Bullet-proof tyres?

mybreakfastconsisted

Paramedics on bicycles have saved the NHS more than a million pounds.

Each paramedic has an aluminium-frame Specialised Rockhopper bicycle with bullet- and puncture-proof tyres, carrying the same essential life-saving equipment as normal ambulances - apart from a stretcher.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/ ... for-nhs.do

They tyres probably have Kevlar strips.

This doesn't mean they're actually bullet-proof!

roger_merriman

probably marathon pluses looks like them on the shot, kevlar does zip, my MTB tires are liked by the fairy and are kevlar beed.

t0pc4t

i love my marathon pluses, they are industrial

which is good as although I am blessed with lovely cycle paths the local scrotes also use them for their bottle smashing contests

snailracer

Apparently Marathon Plus's don't have kevlar belts, instead there is a thick layer of extra-tough rubber which surprisingly provides the protection.

SimonAH

I have to say that i really rate the Halo Twin Rail Courier Berlin tyres I'm running on at the moment - fast, grippy and you can pull pickaxe heads out of them and find no puncture (OK, minor exaggeration, but I've gone from avg three glass punctures a week to zero after I changed from my Bontrager racelites)

W1

I've got Spesh armadillos and think they're excellent.

Mr Sworld

W1 wrote:

I've got Spesh armadillos and think they're excellent.

+1

Haven't had a puncture since I swapped the MTB knobblies to semi-slick Armadillos!

W1

Mr Sworld wrote:

W1 wrote:

I've got Spesh armadillos and think they're excellent.

+1

Haven't had a puncture since I swapped the MTB knobblies to semi-slick Armadillos!

I've had them on a few bikes for about 4 years now. Bought a new bike with Continental Sport Contacts - got p*nctures on a monthly basis.

As an experiment I've put an Armadillo on the rear and left the Conti on the front. Result? Two front punctures, zero rear.

Clarion

Tried Armadillos, and got two punctures on the same ride. I've never been late for work because of punctures before or since. I put the buggers in the bin.

I use Marathon Plus. You put them on, ride them, and take them off when they're worn out.

W1

W1 wrote:

Mr Sworld wrote:

W1 wrote:

I've got Spesh armadillos and think they're excellent.

+1

Haven't had a puncture since I swapped the MTB knobblies to semi-slick Armadillos!

I've had them on a few bikes for about 4 years now. Bought a new bike with Continental Sport Contacts - got p*nctures on a monthly basis.

As an experiment I've put an Armadillo on the rear and left the Conti on the front. Result? Two front punctures, zero rear.

Lesson learned - don't talk about p*nctures on here - ever!

Managed to pick up a screw last night. Straight through the Armadillo (to be fair, I don't think any tyre would have resisted it), through the tube, out the other side, into the bar tape and actually into the rim!

SamWise1972

roger merriman wrote:

probably marathon pluses looks like them on the shot, kevlar does zip, my MTB tires are liked by the fairy and are kevlar beed.

Just in case you're not joking......

The bead is the bit that holds the tyre on to the rim. A kevlar bead has zero influence on the puncture resistance of the tyre. What you need is a kevlar BELT.

gtvlusso

W1 wrote:

I've got Spesh armadillos and think they're excellent.

+1 never had a puncture in an armadillo tyre.....the only issue I had was wearing one out beyond use, the sidwall gave way. It was 2.5 years old with about 20,000 miles on it!

Gussio

gtvlusso wrote:

W1 wrote:

I've got Spesh armadillos and think they're excellent.

+1 never had a puncture in an armadillo tyre.....the only issue I had was wearing one out beyond use, the sidwall gave way. It was 2.5 years old with about 20,000 miles on it!

Another +1 for the Armadillos. The only punctures that I can remember are from a huge slither of ceramic material that nothing would have stopped and the tiniest piece of electrical flex wire that somehow managed to make it through (and took an age to find as the source of trouble).

SamWise1972

I'm running Marathon Supremes. So far, no punctures in a year, ridden all over London.

chadders81

I have fitted Marathon Plus recently and I do now have peace of mind.

However, I also fitted Slime tubes and the two combined have added a surprising amount of weight.

Never thought I'd be one of these cyclists trying to save a gram here and there but it does seem to make a difference when it's in your tyres.

It'll get me fitter I suppose.

mtb-idle

I did use Specialized armadillo tyres (on road bike). Absolutely bulletproof but not a very comfortable ride. I now use Conti ultra gator skins. Slightly less protection but a much more 'normal' ride.

thel33ter

I've ridden Zaffiros (Boring ride but grippy in all weather and no puntures) and Continental Ultra Sports (I think, half the weight of Zaffiros, better ride, and still no punctures after being ridden on light off road a couple of times, commuting, and exploding off the rim cause I failed miserably at seating it )

Never had a road puncture, and until I do I'll stick with normal tyres. Touch wood, cross fingers and such like :roll:

SimonAH

SimonAH wrote:

I have to say that i really rate the Halo Twin Rail Courier Berlin tyres I'm running on at the moment - fast, grippy and you can pull pickaxe heads out of them and find no puncture (OK, minor exaggeration, but I've gone from avg three glass punctures a week to zero after I changed from my Bontrager racelites)

Update.

I had a quality problem with one of my tyres (weak spot on a sidewall) and chapeau to the Halo guys. They said it's the first such issue they've seen and I had a new tyre by courier this morning after sending the email yesterday.

Respect.