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I have a old 26" mtb that I still use for commuting and occasional weekend rides. I need to change the tyres as the current ones are very old. I would like to buy tyres with low rolling resistance and good puncture resistance like the Schwalbe Marathon GreenGuard.

My bike has two Mavic CrossLand UST rims, like these (credits to http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=88503):

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I currently mount two 26x1,5 tyres (do not ask me model or who had the idea to mount them :-) ). The problem is that, due to the UST rim, these are very difficult to mount (too small for the high rim), and I risk breaking the levers every time. I am wondering if I will have the same problem with the Marathon tyres.

If they do not work, which other (not too expensive) tyres would fit without many problems? I want to use them with tubes, as tubeless seems too much of a hassle to me.

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  • Note that being a UST rim, using them with a tube only tire or other Non-UST tire is not optimal, the bead on UST rims is more pronounced and square than standard beads. it will work but the chance of burping or blowing a bead off is slightly increased. Although with running a tube it should be alright.
    – Nate W
    Commented Jun 18, 2018 at 21:13
  • Just to comment my own question with what happened. I bought 2 Schwalbe Marathon Evolution which are also tubeless-easy, as I wanted to make sure they worked well with the rims. To my surprise, they are even harder to fit than normal tyres. I had lots of problem fitting them, I tried to pump them to high pressure to make them click (I reached 6 bars), and the rim exploded (yes you read correctly, the rim not the tyre). I think I'll just go, fetch some new rims.
    – Francesco Pasa
    Commented Aug 1, 2018 at 16:24

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If tires are nominally compatible with the rims, it may still sometimes frustratingly hard to put them on. There are several tricks that helped me on many occasions.

  • Make sure that tube does not get in the way. Sometimes it means using a narrower tube. In your case, having a tube marked for tires 26"×2.0" inside tires marked as 26"×1.5" will add extra to the torture (the tube will be "pushing" a partially installed tire away). Instead, find a tube marked as 26"×1.5" or approximately so.
  • Use liquid soap on tire's bead before installing. This would remove extra friction along the circumference of the rim.
  • Keep an eye on the first bead. Installing the first bead into the rim is usually not hard; it is the second, final bead of the tire that is stubborn. When installing it, keep an eye on the first (already installed) tire's bead. Try keeping it pushed inside, closer to the centerline of the rim, rather than allowing it resting on the hooks of the rim. This way, the tire will relieve a bit of maneuver for the second bead.
  • Do not rely too much on your tire levers. It should be possible to install a tire without using levers, only with one's fingers, a lot of swearing and sometimes toes to give a final push to the last 5 cm of the bead.
  • Sometimes, if nothing helps, it is worth starting over by releasing the bead completely. This way, you'll have a second chance for the bead to sit properly right from the start. Keep an eye on the first bead when pushing the second one!

Good luck!

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    One extra thought - some people recommend pre-stretching Marathon tyres, or leaving them in sunlight for an hour to "warm up" and get slightly more malleable. Marathons are renowned for being a tight-fit.
    – Criggie ♦
    Commented Jun 18, 2018 at 11:41
  • Thanks for the suggestions! I already employed some of them before, however sometimes it's really hard to push in the last 2-3 centimeters. Particularly when you are alone. I would like a tire that does not have this problem (especially if I'm away from home). Any suggestions?
    – Francesco Pasa
    Commented Jun 18, 2018 at 19:36
  • Employing two or three properly spaced tire levers usually does the trick for me. Since you are buying tires with high puncture resistance I wouldn’t worry about it too much.
    – Michael
    Commented Jun 19, 2018 at 15:13

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