Folks, I’ve tested a few tires on my carbon fiber Ican wheels. I started with Michelin Pro 4’s (I love the feel of those tires), but they were extremely tight to get the final eight inches of bead over the rim. I ended up having to resort to a Kool Stop tire jack (I’ve carried one in my back pocket to this day, just in case). Even once the tires were broken in, a tire jack was necessary with the Michelins. Then I switched to Serfas Prototypes that I’m testing courtesy of the local shop – those, once broken in, work without a tire jack. That, however, does no one any good because they’re prototypes. Meanwhile, however, I loved the Ican wheelset so much, I bought a set for my wife and I started her on Specialized Turbo Pro tires (26-mm).
Again, the first time the Specialized tires are installed, I like to use the tire jack. Once they’re broken in, though, they’re perfectly fine going on and don’t require special tools. I just worked on my wife’s and installed the tire easily by hand just yesterday.
For those not in the know, finding a tire that isn’t impossible to install on a tight-fitting rim a very big deal. There are rims out there that make you wonder what they were thinking they’re so hard to get tires over for everyone but seasoned shop pros.
So there you have it, folks. Specialized Turbo Pro tires (or the S-Works Turbo) play nice with tight rims. I can’t say they’ll work with everything, but they work great with our Ican wheelsets, and those are exceedingly tough.
Specialized Turbo Pro:
Fit Recovery 
I love the S-Works Turbo tyres, so soft and supple and roll super fast! Easy to fit to my Roval wheels, but maybe that’s because they’re matched from the factory. Some combos are a real bugger!
Brother, they’re just made well. Sadly, with the state of the roads out here, I just can’t use them. The rubber is so soft I take a chunk out if I hit a pothole wrong. I went through three tires in a season a few back. They were just too expensive that way. I started using the Turbo Pro tires and gave up some soft ride for longevity. It is a great tire, though, the S-Works.
I’m down to my last “trade discount” pair from my time at Sigma Sport. As lush as they are, I won’t be buying another set for the same reasons as you… Shame as I do love them…
👍