Mastodawn

Megan Lynch (she/her)Nov 22

@ascentale @Amgine @bikenite A5a. Schwalbe Marathon Plus was my go-to until I got Tannus Armour. Man, I swear by those. I had them on the cargo-quad and never got a flat afterwards despite going on and off-road.

The Schwalbes are very puncture-resistant, though. #BikeNite

Solarbird

@meganL @ascentale @Amgine @bikenite A5 reply: Yeah, my Schwalbe Marathons have been great. I'm going to look up Tannus Armour now but I've been very happy with the Marathons.

I treat them like car tyres and repair when the central tread is nearly gone and they can't direct water away from between tyre and ground anymore. You can feel how slippery that is and it's begging for a bad time.

Megan Lynch (she/her)Nov 22

@moira @ascentale @Amgine @bikenite Tannus Armour is an insert. So you can run Tannus Armour inside a Marathon or Marathon Plus and you should never get a flat again.

Some don't like the weight or feel, but as a person with a disability that affects their hands, it's imperative that I not get a flat while riding. I hardly noticed the difference using Tannus on the tires of the cargo quad. #BikeNite

Solarbird

@meganL @ascentale @Amgine @bikenite Oh! Okay! Even better! Thanks :D

Sam H (he/him)Nov 22

@meganL @moira @ascentale @Amgine @bikenite I tried Tannus Armour inserts with my 700x32mm tires.
Without doubt the most awful ride I've ever had (43km round trip). Straight in the bin afterwards.
I can imagine them working much better on much fatter tyres.

Sam H (he/him)Nov 22

@meganL @moira @ascentale @Amgine @bikenite
For anyone who hasn't come across them, they still use an inner tube, just a significantly skinnier one than normal, so on my 32mm tires I had to use an 18-25mm tube. When you get down to this size, the benefits from pneumatic tyres pretty much vanishes.
On a wider tire, the ratio of volume:tube size will massively improve, along with comfort and feel.

Megan Lynch (she/her)Nov 22

@v_perjorative @moira @ascentale @Amgine @bikenite Yeah, I was using them on 20" x 4" tires on the cargo quadricycle. Didn't notice any performance difference worth mentioning. #BikeNite

@moira @meganL @ascentale @Amgine @bikenite

Agreed - they definitely take some getting used to once worn in the wet. The blue green lining showing through is super slick and a sign to change tyres .

Ruben Nov 22

@meganL @ascentale @Amgine @bikenite I just recently tried to give away my Tannus Armour but it ended up in landfill. It took all the bounce out of my ride.

#BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling

Moz Nov 22

@ascentale @Amgine @bikenite A5: at the risk of sounding boring, I mostly use Marathon Plus tyres and don't really think about it. When one of those gets a couple of punctures it's time to replace it.

Usually by then it has a solid ring of blue inner visible round the part that contacts the road 😱

(this is obviously not safe and should be done only by trained stunt riders operating in controlled conditions on closed roads)

AI6YR Ben Nov 22

@moz @ascentale @Amgine @bikenite #BikeNite A5. I will third or fourth the Marathon Plus (at least for a mountain bike or e-bike probably). Very robust. That said, I put some on a 700c/narrow tire bike and it was a TERRIBLE ride, and wouldn't recommend it for a road bike. I have Gatorskins on two bikes (700x25c) and they are great, no issues (per suggestion here on Bike nite). I'm not doing a ton of miles though, just around town. I have heard from the "real" cyclists that the Grand Prix II are a lot smoother compared to the Gatorskins, but they are fine for me... rather not get flats.

Marty Cormack Nov 22

@ascentale @Amgine @bikenite
#bikenite A5a:
After a disastrous half season with 14 flats on my gravel bike, I replaced the Specialized Sawtooth 2Bliss tires with Schwalbe Marathon Efficiency tires. I've had only 2 flats since in a season and a half, and one was a particularly nasty glass shard.

https://multiseal.us/product/quick-strike-small-tire-2/

Ryan Nov 22

@ascentale @Amgine @bikenite A5a I got Tannus Armor in my back tire after my first flat. It ... doesn't always work. And it wears out.

