POP! tyres, inners and pumps
the_tub
Posts: 4
Long time lurker, first time poster - more importantly longer time commuter!
Having recently moved far enough away from work again i finally had justification to get back on the bike and bought a Giant R2 to cover the short 10-15mins sprint into Leeds (It quite literally is a flat, straight drag strip along the cycle lane against the hybrids and roadies). I digress...today i finally hit the first puncture and of course i was completely unprepared - i left all my repair kits at home a few years ago >:3
So now i at least need inners and a pump - i am open to any suggestions. So far i am considering the little Blackburn Mountain Air Pump at £10.
Next thing is that i read a lot of stories about slicks and 700s puncturing (i previously slogged on knobblies) and i am wondering whether i should invest in better tyres. The top two seem to be Conti Gators (~£20) and Schwalbe Marathon Plus (~£30). I understand that the Conti are fast but the Schwalbe are bulletproof. Do their respective USPs really make a difference? Will i notice the slower marathons? Are the Conti strong enough?
What i really need from the tyre is:
- Better puncture resistance
- Not much noticeable speed difference
- Enough grip for wet conditions
Please advise or suggest other tyres - they must ft my 700x32 wheels!
Thanks in advance
Having recently moved far enough away from work again i finally had justification to get back on the bike and bought a Giant R2 to cover the short 10-15mins sprint into Leeds (It quite literally is a flat, straight drag strip along the cycle lane against the hybrids and roadies). I digress...today i finally hit the first puncture and of course i was completely unprepared - i left all my repair kits at home a few years ago >:3
So now i at least need inners and a pump - i am open to any suggestions. So far i am considering the little Blackburn Mountain Air Pump at £10.
Next thing is that i read a lot of stories about slicks and 700s puncturing (i previously slogged on knobblies) and i am wondering whether i should invest in better tyres. The top two seem to be Conti Gators (~£20) and Schwalbe Marathon Plus (~£30). I understand that the Conti are fast but the Schwalbe are bulletproof. Do their respective USPs really make a difference? Will i notice the slower marathons? Are the Conti strong enough?
What i really need from the tyre is:
- Better puncture resistance
- Not much noticeable speed difference
- Enough grip for wet conditions
Please advise or suggest other tyres - they must ft my 700x32 wheels!
Thanks in advance
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Comments
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The Schwalbe Plus really is as bomb-proof as you can get (not infallible, nothing is). Gators get very mixed reviews. I use Specialized All Conditions Pro's - never punctured in 4k miles.
As for pumps, the Topeak Road Morph or Mountain Morph are the most ergonomic pumps available IMHO, which means they can be used to get high enough pressures relatively easily and without getting a hernia. Blackburn are good and have a lifetime guarantee, but the Topeaks have a definite advantage in usability.
Take a puncture kit as well as inner tubes, so you never get stuck if you get repeat punctures on one ride (not unknown if you fail to find the sharp thing that caused the first one, and sometimes they can be really difficult to find).0
