Fitting your own tyres

I've just had a nightmare fitting a set of Metzler RoadTechs to my '07.
My previous tyres were Michelin R5s and they went on like an old sock, dead easy.
Anyone fit their own, got experiences, advise?

 

Fitted quite a few of my own tyres now, using tyre levers and rim protectors! Get tyres nice and warm before fitting them - got a few sunny days coming up so leave them out in the sun! Warmer they are more flexible they'll be and easier to fit. Lube in all the right places and on they should pop! If at first you don't succeed go have a cuppa and go back to it

 

Yep. All depends on what kit you have.
I definitely recommend a decent bar rather than levers.

 

I've got a MAX2H Evo2 tyre changer gadget. I don't think they're made anymore.
It worked like a dream with the Michelins. The Metzelers, all together much harder. It was a warmish day, loads of tyre soap, tyres weren't cold, but just felt like they were too small.
Anyway, there's a red dot on Metzelers. Their fitting manual says it's the lightest point on the circumference, so fit next to the valve.
Well that theory doesn't work if your wheels aren't themselves balanced. I checked the front with just a valve, and it's heavy near the valve. But the rear, even with a valve, is heavy almost opposite the valve.
My trial balance of both wheels suggests at least 50grames, which I think is ridiculous.
I'm going to spin the tyres on the rim and see if it reduces. If it does, them the red dot is not the lightest point.
If not, I'm not impressed with needing a row of weights stuck on.

 

My Michelins needed only 5gm F, 15gm R.

 

Metzelers in my experience are truly dreadful tyres. Skidmaster deluxe

 

Learned a lot doing this. Having lost patience rotating them on the rim, I decided to inflate them and just accept the outcome.
However, to my astonishment once the bead was seated both tyres now balanced to within 10grams.
I'm at a loss to explain why they were both needing about 50grams when just sat on the rim unseated, yet blown up and seated went to near perfect.

 

It's the centrifugal effect of the tyre not being round. If one part of the tyre bunches up then it sticks out more and pushes the weight further away from the centre of the wheel, meaning that you need to offset it on the opposite side.

To be fair I just line up the green dot with the valve and don't bother with balancing.

 

Yes, that's right, thinking about it. The tyre isn't equidistant from the rim until seated and inflated.
Wasted hours messing with them.