Now I use FlatOut in both tires. You pump about 12oz? into your tires and if you get a puncture, the spin of the tire will force it into the hole and it ... coagulates? is the best way to put it.

I've had a few punctures while running it, and I only had to stop and re-fill the tire, since the goo did its job.

#bikeNite

Ryan Nov 22

@ascentale @Amgine @bikenite A5a (cont) that said if I could get Martian rover style meta material lattice tires that literally can't be punctured, I would buy a set in a heartbeat.

And then I'd put LEDs in them 😄

#bikeNite

ajft [SEC=&8212;haha]Nov 22

@ascentale @Amgine @bikenite #BikeNite A5 some variant of the shwalbe marathons

never tried run-flat tyres, I think I mentioned a few weeks ago, every five or ten years for the past century someone invents "the tyre of the future that will never go flat" and nothing much ever seems to come of them

Gemma ⭐️🔰🇺🇸 🇵🇭 🎐Nov 22

@ascentale @Amgine @bikenite #BikeNite A5. yes, there are. Currently on my fitness bicycle are a set of Continental Ride City 47-559 tires. These feature an extra puncture-resist belt.

I've never tired run-flat tires and don't feel the need for them. I haven't had a puncture in over a decade.

Cainmark Does Not Comply 🚲Nov 22

A5a. Been very happy with my Schwalbe Marathon tires since I switched. 26" tires.

A5b. Nope.

edd Nov 22

@ascentale @Amgine @bikenite A5a. I've heard great things about Schwalbe Marathons, but have yet to use them because my tires still have some tread left, dammit. Next set of tires will be Marathons, but I may try Ultra Dynamico tires, mal sehen.

A5b.I haven't tried them, but they'd be great for my bike trailer because it frequently gets ridden at 10 psi or less and is hell on our neighborhood "hills".

Sam Whited Nov 22

@ascentale @Amgine @bikenite A5a. As others have said the Schwalbe's are pretty solid; for more road focused bikes (and my hybrid on which I run slicks) I like the Continental Gatorskins. They're expensive, but tough. I've gotten them full of glass a few times and not had any make it through. That said, they're hard as a rock so if you don't need the absolute most protection something more comfortable might be better.

@ascentale
Q5: I use marathon (not plus) for my commuter and we have Tannus armour on the cargo bike

Another thing to look at maybe are airless tyres. Tannus makes some as well. Never tried them
@Amgine @bikenite

@jfparis @ascentale @Amgine @bikenite

jexner 🏳️‍🌈Nov 22

+1 for Marathon (not Plus, because I find it too harsh, especially in the rear)

@jfparis @ascentale @Amgine @bikenite

jexner 🏳️‍🌈Nov 22

One thing to add, maybe: _any_ puncture protection makes a difference over not having any.

My eeb came with Specialized Pathfinder Sport. I replaced the front tyre immediately, but bcs of the belt drive did not do the rear and had a flat within a week (with daily commute of ~5km each way). I am now riding a bunch of different Schwalbe tyres with varying levels of protection, and bingo, no flats in 2+ years.

@jfparis @ascentale @Amgine @bikenite What is tennis armor?

@InkySchwartz @ascentale @Amgine @bikenite this in an auto carrot :)

Tannus armour it is

@jfparis @ascentale @Amgine @bikenite

Mmm carrots.

David S Nov 22

@InkySchwartz @jfparis @ascentale @Amgine @bikenite I'm suspicious of Tannus products since a work colleague had a wheel collapse running their solid "tyre". We could only conclude it de-tensioned the spokes which made the rim warp and wheel collapse. The wheel had done 1000s of km over a number of years. It failed after only 3 commutes (Peckham to The City) with the Tannus tyre on it which seemed too much of a coincidence.

@Pionir @InkySchwartz @jfparis @ascentale

Yes, and No.

Most metal 'fatigues' based on workcycles, and the predictability of failure becomes less consistent as it goes through its worklife. E.g. stainless steel is not a particularly strong class of alloys, but it is **very** predictable for known loads for a known period of time; after which it can fail catastrophically with no warning.

It is likely the Tannus product put higher stresses on the wheel. But the wheel also was not new.

