Bulletproof tyres?

Daddy2Coull

Hi folks, I've been cycling for about a month now and suffered no less than six punctures. Over the last few days it's been every time I go out and I'm getting fed up. Originally I'd bought some very cheap mtb slicks to see how I get on with them. But would it be worth the extra money to buy some quality Kevlar belted rubber? Do they actually work in the real world or will I not notice any difference?

Cheers

danowat

There is no such thing as a bulletproof tyre, even those with protective belting can get punctures, what size do you need?, are these road or MTB wheels?

windsorwise

I don't think you could go far wrong with a pair of schwalbe marathon plus - yes nothing is completely puncture proof but I have got over 10k miles with a puncture after they were recommended to me...

dbmnk

Schwalbe Marathons are the most proof tyres I've ridden.

TOP TIP: Remove small stones/glass/metal embedded in your tyre after/before each ride - since most punctures are due to stones being knocked into your tyres for miles and miles eventually making it to the tube.

This tip has kept me puncture free for years on skinny tyres.

yocto

I've found Schwalbe Marathon plus are about as puncture proof as it gets but you will be sacrificing a bit of speed. Though the time it takes to repair a puncture on the road you would have been better off with something like these.

Note though that they can be quite hard to get on, or at least I had issues getting them on.

noiseboyfeetman

I've been running Continental Gatorskins for about 2,000 miles and i'm yet to have a puncture, I hope I haven't just given them the kiss off death! I wouldn't hesitate at getting another set when they wear out if they carry on performing as they are.

king_jeffers

To add specialised nimbus are ace, got them fitted on my bike a few weeks ago and so far so good. Expensive but around the same price as the Schwalbe alternative, good exampe of get what you pay for.

Some tw@t smashed a bottle on the cycle path I use a few weeks ago, I couldn't avoid all the shards due to speed but so far so good, tyres seem intact and cope well with dirt track, cr*ppy paths, potholes and glass...

Probably jinxed myself now...

Slack

First off you need to work out what is causing the punctures. For example, are you running correct tyre pressure, do you have something stuck in the tyre, is you rim tape in good condition.

Just seems odd to get so many punctures. I've only had about 5 punctures in 5000 miles of riding on thin racey tyres.

mattsaw

dbmnk wrote:

TOP TIP: Remove small stones/glass/metal embedded in your tyre after/before each ride - since most punctures are due to stones being knocked into your tyres for miles and miles eventually making it to the tube.

This tip has kept me puncture free for years on skinny tyres.

+1

Almost all of my punctures can be attributed to this. Especially 'mystery' punctures which are usually down to framents making it between the outside rubber and the inside of the tyre. They're a real bugger to find.

sparkins1972

I run Schwalbe Durano Plus on my road bike and I am sure I probably lose a fraction of a % in speed but this is more than made up for by lack of time spent at the roadside repairing a puncture or swapping tubes. Highly recomended.

hammerite

Bontrager Hardcase Racelite work well for me on my winter bike.

meanredspider

hammerite wrote:

Bontrager Hardcase Racelite work well for me on my winter bike.

I tried them but punctured almost immediately and they were noticeably slower. I'm a +1 for Gatorskins which I think are fab for my ride through the Highlands all year round.

kev77

VREDESTEIN Fortezza TriComp, absolute quality tyre!

Monty Dog

About 80% of the above recommendations are certainly not in the 'puncture proof' category and only offer a slightly higher degree of puncture resistance. The only tyre I have never punctured are the aforementioned Schwalbe Marathon Pluses - the ride is fairly dead so don't expect them to feel fast - if you want a 'faster' tyre, then the compromise is more punctures. The best compromise IMO in terms of puncture resistance vs performance are Conti GP 4 Seasons - not cheap though. Finally, 25mm tyres are better too. BTW I'm running / tried practically every tyre on the market over the years and the flinty roads we have in these parts cut tyres to shreds.

P_Tucker

windsorwise wrote:

I don't think you could go far wrong with a pair of schwalbe marathon plus - yes nothing is completely puncture proof but I have got over 10k miles with a puncture after they were recommended to me...

+1 I don't even bother carrying a pump with my anymore.

RowCycle

+1 for Gatorskins. Done thousands on miles on ine, only replaced them when they wore out.

jgsi

Mattsaw wrote:

dbmnk wrote:

TOP TIP: Remove small stones/glass/metal embedded in your tyre after/before each ride - since most punctures are due to stones being knocked into your tyres for miles and miles eventually making it to the tube.

This tip has kept me puncture free for years on skinny tyres.

+1

Almost all of my punctures can be attributed to this. Especially 'mystery' punctures which are usually down to framents making it between the outside rubber and the inside of the tyre. They're a real bugger to find.

probably most people who succomb to the above , dont have to wheel the bike thru the house... I have to.. not an option.. hence , always have to clean the tyres off with at least a rag before entering, again not an option.... a down side to double garage owners, I'd say.

ride_whenever

danowat wrote:

There is no such thing as a bulletproof tyre/quote]

Yes there is, you CANNOT puncture the solid rubber tyres or the slightly nicer amerityres. However they ride like a bag of sh**e.

Personally I run 2.3" tyre tubeless on a MTB and haven't punctured for ~ 3000 miles of commuting in oxford.

hammerite

meanredspider wrote:

hammerite wrote:

Bontrager Hardcase Racelite work well for me on my winter bike.

I tried them but punctured almost immediately and they were noticeably slower. I'm a +1 for Gatorskins which I think are fab for my ride through the Highlands all year round.

I've been using them for 4 years over winter and never punctured - not huge amounts of miles, possibly 1,000 miles over a winter. Guess there's a lot of luck though. They are slower, but that's no problem when I'm using them.

simon_e

hammerite wrote:

I've been using them for 4 years over winter and never punctured - not huge amounts of miles, possibly 1,000 miles over a winter. Guess there's a lot of luck though. They are slower, but that's no problem when I'm using them.

I commuted and time trialled on a pair of Hardcase 700x28s for over a year (3,000+ miles) and had just one tiny pinprick deflation, though never found the cause. Tough as boots, I'll get another pair before the winter. I don't care if they're a bit slower than the lighter tyres I've tried, the extra puncture resistance is worth it on a cold, wet ride. I'm not in a desperate hurry to get to work anyway (though they weren't that slow).

Otherwise look at Schwalbe Marathon Plus / Durano Plus.

briantrumpet

dbmnk wrote:

Schwalbe Marathons are the most proof tyres I've ridden.

TOP TIP: Remove small stones/glass/metal embedded in your tyre after/before each ride - since most punctures are due to stones being knocked into your tyres for miles and miles eventually making it to the tube.

Top tip indeed. The only puncture I can remember having on Marathons in about 8000 miles was because of a tiny embedded flint - even then it was a very slow puncture. And then today, inspecting the front tyre ... there was a small embedded stone - now removed, in time, I hope.

secretsam

+1 for Gatorskins and Schwalbe Marathon Plus, the latter is like a tractor tyre but utterly bulletproof. The former is much lighter and gives a nicer ride.

Both are pigs to get on when new, try warming up the wire beads slightly (eg run under hot tap)