Puncture-Proof Road Tyres

noam

I've just joined the MAMILs url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-10965608[/url and have done a few hundred miles on the Specialized FLak Jackets that came with the entry-level Allez road bike I bought earlier this year.

I've been very impressed with the low level of punctures I've had despite keeping them up at 120 psi.

I'd like a red pair to go with the frame [yes, I am that shallow] but having a quick look around online, all the types with extra puncture protection only come in black. The place where I bought my bike does Continental GP4000s in a range of colours.

Does anyone know if these are as good for puncture protection as the Flak Jackets I've got?

BruceG

noam wrote:

I've been very impressed with the low level of punctures I've had despite keeping them up at 120 psi.

?

Why DESPITE running them at 120psi????? Running the tyre at the correct pressure will significantly reduce the amount of punctures you will get, therefore perhaps you mean due to to running them at 120psi?

In answer to your question you could consider Vittoria Rubino Pro 3, I have used these as a winter tyre for the past few years (Pro 2) previously and found them to be quite resistant to punctures (probably had one per winter), and if you want, you can run these at 145psi and they are available in a range of colours see below for an example in red on ebay
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vittoria-Rubi ... 53e952e116

cougie

My GP4000s tyres do 1000s of miles without the P word.

Dont run them too high though. I run them at about 95 PSI. Perfect.

Wirral_paul

noam wrote:

I've just joined the MAMILs url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-10965608[/url

I've been very impressed with the low level of punctures I've had despite keeping them up at 120 psi.

Thats quite a high pressure - should go a long way to preventing pinch flats which are what i'd guess are the most common punctures these days.

You do realise saying the "p" word means you're gonna need your spare inner tube and tyre leavers this weekend? Dont forget to take them.

cyberknight

Depends on whether you want to prioritize speed,grip, protection and what sort of roads you ride on as every tyre has its on characteristics and people ride many different sorts of road .
My commute takes in a glass strewn cycle path which i cant avoid unless i chance the "roundabout of death " so even with good protection i still get maybe 5-6 a year as i do not have the clearances to run something like a marathon + tyre.
Cycling plus did a winter tyre review and they recommended the Michelin Krylion Carbon as the best all round tyre with the durano plus not far behind, for the budget conscious they also liked the conti gator skin (which is what i use ) .
Currently trying blizzard sport`s as a winter training tyre but they have not done enough mileage to make a comparison, i only know they are harder to push than the summer tyre ...

Monty Dog

Of those in the C+ review, none are what I'd class as puncture-proof - my experience from using almost all is that only the GP4 Season and the Durano Pluses are the only ones with a high-degree of puncture resistance - whilst the others are tougher than regular tyres, these are the best. Marathon Plus are the only tyres I've never punctured - just worn them down to the canvas instead, but they are heavy and with the better protection, comes a more dead feeling. Armadillos IME are a joke, they feel like wood, have very poor grip in the wet and aren't too brilliant against flints.

noam

Thanks guys, that's given me food for thought!

Yes I always take the road bike out with tyre levers and spare tubes. I tend to stick to A- and B-roads as I don't like tight turns, poor surfaces or having to wait in passing loops for oncoming traffic. I am happy to keep the road bike up at 120 psi and pump it up every time I take it out, as the road bike is strictly for hobby use. It's cool that the high pressure is actually better for puncture protection, as that gives me lower rolling resitance anyway, so thanks for that tip.

As an aside, I run Marathon Plus on my hybrid which I use for commuting, and they are great, I've never punctured them. They're not an option for road bikes though, and certainly not in mid-life-crisis red...

wyadvd

you can now get marathon pluses in a 25mm and they will fit on most road bikes.

markos1963

noam wrote:

It's cool that the high pressure is actually better for puncture protection, as that gives me lower rolling resitance anyway, so thanks for that tip.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but that isn't strictly correct. On an indoor track then high pressures will be an advantage but out in the real world it's the opposite. As long as you have enough pressure to prevent pinch flats that is all you need, 125psi is way too high for road use, 95 front and 100 rear is ample for a 90kg rider.

cougie

Yep 120 psi will have you bouncing along the road. Much better ride with 20 PSI or so taken out.

thegreatdivide

markos1963 wrote:

noam wrote:

It's cool that the high pressure is actually better for puncture protection, as that gives me lower rolling resitance anyway, so thanks for that tip.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but that isn't strictly correct. On an indoor track then high pressures will be an advantage but out in the real world it's the opposite. As long as you have enough pressure to prevent pinch flats that is all you need, 125psi is way too high for road use, 95 front and 100 rear is ample for a 90kg rider.

This.

And to back it up check what's said in this review of Hutchinson tubeless (totally irrelevant tyre for this thread but the info is interesting) http://pelotonmagazine.com/Tested-Goods ... -the-Tubes

lostboysaint

Michelin Krylion Carbon or Conti Gatorskin Hardshell. Little to choose between them. Both roll superbly and are as puncture resistant as it gets.

davicio

Anyone can get a puncture in any tyre, and I've just had my third using Conti 4000's in 2 weeks. I am quite frankly sick and tired of it. Before that, not one for months.

It's just the way it works. That's cycling tyres right now.

wyadvd

if you arent a weight weeney....marathon pluses are genuinely puncture proof a d available as 25mm for road bikes now!

the_fuggler

Stanley222 wrote:

I have found the best tyres to be Michelin Krylion and they came out very well in the recent Cycling Plus magazine test - mine have grey stripes on them, I may be wrong but I think you might be able to get them with red stripes

You can indeed get them with red stripes. Bit hard to find in 25s at the moment. Suspect there has been a run on them after that article.

Edit: Just found 25s at ChainReaction

cougie

I've done two 100 mile plus adventure races using marathon plus tyres. Road and a fair bit of really rocky offroad. Most people used MTBs for it. Not a single "P". I'm very happy with them.

ForumNewbie

I tried Schwalbe Marathon 25mm tyres on my Audax bike a few years ago, but they felt terrible on the bike - really heavy. I replaced them immediately with Continental Ultra Gatorskins and they have been great - no punctures at all in 2 years and they roll really smoothly.

I recently bought a new carbon bike with Scwalbe Ultremo 23 mm tyres. Only ridden it a couple of times but noticed today back tyre totally flat, so I seem to have a slow puncture as was okay on Wednesday when I rode it. If I get any more punctures I will certainly consider buying some Continental Ultra Gatorskins for the new bike.

Hoopdriver

I've used Conti GP-4 Seasons to good effect on my road bike - no unscheduled stops on my rides in a couple of years of use

In winter when I am riding long distances from home on dark unlit lanes I rely on Schwalbe Marathon Plusses. I do not find them very heavy myself and the trade off in knowing when I go out that I will almost certainly return without tyre problems (avoiding the use of that p-word) makes them a very good deal indeed

BruceG

[
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but that isn't strictly correct. On an indoor track then high pressures will be an advantage but out in the real world it's the opposite. As long as you have enough pressure to prevent pinch flats that is all you need, 125psi is way too high for road use, 95 front and 100 rear is ample for a 90kg rider.[/quote]

Seems Michelin who probably know a bit more than us about tyres disagree, with you!http://www.michelin.co.uk/bicycle/learn-share/bicycle-guide/bicycle-pressure-curves