fitting tyres - tips please

["Slack Alice" Simon]

Brilliant!

[Steve Jones]

When fitting tyres, the one thing I've always struggled with is getting the valve through the hole in the rim. The answer is obvious, now, and like all the best ideas, simple. Thanks, Dave.

Steve

[Reckless Rat]

If you're tight fisted like me and Wortles, all you need is a metal dust cap and a length of string/wire. Just drill an 1/8" hole in the dust cap, tie a figure of eight knot in the wire/string so it doesn't pull through and job done.

[Duncan Grimmond]

My metal dust caps are too big to go through the stem hole...

[Steve Jones]

Me too. Just tried it on an empty rim.

Steve

[Duncan Grimmond]

I didn't bother trying, I knew it wouldn't go

[Reckless Rat]

Good point, Barbera. I never checked because I haven't got a wheel spare to play with. I will try plan 'B' using the internals of a valve so it screws into the inner thread on the neck...

[Duncan Grimmond]

I made a Mark 1 today. there is so little for my stubby fingers to grip and the 36 tip * 5.1 thread is impossible to reproduce I drilled the hole out to 1.5mm and soldered a piece of steel wire into a valve body. I'm hoping that this will ward off future punctures on the reverse Sod's Law effect...

[JonE]

Finally mastered the fitting. It came off 5 times in all, wondering why the tube was kinked inside and not freeing. The last time it was sitting there all pleased with itself (as was I) and after 5 minutes I heard a PFFFFFF as a puncture patch gave way!
In the end, worked out that the tube is handed, or rather slightly sided, rather than sitting absolutely on the centre line. Obvious now, but not when you don't absolutely scrutinise and make rash assumptions.
I also found that an old style cycle pump adapter makes a good puller for Speedex rims. But don't need it now!