Wire bead vs Folded bead

All I know is that I bought a wire bead tire once and it was IMPOSSIBLE to get on.

Get the folded bead.

Folding tires have a Kevlar bead which results in lower weight. That's the difference.

I've had wire beaded tires that were easy to get on and Kevlar beaded ones that took me an hour and two brokentire levers to install, so that's not necessarily a concern.

Yeah, I should qualify my statement. I find ALL clinchers hard to put on...I have weak hands.

Spending more time here may be a first step toward getting help.

Usually, folding bead are used on higher end tires.  Non-folding wire beads aren't.  I'd say about 90% of the time race worthy rubber have kevlar beads.

They (folding) are much smaller and easier to take on a bike

I have very little problems with decent wire beads.  I've not met a kevlar bead tire that was easy to mount, yet.