How do you mount a turbo trainer tyre on your rim? [How-to]

Time required: 15 minutes

1. Stretch the trainer tyre

   A trainer tyre often is too sturdy or slightly too small to be mounted easily. This problem can be solved by stretching the tyre beforehand.

2. Slightly inflate it

   When the first half of the tyre is mounted on the rim, you can also mount the inner tube. It’s easier if you use some talcum and also inflate the inner tube slightly in order to make it more stable. When inflating the inner tube, a little bit of air really is sufficient, pumping just once should be enough. The small amount of air lets the inner tube assume its shape and makes it easy to fit into the tyre.

3. Use washing-up liquid as lubricant

   Now the hard work begins. If it’s difficult, you can add a little washing-up liquid between the tyre and the rim. This makes the tyre easily glide onto the rim.

4. Your cycling gloves ensure more grip

   You want to use lots of power, and that’s hard on your hands. Because cycling gloves have a lot of grip - and you most likely already have some - they’re perfect for this task.

5. Finishing at the valve

   The last centimetres are also the most difficult centimetres. Make sure that these last centimetres are around the valve. Then you can press the valve against the inside of the trainer tyre, thereby lifting it slightly so that you can press the sides of the tyre into the rim.

6.  Little helpers when you really can’t get there

   It’s tempting to use tyre levers for mounting the trainer tyre, but often they’re too thick. And even more importantly, the probability of puncturing the inner tube is really high.