Just remembered why I don’t like Chrina rims

[sojournermike]

Had to change tyres on N’s bike and getting them in a right pain...

[Somnolent]

I only ever built one pair of wheels on Chrina. Wanted something lower cost and a touch more robust than Open Pros for my son's tourer.
I inadvertently got spokes which were a fraction short (took the wrong value for ERD) which made the build a little more challenging than usual , but getting the tyres on was easily the hardest bit.   Never again.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Yep, can't remember now who recommended Chrinas to me but I've got rid of them (the rims, not the person).

[vorsprung]

I ran Chrinas on more than one bike for years and really

1) is fitting a tight tyre/rim combo such a massive pita? No it isn't
2) are Chrina much much worse?  I don't know because I don't perceive it as a problem

For the record I used a selection of tyres including Marathon Plus

[mrcharly-YHT]

Chrina are slightly heavy but durable rims.

Fitting tyres to them is a task from hell compared to other rims.

[sojournermike]

I reckon I’ve been spoiled by tubeless manning it all so straightforward;) most tyres I can fit without levers to most of the rims I use. I suspect the Chrina have a taller sidewall above the bead seat, possibly with a shallow channel. Add in that they’re narrow and I had to use levers to help get a pair of Vitoria Hypers on to the young’uns bike the other night.

Hey ho, all in and working now and she’s back out exercising.

Agree they fit the durable and slightly heavy bill perfectly. There is also a pair on my better half’s Bob Jackson. They also come at a very reasonable price.

[rogerzilla]

They are tight but possible without resorting to levers (Durano Plus 23mm have to be at the "difficult" end of the scale).  As with all rims and folding tyres, they are relatively easy to remove and refit after a fortnight or so sitting inflated on the rim.

I like them; they stand up to road salt, they're easy to build with, cheap and the sidewalls seem very resistant to wear if you use good pads.

[Brucey]

Chrinas have varied in ERD slightly over the years and have likewise varied in ease of tyre fit. Newer chrinas seem to be much tighter than they used to be.

Ryde no longer list chrinas so once the remaining stocks are gone from retailers, that'll be your lot

cheers

[Cudzoziemiec]

That could be right. I had an older part-used Chrina from someone (I think it was Graham G otp but might not have been). It was tough to fit tyres but not so difficult as to be a problem. So I got another one for my first wheelbuild – horrible! Though perhaps also the difference was due to wear in some way  rather than age?

[guidon]

the ryde versions are pita to fit tyres too - unlike the Rigida jobbies but the comments regarding wear and durability are correct...

[sojournermike]

Fitted a pair of Hutchinson Fusion to Ambrosio P20 rims tonight - no levers required and inflated tubeless with just a track pump. I suspect China’s at just at the big end of the looser spec for tube rims.

[vorsprung]

Chrinas have varied in ERD slightly over the years and have likewise varied in ease of tyre fit. Newer chrinas seem to be much tighter than they used to be.

Ryde no longer list chrinas so once the remaining stocks are gone from retailers, that'll be your lot

cheers

Ah!  Makes sense

[paul gb tourist]

Hi ive been using 700c Chrina Ryde rims for several years now. The first time i tried to put a new Schwalbe tyre on one i nearly sprained my right thumb. since then i've had punctures on numerous rides caused by thorns and "snakebites"  and miles away from my destination using Continental Gatorskins and Ultrasports-both very tight! .To put a tight tyre on a Chrina rim you need a steel- not plastic- tyre lever and a length of 3mm thick nylon braided cord( £2 from most diy shops per metre).When you get to the final stage where the bead is just too tight to get over the lip of the rim you need to :-
1 secure one side of the remaining bead with the nylon cord by winding the cord tightly around the rim and tyre so that the bead can't creep around the rim. wrap it in such a way as to be pulling the bead over the rim at this spot.
2  before anything else ensure the tube is still slightly inflated to prevent trapping it... and maybe causing another puncture.
3 using the steel (strong enough)tyre lever from the other end gradually bring the remaining bead over the lip inch by patient inch.it helps if you lever the bead up until just level with  the rim lip and with the lever at 90 degrees to  the rim then use a sideways push with your other hand to pop the bead over at the same time wiggling the lever slowly out from under the bead.repeat the process and eventually the final bit will pop over.It all takes just a few minutes and you'll wonder what all the fuss was about!.Save the cord and lever in your tool kit for the next puncture. Chrina rims are great,well-made and inexpensive.....still available from e.g. Spa cycles, Harrogate..... and the tyres never fall off your rim  . happy touring!!

