How to Put 650 Tires on a Road Bike

Bicycle tires come in various sizes. The size tire depends on the rim size--the hoop portion of the wheel on which the tire is mounted. Designed for smaller road bikes, a 650 tire is mounted onto a rim that measures 650 mm in diameter. Installing these tires entails properly fitting the tube inside the tire and then carefully mounting the two onto the 650mm rim. A properly mounted and inflated tire increases the stability of the bike and the life of the tire.

Things You'll Need

  • Bicycle tire pump
  • Bicycle axle skewer
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Instructions

  1. 650 Tire Mounting

    • 1

      Lay the 650mm bicycle wheel on the floor drive-side up. If you're unsure which side of the wheel is the drive side, glance at the label on the hub, at the center of the wheel. The label should read left to right when the wheel is installed on the bicycle. The right side of the label corresponds with the drive side of the bicycle.

    • 2

      Lay the tire on the floor with its colored label faceup. One side of the tire will have a colored label, and the other side will not.

    • 3

      Place the inner tube inside the tire, conforming the tube as much as possible to the shape of the tire. Position the tube inside the tire so that the valve is directly below the colored label.

    • 4

      Lift the tire, holding the tire and inner tube together. Insert the valve on the inner tube through the valve hole in the 650mm road bike rim.

    • 5

      Lift the rim. With your thumbs, and commencing near the valve, begin pushing the lower half of the tire onto the top of the rim. Work gradually around the tire.

    • 6

      Turn the rim over. Again using your thumbs, work the lower half of the tire onto the top of the rim.

    • 7

      Observe the recommended inflation pressure on the tire. The information is located beside the colored label. Use a bicycle tire pump to inflate the tire to these specifications. A properly inflated tire will decrease tread wear and prolong the life of the tire.

    650 Wheel Mounting

    • 8

      Turn the wheel so that the colored label on the side of the tire corresponds with the drive side of the bicycle. The drive side of the bicycle contains the bicycle's gears and chain.

    • 9

      Place the wheel between the bicycle fork. The front and rear of the bike contain a fork. The fork has notches at the end to accommodate the tips of the wheel's axle.

    • 10

      Settle the wheel's axle tips inside the notches at the end of the fork.

    • 11

      Grab the axle skewer. The axle skewer passes through the center of the axle and keeps the wheel safely in place. The skewer has a lever at one end. The lever opens and closes as needed.

    • 12

      Fit the non-lever end of the skewer through the non-drive side of the axle. Thread the nut included with the skewer onto the end of the skewer. Do not tighten the nut fully.

    • 13

      Close the lever on the skewer. The lever should offer some resistance. If the lever offers no resistance, tighten the nut farther before closing the lever. If the lever offers too much resistance to close, loosen the nut before attempting once again to close the lever.