punctures

[Doobrie]

with my 15 mile each way commute being on my mind punctures will become a very real issue for me to
be able to deal with quickly and effectively and also prevention of said nasties too - as mon-fri id
be regularly doing well over 100 miles per week (with the odd drive in when necessary or when i end
up at another branch office at the end of the day rather than where my bike is)

currently, my cheap raleigh pioneer has 700/38c tyres - what would be a good replacement considering
the anti puncture theme and as i really dont want punctures cost is less of an issue as getting to
work on time regularly is high on the agenda - also getting home too!

also, being on the very heavy side is sticking with 700/38c size tyres a good idea as ive no idea
what effect my weight / size of tyres / how highly inflated they are, etc, etc has with regard to
punctures, etc ... apart from thinking a highly inflated tyre would be more prone to punctures???

 

[Doobrie]

also adding to those questions ....

ive no experience repairing punctures - just the few when i was a kid - im likely to just replace
the tube with a spare and repair later

what sort of time roughly does/should it take - front being the easier i assume than the geary
rear... i'll probably have to do a few test tube replacements on a free weekend or two before i
start cummuting in september but an idea of how long to build it in to my possible commuting
time plan?

im going to want some heavy duty anti puncture stuff as just thinking about punctures on a cold wet
dark ride home almost makes me wanna give the whole thing up and crawl into my nice warm bed !!!

 

[Adrian Boliston]

"doobrie" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> with my 15 mile each way commute being on my mind punctures will become a very real issue for me
> to be able to deal with quickly and effectively and also prevention of said nasties too.....

I have cycled about 2000 miles since purchasing my new bike 4 months ago (700 X 23c tyres) and have
not punctured so far. Having said that I always try and keep an eye on the road a few yards ahead to
check for glass and flints, and I always track the bit of tarmack that is normally covered by the
nearside wheel of vehicles, which is usually clearly more polished than the rest of the road. I also
avoid using cycle lanes which is just asking for a dose of razor sharp glass! I also carefully check
my tyres before each ride looking for bits of glass which could have embedded in the tyre which are
waiting to be rolled into the inner tube on the next ride, and pick them out if I find any.

 

[Steve Watkin]

Try Schwalbe marathon PLUS supposed to be as near as you can get to puncture free!!

SW

"doobrie" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> with my 15 mile each way commute being on my mind punctures will become a very real issue for me
> to be able to deal with quickly and effectively and also prevention of said nasties too - as
> mon-fri id be regularly doing well over 100 miles per week (with the odd drive in when necessary
> or when i end up at another branch office at the end of the day rather than where my bike is)
>
> currently, my cheap raleigh pioneer has 700/38c tyres - what would be a good replacement
> considering the anti puncture theme and as i really dont want punctures cost is less of an issue
> as getting to work on time regularly is high on the agenda - also getting home too!
>
> also, being on the very heavy side is sticking with 700/38c size tyres a good idea as ive no idea
> what effect my weight / size of tyres / how highly inflated they are, etc, etc has with regard to
> punctures, etc ... apart from thinking a highly inflated tyre would be more prone to punctures???

 

[Peter Clinch]

Steve Watkin wrote:
> Try Schwalbe marathon PLUS supposed to be as near as you can get to puncture free!!

But they weigh a *lot* more than anything else! I get about one or two a year with standard
Marathons, which is acceptable IMHO.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email protected]
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

 

[Doobrie]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> Steve Watkin wrote:
> > Try Schwalbe marathon PLUS supposed to be as near as you can get to puncture free!!
>
> But they weigh a *lot* more than anything else! I get about one or two a year with standard
> Marathons, which is acceptable IMHO.
>
> Pete.

with the weight im hoping to lose longer term (100 pounds approx) this wouldnt be much of a problem?
- after a couple of weeks im likely to have lost half a stone or so which should easily make up for
any increased weight in the tyres, would it?

or does the increased weight of tyres make for a different kinda ride?

also, those marathon plus ones were 26 x 1.75 - my current tyres are
700/38c so would they fit? whats the difference between these sizing types?

 

[Peter Clinch]

doobrie wrote:

> with the weight im hoping to lose longer term (100 pounds approx) this wouldnt be much of a
> problem? - after a couple of weeks im likely to have lost half a stone or so which should easily
> make up for any increased weight in the tyres, would it?
>
> or does the increased weight of tyres make for a different kinda ride?

Heavier rims/tyres will change things a bit, but how much is really a suck it and see job,
I'd think.

> also, those marathon plus ones were 26 x 1.75 - my current tyres are
> 700/38c so would they fit? whats the difference between these sizing types?

26 is mountain bike size, 700c is the slightly larger diameter typically seen on pure road
machinery. So short answer is one won't fit on the other. However, standard Marathons are available
in loads of different sizes (I use 16", 20" and 26" flavours myself, and I know there are 700c ones
too), so I wouldn't be surprised if there are more options on the M+.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email protected]
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

 

[Doobrie]

> 26 is mountain bike size, 700c is the slightly larger diameter typically seen on pure road
> machinery. So short answer is one won't fit on the other. However, standard Marathons are
> available in loads of different sizes (I use 16", 20" and 26" flavours myself, and I know there
> are 700c ones too), so I wouldn't be surprised if there are more options on the M+.
>
> Pete.

thanks ... have found the marathon plus at the same size 700x38 (i assume the c doesnt mean
anything?) - £21.99 each

what are the riding differences of using say a 700x36 or 32 or less? does this just mean they get
more skinny as the number reduces?

