How to Install Michelin Bike Road Tires

Michelin road bike tires are designed for road-bike-specific rims. These rims are narrower than mountain bike rims and are relatively lightweight. The basic Michelin road bike tire consists of a rubber casing surrounding a pair of wire reinforced hoops called "beads." Installing a road bike tire correctly allows the tread to rotate in the proper direction and ensures that tire and inner tube are safely on the rim. Before installing a Michelin tire, inspect the mounting surface of the rim for any damage. A burr or sharp edge can easily puncture the inner tube.

Things You'll Need

• Talcum powder
• Bicycle inner tube

Instructions

1. Rub talcum powder along the inside of the Michelin road bike tire to allow for easier positioning of the tube inside the tire.

2. Turn the tire so that the colored label on one side is face up. Once the tire is installed, the colored label should be on the drive side of the bicycle. This position ensures that any tread on the surface of the tire rotates in the proper direction.

3. Position the first bead onto the rim. Rotate the tire on the rim until the colored label is positioned above the hole in the rim. The hole in the rim is designed to accommodate the inner tube valve.

4. Back out the nut at the tip of the inner tube valve. Slightly inflate the inner tube, either by blowing air into the valve or using an air pump. Close the nut at the tip of the valve afterward to keep air from escaping.

5. Place the valve into the hole in the road bike rim. Using the tips of your fingers, push the inner tube beneath the Michelin tire and onto the rim.

6. Set the wheel upright with the valve at the bottom. With your thumbs, and beginning at the top of the tire, push the second bead onto the rim. Rotate the tire as you get nearer the valve.

7. Inspect each side of the Michelin road bike tire to determine that the inner tube is fully installed. No section of the inner tube should be visible.

8. Observe the recommended tire pressure, on the side of the tire beside the colored label. When inflating the tire, use the recommended tire pressure as a guide for how much air to put in the tire. For riders above 180 lbs., Michelin recommends inflating the tire to a maximum recommended tire pressure. Riders below 110 lbs. should inflate the tire to the minimum recommended tire pressure.

References

• SheldonBrown: Bicycle Glosssary
• MichelinBicycleTire: Mounting Your Michelin Tires
• MichelinBicycleTire: The Importance of Air Pressure