@Amgine @Pionir @InkySchwartz @ascentale You definitely need lower pressure with the Armour on.

I use WTB thick'n'slicks . They are just ridiculous - my 2 inch plus wide 650b tyres weigh nearly a kilo. But they just keep going. Not as tough as Marathon Plus - but a much nicer ride.

Brownian_motion Nov 22

@MatthewNewell Got wide 650b’s on my bike and use the WTB Byway for my majority gravel riding. I don’t think we can get Marathon’s in that size #bikenite

@Brownian_motion @MatthewNewell @ascentale @Amgine @bikenite

David S Nov 22

I had to go with Continental Ride Tours to get Marathon Plus like durabikity in 650b. They replaced WTB Resolutes which were like tissue paper.

@Brownian_motion @MatthewNewell @ascentale @bikenite

My eeb came with 47c 650b tires. After considerable searching and researching, the becoming-standard naming convention is 47-584. Which I could not order. But I did order 50-584's, and they they fit the bike. They appear very slightly narrower.

And I am about to go test them…

@Amgine @Brownian_motion @ascentale @bikenite

They should be 3mm wider and create a total diameter 6mm further across . But no matter which naming convention one sticks to, manufacturers make wild estimates which can be as much as 5 or 10 Oct out. The amount of inflation / pressure also matters.

I tend to stick to the 650b, 700c etc metric convention here as more international than anything else. Although I use inches rather than mm when talking to Americans if I remember

@Amgine @Brownian_motion @ascentale @bikenite

As always Sheldon has the low down

https://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html

And whilst he has passed away his cohorts keep things like this up to date

Tire Sizing Systems

Several different systems of size markings for bicycle tires are in existence. The modern ISO system is not as familiar as it should be, this article explains it.

@MatthewNewell @Brownian_motion @ascentale

This was one of my hits during research, and it was consistently more useful/better explained for me as a not-at-all dedicated cyclist.

Trouble Nov 23

@MatthewNewell @Amgine @Brownian_motion @ascentale @bikenite I recommend everyone use the iso ww-ddd standard sizing. There are two common sizes called 26" and two more for 20" but the total number is like 6 per! Except that metric measurements in mm don't lie! #BikeNite

@trouble @Amgine @Brownian_motion @ascentale @bikenite

Matthew Newell Nov 23

In Europe you can away with just knowing metric (IE 700 - 28c) and ISO - used to be known as ERTRO (IE 28-622); illustrated with Contis and Hutchinson.

Whereas in USA it's imperial fractional (27.5" x 1.95") and ISO ( 50-584); illustrated with WTB.

Whereas Schwalbe hedge their bets and have Imperial Decimal (28x1.5) ISO (40-622) and Metric (700x40c)

As others have mentioned above ISO is the only constant for these 4 manufacturers.

Pete Nov 22

@ascentale @Amgine @bikenite A5 #BikeNite I primarily ride for pleasure and not utility so choose tires I like the feel of as much as anything and run them tubeless to avoid flats. Panaracer GravelKings, Vittoria Mescal/Barzo are my go to, gravel and MTB respectively.
I had the obligatory marathons on my Brompton when commuting, but I don't think you'd ever choose them if it weren't for their toughness.

Siegfried.Nov 22

@ascentale @Amgine @bikenite A5a. Even though this is slowly turning into an advertising event: I use Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires and Schwalbe tubes as well. Before that, I used Continental (I can't remember type). After having to repair three flat tires in four weeks, one of which was due to poor workmanship on the new (!) tube, I switched. However, the Marathon tires roll slightly less smoothly than the Conti tires and require a little more force.
#bikenite

Siegfried.Nov 22

@ascentale @Amgine @bikenite My other bike is an e-bike with fat Schwalbe Super Moto X 70-584. Had 1 flat within 4800 km!

Eat This Podcast Nov 22

A5a. I’ve had Schwalbe Marathons on my Brompton for more than 10 years and the only problems have been with leaks around the valve stems. I just bought a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Plus (no idea what the difference is) for the city hybrid although I have not yet had time to fit them. Purchase decision based on experience on the Brompton.

