UKC

Hi, we are looking for some puncture resistant tyres for MrsD's commuter bike. On my bike I've got Gator Skins which are an OK mix of price/performance/restance, but given the nature of MrsD's commute I wonder whether there are any options which tilt even cfurther to puncture resistance ?

In reply to GrahamD:

Schwalbe Marathon (actually there are various types within this range, but all are puncture resistant).
I have them on my commuter (Brompton) and have not had a single puncture in over 6000km. They have small cuts and slashes where I've removed bits of glass etc, but the green guard layer has done the job.
Marathons are heavy, and some say they are difficult to fit, but I've never had problems.
Fit and forget.
N

In reply to GrahamD:

Thumbs up for marathons. They're by far the toughest tyre I've ever used. Seen pics of them with screws sticking out and they still carry on rolling along.

In reply to GrahamD:
Yeah the Schwabes are good, but you need level 5 or level 6 protection from them. I had level 5 marathons and never got a puncture in over a year. I have level 4 now and its next to useless I've had two punctures in 2 months!

I think there are some other manufacturers worth looking at too.

In reply to GrahamD:

Another vote for the Schwalbes. I've got the greenskin versions and haven't had a puncture in two years of city commuting on them.

In reply to GrahamD:

Specialised Armadillo can take a decent amount of abuse. On occasion I have spent a few minutes in the garage with a pair of tweezers picking glass etc out.

In reply to cousin nick:

I have got the slightly lighter Durano Plus. I had done over 10,000km of puncture free riding. However, I came down a lane where someone was cutting a blackthorn hedge. There were huge bits of thorny cutting all over the road and both tyres punctured. To be fair, I don't think any tyre wouldn't have punctured in those circumstances.

In reply to wilkesley:

I got Durano Plus last month as I was like soooooo fed up with my Conti GP4Ss constantly puncturing. Must say they're not bad so far, one puncture -- a shark tooth of flint -- in the front tyre in maybe 300 miles. And the lanes here are shocking with all this rain, many just like sandpits filled with flint. I think on your normal roads they'd be good for many ks, as you say.

In reply to GrahamD:

I previously used Gatorskins and after a puncture late on a January day in 2015 I decided that a more puncture resistant tyre was a priority. I moved on to GatorHardShells and have had a trouble free year of around 3,000 miles on Aberdeenshire roads.

I've never used any of the other tyres mentioned (Schwalbe Marathon, Specialised Armadillo or Durano Plus) so don't know how they compare but I'm happy with them.

In reply to GrahamD:

no complaints with the vittoria randonneur II at half the price of those mentioned above..
anyone tried the hyper voyager?

In reply to GrahamD:

I suppose to a commuter a puncture is something to avoid and the quality of the ride less important than getting there in one piece.

But to me as a weekend warrior the quality of the ride matters more than the occasional puncture, which can become quite a social occasion and adds to the sense of adventure in a country ride, so I use Veloflex open Corsas, made in the same family-owned factory as Vittoria's Corsas used to be made. These are a lightweight, supple race tyre with a very sticky compound and a file pattered tread so they stick like glue even in the wet, make the bike feel really "planted" and ride superbly smoothly.

In reply to Rigid Raider:


Spot on!
My Brompton is just a tool for the job. People do tour on them, presumably for their advantages on other forms of transport, but in terms of ride quality, the Brompton ride is dire in comparison to my other bikes.
Perhaps that's why my Brompton receives much less TLC than my other bikes - ironic really, since its actually the most expensive bike that I currently (ahem!) own.
Talking to my bike commuting colleagues, that seems normal - commuting bikes are generally unloved mules compared with their weekend stable mates.

N

In reply to GrahamD:
Bontrager Race All Weather Hardcase Tyre
about one puncture per year at about 3500 miles per year

In reply to Rigid Raider:


There is a balance to be struck between the two. After all the ultimate puncture proof would be a solid tyre.
Depending where you live as well during the weekend rides I can avoid the town centre with the broken glass whereas during a commute its harder. Plus for the weekend rides if it is truly shit weather I bravely opt to hit snooze rather than ride and so miss the joy of changing a tube in the rain.

In reply to felt:

Main puncture hazard here is thorns from hedge cuttings. Sometimes get the odd bit of glass in towns. The Durano Plus is pretty good against most hedge cuttings. However, blackthorn will go through just about anything, including car tyres. I have picked out the odd thorn that has stuck in the tyre, but not got through the blue resistant inner layer.

In reply to GrahamD:

A vote for gatorskins. Have a pair on a cheap set of wheels I've done all sorts of riding sure to get a puncture madness on, london commuting along the thames, gravel riding, woodland trails, even toured laden with them in Scotland. Nothing, still going strong five years later.

D

In reply to cousin nick:

+1 for the Schwalbe Marathons, exact model depends on what else you want (width, threads, etc.).

As for the fitting, simply wipe the inside of the rim with a drop of washing up liquid before slipping the tire on, then inflate lightly, deflate, inflate a couple of bars over the desired pressure (to get the tire to move up evenly behind the rim), and deflate to taste.

CB

In reply to GrahamD:

Thanks all, I've ordered some Marathons for MrsD's commuter bike and some replacement GatorSkins for my winter bike. I'll see how they compare !

In reply to GrahamD:

Good call, have marathon plus on my commute bike and the tyres outlasted the last rear wheel without ant punctures!

In reply to the sheep:

Another vote for Schwalbe Marathons.
My commute is mixed cinder trail / off-road and over a reclaimed tip and industrial land with loads of swarf.
No punctures so far (touch wood).