I am reposting this to my timeline and not just to the League of Ordinary Riders so I can cross post this to our Word Press Blog.

Updated 3/27/18

Here’s an excellent way to mount a HiWheel tire:
The Walter Patrick Branche Tire Method
– Start with enough rubber to go around the rim and add 1.5 to 2 inches
– Insert the wire into tire tool (on a Wiedeman tool run an extra 10 inches of wire through the tool)
– Tighten the wire to where the rubber lays snug in the rim channel. Let it sit for a few minutes
– Tap around the tire with a rubber mallet (optional)
– Reverse the machine counting the revolutions or marking the bolt, backing it off enough to remove the tire
– With the tire off the rim, tighten the tool back to where the tire and wire are tight again by counting the revolutions you backed it off or returning the bolt to the mark you released from plus 1/2 an inch (on the Weideman Tool, pictured below) or 1 revolution – then solder the wire
– When everything cools down and after you remove the tool and watch the gap the tool made disappear, turning your rubber into a tire, roll the tire back on to the rim per:
– Put the part where the rubber is joined on first. As you work your way to the very top, 10 – 20 inches of rubber won’t roll back on without force.
– Anchor each side of this gap with bungle cords or one or two foot sections of extra tire wire.
– Slide the rubber on with tire spoons and flat screw drivers moving the anchor points as you advance. You can also use dish washing soap on the parts that engage the tire to help roll it back on the rim. Take your time. When it snaps into place you will smile a big smile!!

This method takes all the stress out of the soldered area. The wire will also seat or bed into the tire rubber and you likely will never have a wire break ever again!

The Walter Branche Method is so easy, you likely will never feel drawn to the much greater expense of the simplicity of the hard to get (in America) spiral wire. With Walter’s method, you can quite readily use the American rubber that Brenda Rittenhouse, of H&R Tire (260-224-9038) supplies. It is far superior to the stuff found in Europe (Australia & New Zealand use USA rubber), largely because it is more substantial, thereby offering more protection for the rim..

Note: This method rewrites what has been on the books for probably 30 years. And was the only way I was able to get Brenda’s rubber  on my bike..