Tyre advice please?

[suj999]

Hello all,

New to hybrids.. had an old MTB Raleigh for like 15 years didn’t ride much, but never got a puncture either!!! Maybe the tire it had. I normally go riding in Epping Forest bike paths.


So have ordered a Giant Roam 1, and friend also got a 2nd hand roam 2 so we can do some leisure riding. The guy sold it to him advised him its still on the original tyres and that its very prone to punctures!

So I thought I will get mine (when it arrives) and friend’s bike tyres changed, as don’t really want to be getting punctures.

Have heard good things about the Marathon Plus.

But I am at all not sure about which tyre size to get?

I have looked at the Roam 1 in the shop and it says : 700x40C, but the rim says 622x19 (euro 597.6)

So I am kind of confused?

I would like to change our tires to Marathon Plus Tour but struggling to make sure which size to look for?


Any advice re tyres? Size? Fitting? Please.. Can I fit them myself? Is it worth changing over to these tyres?

 

[Tim Hall]

The marking on the rim is the bead seat diameter (622mm) and the internal width (19mm). For various, mostly daft, reasons, tyre sizes can be quoted in a whole load of different ways, leading to confusion and occasional bad language. Your 700 x 40C tyre is more properly called 40-622. You'll notice the 622 is the same as the 622mm of the bead seat diameter on the wheel. The 40 is 40mm, the external width of the tyre.
With me so far?
A rule of thumb is that the tyre width is between 1.4 and 2.2 times the internal rim width. So for a 19mm internal width, the fattest tyre is 19 x 2.2 = 42mm. Obviously there must be enough room on the bike frame to fit the tyre in.

So, back to the original question, I'd say a 700x40C tyre will be fine (again), but not much bigger. Marathon Plus have a reputation for two things: (a) very puncture resistant and (b) very difficult to get onto the rim. I've not tried them myself though.

How worn out are the existing tyres? If they're not too bad, I'd keep them (and keep them pumped up) until they're knackered or they really do get lots of punctures.

 

[suj999]

Thanks, much appreciated. I think I got some of that.. Think..
Why did it have to be so confusing?


My one is going to be a new tyre and the friend's Roam 2 still has tread on it.

The reason I asked about the change is, don't really want punctures when we are out in Epping forest..

Is the Schwalbe land cruser plus a reasonable off road tire?

But I may wait till a few rides like you suggest to see if we do get any punctures? But really don't want punctures as it will kill the fun..

 

[Racing roadkill]

Personally I'd go for 700 X 40, and Schwalbe Marathon plus tyres. They are a sod to get on and off the rim, but you probably won't need to take them off, unless they are worn out, or you have a tube failure, which has nothing to do with sharp stuff intruding through to the tube.

 

[Sharky]

Regardless of which tyre you use, punctures will always happen. Best to make sure you are practiced in tyre removal and applying patches. If you get more than one or two a year, then review the tyres.

 

[Garry A]

I swapped the original tyres on my Roam 2 with regular non + marathons as I kept getting punctures. The tread is ok for roads, canal paths and forest tracks but I wouldn't use them on mountain bike routes. They are very puncture resistant though. I got 700x35

 

[Nibor]

Thanks, much appreciated. I think I got some of that.. Think..
Why did it have to be so confusing?

Is the Schwalbe land cruser plus a reasonable off road tire?

.

These are excellent tyres and I run these for my off road bike and they roll really wel on the road too. They have the added advantage of being rated up to 85 PSI which is great on tarmac too. Really p****** resistant too

 

[John the Monkey]

A handy chart for min/max sizes (for your wheel rims - as others point out, you must consider frame clearance too).

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html#width

Marathon Plus are *the* tyre if you want as few punctures as possible.

The trade off is that heavily puncture protected tyres can feel a bit heavy and lifeless. After using the Continental Touring Plus (a similarly heavily protected tyre) on one of my bikes, I went back to Continental Comfort Contact, because they felt so much better on the bike. Both those tyres have the sort of "mostly decorative" tread you see in the picture Garry posted.

I do use Marathon Plus on my Brompton, because I don't really do "fun" riding on that, and because changing a rear wheel puncture on a Brompton is a chore.

 

[suj999]

Can I ask why the marathon plus are recommended over land cruser plus?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/schwalbe-land-cruiser-plus-bike-tyre-2016/rp-prod143783

As these go cheaper and seem to be more suited to off tarmac use?

 

[Nibor]

The Marathon are really for on Tarmac the Landcruiser plus is brand new out this year so not much experience of it I believe.

I again recommend the Landcruiser plus for trail use it ia a great and capable tyre.

 

[Nibor]

There are some great deals out there too http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/371053978546?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

[mjr]

Marathon Plus are *the* tyre if you want as few punctures as possible.

The trade off is that heavily puncture protected tyres can feel a bit heavy and lifeless.

Yes, that's the third thing M+ are known for. Unless they've changed it again, Schwalbe's Plus tyres have armoured tread and sidewalls which makes them very puncture-resistant but not as easily flexible which means a slower or less comfortable ride. The ordinary Marathons have thickly-armoured treads but softer sidewalls so they give a lot more cushioning while still keeping the same protection where it's most often needed. Finally, their K-guard tyres like the Landcruiser or my preferred Delta Cruisers have a more thinly-armoured tread so are very comfortable while still having some protection.

I'd say the cruiser tyres will have a puncture about once every eight weeks of riding on debris-strewn tarmac while Marathons will probably survive over three months. I'd expect fewer punctures on forest trails and you might really appreciate the greater cushioning - mixed tarmac and forest trails seems like the sort of situation that cruiser tyres are ideal for.

Also, consider practising puncture repair and carrying a repair sealant canister for those times (wet, cold, dark, late) when you really don't want to stop.

 

[suj999]

Thanks for the help all, much appreciated.