on 12/27/03 2:26 PM, C. Andrews at chasds@mindspring.com wrote:
> I just remove the old tire, check the old glue. If it's
> still pliable, I run a new bead of glue over the old, let
> set for about 1/2 hour, or until barely tacky, then lay on
> the new tire. Let dry overnight. Go ride.
>
> I've also encountered sew-ups that were glued on rims so
> thoroughly they could not be removed without the aid of a
> tire-iron, or some other lever. This seems absurd to me.
My method is for a new, clean rim and new tire. If the rim has been previously glued, I don't find the need for more than one coat if I am using the same brand of glue as originally used. I have also installed pre-glued spares without any additional glue and found that they cured just fine.
However, I have also glued tires for a national level racer in our area who was extremely concerned about rolling tires after having done just that in a crit (before I started working on her bike). I wanted to be sure that it would be difficult to roll a tire that I had glued.
Many shops will not glue tires any longer since 1) most don't know how; 2) it takes so damn long; and 3) they don't want the liability for an improperly glued tire causing an accident. Whenever I pull off a poorly glued tire, I think about whether that tire could have caused an accident.
So, yes, my tires take a bit more effort to get off of the rim, but, to me, the safety margin is worth it. Sometimes I consider using a bit less glue on my own tires to make tire changes easier, but I haven't done so yet. I've rolled a clincher tire off the front before, and I was on the ground before I knew what was happening. That hurt! Maybe it's that memory which keeps me from taking it easy on the glue.
Todd Kuzma
Heron Bicycles
Tullio's Big Dog Cyclery
LaSalle, IL 815-223-1776
http://www.heronbicycles.com
http://www.tullios.com