Ruben Nov 22

@ascentale @Amgine @bikenite Another vote for Schwalbe Marathons although even they needed strips of red silicone rubber for back-up. The three-cornered-jacks out here are abundant and virtually indomitable. I recently replaced my aging Marathons for generic tyres because I was too stingy but I am regretting it.

@tregeagle @ascentale @Amgine @bikenite

Does that roll have a brand?

Eat This Podcast Nov 22

@tregeagle Between the tyre and the tube? In addition to the blue stuff? #BikeNite

A5b. Ok thoughts on run flats. I both love the idea and hate the reality that they are almost all next to vapor ware with ardent supporters that do not realize a test ride(s) on a swept parking lot or well maintained MUP is not the same as my gravel paths, a normal bike lane, or even a normal MUP. And this is not to say a MTB singletrack or a grassy field.

A real run flat that is within 10% of my pnumatics and has similar performance would be amazing.
#BikeNite

Sieva 🚴🚇🏙️🌹Nov 22

@ascentale @Amgine @bikenite A5
TUBELESS.
Otherwise, Schwalbe Marathon and Continental Gatorskin.
#BikeNite

David S Nov 22

Schwalbe Marathon Plus
Continental Ride Tour

Both are very heavyweight. No punctures in more than 10 years of commuting with both (5yrs each). Continental have a bit more side tread so a better option for off road riding otherwise little to choose between them. I only got the Ride Tours because I needed 650b (584etro) for a new bike and Marathon's don't come in that size.

Sean Reynolds Nov 22

@ascentale @Amgine @bikenite #BikeNite A5a: on my folder I have marathon pluses, and on my full size I have specialized armadillos, which I’ve been happy with. My riding is less strewn with goatheads and more glass shards, so cut resistance winds up being more a thing than puncture resistance.

😀🚲Nov 22

@ascentale @Amgine #BikeNite A5a Schwalbe and Continental both have several good e-bike rated puncture-resistant tires which are great for cargo and utility wet street use (in Portland, OR.) Super-moto-X (not made in enough sizes, IMO) and Pick-Up is a bit chunkier tread, slightly noisy. I've had the 20x2.3, 26x2.4, and Conti ride tour in 20x1.8, 29x2. Maxxis hookworm are okay but I always used the mr tuffy liner inside of it, most flats came from the liner moving around (cover/pad the end)

😀🚲Nov 22

@ascentale @Amgine #BikeNite A5b I have not tried run-flat tires but Stan's hugo 52 rim on the front of my xtracycle edgerunner has been very good for preventing pinch flats and did not ruin the tire when I did get a shard of glass just outside of the mr tuffy & rolled a ways before noticing. I haven't tried it tubeless but I imagine it would recover from a bit of rolling flat without having to re-seat the bead. It makes the hookworm and super-moto-x set up closer to 2.8in (vs label 2.5, 2.4.)

@ascentale

UPDATE: being an impatient sort, I had ordered tires between submitting the #BikeNite Q and getting all the great advice.

My order followed the consensus: a puncture-resistant tire with a good reputation - Schwalbe Marathon E Plus. I picked them up and got home with not enough time to mount and test ride before the discussion started.

Which I finished this morning, comments to follow.

@ascentale As comments warned, these are not plushy comfort ride tires. Pressure suggestion is 2-4.5 bar, and I did 4.0 / 60 psi. I will play with this variable.

The rolling resistance is higher than the previous WTB, and they are far heavier - which may be the primary cause. At 4 bar the Shimano controller predicted greater range for the battery, which suggests the RR is initial, and inertia takes over.

@ascentale

Rain, surface water are well-controlled, traction on wet pavement a considerable improvement. Traction on layers of soggy leaves is unchanged, however.

Wet pea gravel trail was a definite improvement, as well.

I will be very interested to see if the tread is multi-density, and how it will handle snow/ice (which it is NOT intended for, and not a thing for me, but weather happens.)

3/3 finis

@ascentale

Overall, my butt is not happy, there's enough weight increase I was getting warmed up in 10 km, but cautiously pleased with the investment.

Still, I am really intrigued with other options endorsed by commentors, and I plan to try tubeles with goo, and possibly some of the airless things mentioned (pricey! but who needs food?)

And maybe something with a chamois.