[Brucey]

sounds like there might be a touch of Stockholm syndrome creeping in there...?

FWIW when Rigida (when they were in France) first started making the extrusion that became the Chrina, they made several different versions including a single-eyelet version.  [Other rim manufacturers have done the same thing before now, eg Mavic made a rim called the MA (with single  eyelets) as well as the MA2 (with double eyelets)]. Needless to say double eyelets increase the diameter of the rim well slightly, so if the rims are built to the exact same OD (which BTW I think is unlikely; unintended variations may be part of the problem with these rims) the fit of tyres will also vary between single and double-eyelet models.



Interesting about use of the cord; I'm not sure I understand exactly what you are doing with it, but it sounds a bit like fitting a windscreen glass in a car?

cheers

[paul gb tourist]

hi yes the cord stops you walking home pushing your bike in the rain . just have a go- try it with parcel string even.you have to prevent the bead from creeping around the rim by trapping it winding it numerous times- some recommend a cable zip tie but these can easily break.   it works every time ,takes minimal effort, and on all clincher rims not just chrina which clearly are manufactured oversize but we're stuck with it . theres no charge for this information and it could save your thumbs!happy touring!!

[Polar Bear]

Hi ive been using 700c Chrina Ryde rims for several years now. The first time i tried to put a new Schwalbe tyre on one i nearly sprained my right thumb. since then i've had punctures on numerous rides caused by thorns and "snakebites"  and miles away from my destination using Continental Gatorskins and Ultrasports-both very tight! .To put a tight tyre on a Chrina rim you need a steel- not plastic- tyre lever and a length of 3mm thick nylon braided cord( £2 from most diy shops per metre).When you get to the final stage where the bead is just too tight to get over the lip of the rim you need to :-
1 secure one side of the remaining bead with the nylon cord by winding the cord tightly around the rim and tyre so that the bead can't creep around the rim. wrap it in such a way as to be pulling the bead over the rim at this spot.
2  before anything else ensure the tube is still slightly inflated to prevent trapping it... and maybe causing another puncture.
3 using the steel (strong enough)tyre lever from the other end gradually bring the remaining bead over the lip inch by patient inch.it helps if you lever the bead up until just level with  the rim lip and with the lever at 90 degrees to  the rim then use a sideways push with your other hand to pop the bead over at the same time wiggling the lever slowly out from under the bead.repeat the process and eventually the final bit will pop over.It all takes just a few minutes and you'll wonder what all the fuss was about!.Save the cord and lever in your tool kit for the next puncture. Chrina rims are great,well-made and inexpensive.....still available from e.g. Spa cycles, Harrogate..... and the tyres never fall off your rim  . happy touring!!

Re the cord:  I have used a thick reusable cable tie that I slavaged from the packaging from a purchase some years ago.  Works just fine.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

At home I used a plastic wood cramp but the cord sounds a good idea.  I better pack some for next time on the road.

Schwalbe on Bontrager rims are not so easy although the tyres must give a bit after use.

[Brucey]

I have heard of folk using toe straps with awkward tyres but IME this is rarely necessary. 

The simple observation (which most people completely ignore) is that if the first bead goes over the rim OK, the only possible reason why the second bead is difficult is because you are doing something to obstruct it.

Some basic points;

1) yes you must ensure that the tube is out of the way
2) you should finish at the valve if you want the most benefit from the rim well
3) you need to make sure the second bead is in the bottom of the rim well before you try and push the last bit over.

Using string or toe straps can help with 3) but it can equally well hinder, too.

The bead ends up under tension when you are getting close to the end, and provided that tension is maintained/any slack is taken up should it appear, then just squeezing the tyre such that the bead is pushed into the rim well whilst maintaining tension is normally all that is needed to keep the bead in the well.

Chrina rims are a bit awkward because the rim is often sized poorly (and some rim tapes are thick enough to make a difference here too), and has a narrow/shallow rim well. The second bead isn't automatically pulled into the well centre and won't automatically stay there either. 

FWIW if a tyre/rim combination is so tight that I needed anything other than my thumbs to refit it I would (and have) used a different combination.

cheers