accurate. got mine at worldclasscycles.com, about $12. I have seen them other places, as the QBP watermark on the image would suggest.
One thought, you might want to be cautious using one on carbon rims becaue you can delevop a lot of power
Bar None, the easy way to mount a tire on a clincher is the following. Spray wheel with some pledge was. Place a trash bag over wheel but not near vale hole. Set tire with tube inside on plastic bag and over the wheel and start pressing until tire is fitted over entire wheel. It is real easy and you don't harm the wheel surface. Pull the plastic out before you fill the tire with air. that’s easy too. no tools needed! You can do this with bike, motorcycle and other rims too that are like a clincher. Walla!
somewhat OT ..
Roadside flat w/snug tires = 3rd lever + sweat
On my 25c Conti GP4S-to-Easton Aeros) I "creep" a 3rd lever, a narrow, spoon shaped one ( like Performance' green) while advancing a pair of Pedros flat & wide spoke-grabbers.
my standard Park levers don't leave hands free to finesse' the 3rd lever.
sweat (or spit) goes on the lever tip. It's increasingly available as I struggle ;]
I've always found Schwalbe Ultremos especially easy to get on and off.
btw..the bike shot is what we used to call " Centerfold Quality"
Try using Velocity Rim Hole plugs. They snap into the spoke holes and you dont have to use tape. Makes it much easier on tight combinations. Dab a little silicon on the plugs before you put them in the hole and it keeps them from falling out on the road when changing a flat.
http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=10982&category=140
You can also use Rox Rim Strips. Much thinner than regular rim tape.
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