 

[Simon Mason]

"doobrie" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> also, being on the very heavy side is sticking with 700/38c size tyres a good idea as ive no idea
> what effect my weight / size of tyres / how highly inflated they are, etc, etc has with regard to
> punctures, etc ... apart from thinking a highly inflated tyre would be more prone to punctures???

Yes, Schwalbe Marathon Plus or Continental Contact. The tiny extra weight doesn't matter when
you've got a flat.
--
Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W http://www.simonmason.karoo.net

 

[andy_welch]

I wouldn't get too hung up about punctures unless there is something specific about your route that makes them more likely. I've had one in the last 3000 miles of road riding and that seems to be pretty average. Of course now I've said that I'll get a slew of them For the record I'm using (26" so no use to you) Vredestein S-licks on the tourer and Conti GP3000 on the nice bike.

That said, for regular commuting you might as well use something with a decent puncture protection as opposed to some really lightweight job. The marathons are pretty good but most tyre manufacturers produce a range of tyres, which run from fast but fragile to neo-bombproof. Just read the blurb and pick something that suits. You'll pay a price in weight, which does translate into feel and speed (tyre weight seems to be a lot more important than static weight in this regard) but you can't get something for nothing.

Tyre width (the second number that you quote) is more realated to comfort. With a thin tyre you have to run at a fairly high pressure. Otherwise you might compress the tyre to the point that you pinch the innner ture and cause a puncture (known as a pinch flat). With a wider tyre you can safely run at a lower pressure, which makes for a more comfortable ride.

Hope that's some help.

Cheers,

Andy

 

[Peter Clinch]

doobrie wrote:

> what are the riding differences of using say a 700x36 or 32 or less? does this just mean they get
> more skinny as the number reduces?

Yes, it's the width in mm.

Rule of Thumb is that the narrower the tyre the less the rolling resistance tends to be (given
appropriate pressures), though once you're down in the lower 20s there are other tradeoffs so
there's little point even on serious racers to ride on real knife edges. Wider tyres will generally
soak up shocks better and ride much better over rough surfaces (roads can be rough surfaces at
times!), and they're better at taking loads.

Laden touring typically uses 38 or 35, which is a good general size area for a "do anything" bike
that'll be carting a fair load. You'll go a bit faster on 28 or narrower still, but only a bit, and
the bike won't take on as many different conditions so well.

MTBs for Serious Mud will use tyres over 2" wide, which are Just Great in Serious Mud and are
absolute purgatory on the road because it's so much extra work to get them rolling.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email protected]
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

 

[Just Zis Guy]

"doobrie" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...

> with my 15 mile each way commute being on my mind punctures will become a very real issue for me
> to be able to deal with quickly and effectively

Carry spare tubes

> apart from thinking a highly inflated tyre would be more prone to punctures???

The opposite is true, actually - under-inflated tyres suffer pinch-flats (the dreaded snakebite
puncture) as well as giving increased drag.

Better to buy a quality Kevlar-belted tyre and inflate to the recommended maximum pressure in my
experience.

--
Guy
===

WARNING: may contain traces of irony. Contents may settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.com

 

[Pete Biggs]

doobrie wrote:
> currently, my cheap raleigh pioneer has 700/38c tyres - what would be a good replacement
> considering the anti puncture theme and as i really dont want punctures cost is less of an issue
> as getting to work on time regularly is high on the agenda - also getting home too!

Specialized Nimbus EX or Armadillo. www.wiggle.co.uk have good prices for these. (Note. the inner
tubes supplied with these are thin so are more porous than average so need pumping much more often.
Either make sure they're are frequently topped up or don't bother using them).

> also, being on the very heavy side is sticking with 700/38c size tyres a good idea as ive no idea
> what effect my weight / size of tyres / how highly inflated they are, etc, etc has with regard to
> punctures, etc

38 is probably a good size for you.

> ... apart from thinking a highly inflated tyre would be more prone to punctures???

I don't think that's true, and also tyre should be inflated more if carrying more than
average weight.

I suggest getting a track pump (floor pump) with a gauge - and inflate front just below the
recommended max and the rear a few psi above.

~PB

 

[Alex Graham]

Steve Watkin wrote:
> Try Schwalbe marathon PLUS supposed to be as near as you can get to puncture free!!

Yeah, they are the best selling ATB slick where I work. I use kevlar lined normal marathons (28C)
and they havent punctured despite being used on towpath, road and broken glass.

 

[W K]

"doobrie" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> > 26 is mountain bike size, 700c is the slightly larger diameter typically seen on pure road
> > machinery. So short answer is one won't fit on the other. However, standard Marathons are
> > available in loads of different sizes (I use 16", 20" and 26" flavours myself, and I know there
> > are 700c ones too), so I wouldn't be surprised if there are more options on the
M+.
> >
> > Pete.
>
> thanks ... have found the marathon plus at the same size 700x38 (i assume the c doesnt mean
> anything?) - £21.99 each

I'd tend to go for the marathon because they are cheaper. All sorts of modern tyres are a hell of a
lot better in terms of punctures than what we had as kids. Actually if they are "snakebites" what
you really need is a track pump (cheap ones 12-20 quid).

> what are the riding differences of using say a 700x36 or 32 or less? does this just mean they get
> more skinny as the number reduces?

Yep. With all due respect (and good luck to you), you could do with wide tyres if you are 100lbs
overweight. You won't really get much of a difference in speed between the different widths if you
have decent modern tyres. I say this as half of a "never quite been BMI>30" tandem team.