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resolvedHello All,
My hybrid currently has Specialized Nimbus tyres on (mtb 26" rims), they are both cracking around the tread and the carcass(sp?) is showing suggesting to me it's time for a new pair(!)
So, what's the best road type tyre for an MTB rim? I ride in (almost) all weathers and like the speed of the nimbus, but don't have any experience of other types, thoughts??
Thanks, GS
I've had my Continental Touring plus tyre on my rear wheel for a couple of years and had no probs at all, no punctures (touch wood). It's done about 2,000 miles and shows hardly any wear despite all the nonsense Edinburgh's roads throws at it. Seems to be quite zippy compared to the sluggish Schwalbe Marathon Plus which I ditched.
Mine is actually a 700c x 28 tyre but I'm sure the protection is similar.
I'd go for the Schwalbe Kojak - got these on my commuter and I've never been happier with a tyre.
Fast and eat rough surfaces - and not even very heavy (or expensive). I've also - touch wood - not had a flat in over 2500 miles.
I think I just picked up the Schwalbe Marathon Plus and find it is too thcik to fit in side the mud guard, it is rubbing on the nut that holds the rear guard at the bottom and when wet and picking up dirt it makes even more noise... Check it will fit it you have fixed guards instead of the flappy MTB style
I've got Schwalbe Marathon Racers on my Birdy and they seem to be quite quick tyres (at least compared to the not-very-well-thought-off standard Birdy tyres).
I'd be interested to know if anyone has tried them in a bigger size. They do have a puncture resistant strip in them but I don't think they're anywhere near as robust as the Marathon Plus.
I have had Marathon Pluses on the fixed-wheel, I thought they came up quite large for their size (700x25).
Although indestructible I found them dodgy in the wet, not to mention the "dead" ride.
A good choice if you're desperate to avoid punctures though. I didn't manage to pierce them!
Marathon Plus are evil.
E V I L
Took me ages to get them on and when I punctured an inner tube in the process I had to use a knife and cable cutters to get the offending tyre back off again.
E V I L
@Dave - Yes, my Marathon Plus was very large for its size too, I remember thinking. I think it has a significant amount of Kevlar lining which gives it a bulbous appearance and slowed down the ride. Trade-offs I suppose.
I jinxed myself by posting last night about p*nctures. This morning I got a p*ncture on my road bike (which has slick Conti gator tyres which have hardly any resistance, so I suppose I shouldn't complain).
Personally I use Conti GatorSkins, but I don't know if they would fit your rim. I haven't had any problems over several thousand miles of use.
Schwalbe Marathon Racers
Good tyre in 26 too. Used on many bikes and trikes I've supplied.
I've used Nimbuses myself before...
The problem I had fitting Marathon Pluses was that when I pushed on the second bead, the rigidity of the carcass pushed the first bead back off the other side!
Unlike many, I had no problems with tightness as far as fitting/removal went.
When I recently helped my brother-in-law fix up his old bike, we put on Schwalbe City Jets (which were the cheapest slick-like tyres I could find). He seems pleased with them.
Sometimes the Plus will go on easier if you put the bead of the first side into the well in the rim.
I've also got one of these:
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-VAR-VAR-Tyre-Levers-903.htm
as a persuader.
If the Marathon Plus is too wide for your frame then the normal Marathon might do it. They are quite tough too.
We've drifted onto Marathons but the OP didn't express a rabid desire for eternal puncture-proofness at the expense of everything else...
I stand by my original recommendation - Schwalbe Kojaks (or the Marathon Racer)
I'm a little peeved that Schwalbe have stopped making 349mm Stelvios so I'll be moving to Kojaks when my current tyres wear out.
I was a die-hard 23mm man until I settled for Kojaks on the lowracer (they're substantially wider - 35mm I think).
I chose them because you can't jump over potholes on a recumbent, but in the end they seem to be just as fast, perhaps faster than narrow slicks (probably because our roads are so unlike a velodrome surface!) as well as having the extra air cushion.
There is a fairly substantial weight difference between the wire and kevlar bead Kojak so I think I'll fit kevlars on the Superlight. Its flying start acceleration is pretty good so keeping weight off the wheels is appealing to my occasional weight weenie. Standing start isn't so great because it has a 54" low gear.
So... the marathons are heavy and may not fit inside my mudguards (and are evil! ;-))
Kojak's sound ok, but I wonder how pure slicks will behave on the old railway during/after rain?
Garorskins sound possible, skinny, but possible,
Continental Touring plus, a bit fat (1.75, mudguard clearance?) and seem to be limited to less than 60psi,
but, are they any better than the nimbus?!? (nimbi? what is the plural anyway??)
Marathons are ok, Marathon Plus are noticeably less nippy (well in the 349mm size they are). They are heavier and the sides don't deform as easily.
You can find the weights listed here:
http://www.schwalbe.co.uk/c1-1067-tour.html
Tread has nothing to do with grip on a bike tyre running on the road.
In car tyres it's only there to expel water. Bike tyres have a curved profile where they hit the road and aren't going to aquaplane at any speed you're likely to manage.
I had gatorskins on when did the carpet tack etape - no punctures, I think 25mm, swapped back to Marathon Plus 28mm for commute. They are difficult to get on and off if you do get a puncture. I had one once out on the canal towpath by linlithgow - was a Hawthorn spike. The can repel bullets but not hawthorn spikes. As stated they slow you down. I would gauge I am 5 minutes slower in any hour on Marathon Plus than I am on gatorskins.
I think the width is an issue (when it comes to fitting), anything less than 28mm on Marathon Plus is a devil to work if you do get a puncture. The real mechanics will not use tools (apart of course from their opposable thumbs which along with consciousness separates us marginally from the beasts). It is the tool not the tyre which clips the inner tube when putting on a tyre causing the heartache and annoyance described in this wee string. I once ordered tyres off Wiggle in a cheap deal with inner tubes. Alas when the inners came they were the skinniest things I have ever seen and I punctured both putting them on. Saving out the window, gembo hotfooting it to EBC for 3 for a tenner tubes. That was about the end of my internet shopping for bike stuff. I switched tot he wondrous The Bike Chain for all goods at this point.
I've got some Continental City Contacts on mine, which are fairly cheap n cheerful and pretty puncture resilient (much more so than the City Jets they replaced (first ever bike tyre I've worn out! (Woo!))). They're also thinner than the city jet and roll pretty well too.
Admittedly a big arse thorn got through on my last ride (whenever that was) but they came off and went back on super quick and super easy. Oh, and they usually come with a free inner tube.
"It is the tool not the tyre which clips the inner tube when putting on a tyre causing the heartache and annoyance"
Not strictly true; using tyre levers increases chance of nippy nipping punctures, but it's possible to trap the tube even when using just thumbs/palms.
When putting back any tube/tyre it's a good idea to partly inflate the tube - but with narrow/tight tyres this can make things more difficult!
I have never quite understood why some tyres are much more difficult than others. You'd think that after all this time manufacturers of tyres and rims would do something.
Punctures are one serious inconvenience for commuters and often stop 'casual' cyclists from cycling.
Some people (especially children) think flat tyre = punture.
"Why don't you use your bike?"
"It's got a puncture"
"How do you know"
"Tyre's flat"
"Have you tried blowing it up?"
"Havent got a pump"
When you persuade them to rescue it and pump up the tyres (kids love using track pumps), most times the tyres stay up.
If not, you show them how to fix the puncture.
Fortunately most kids have "mountain bikes" - it's usually easy get tyres off/on.
"Tread has nothing to do with grip on a bike tyre running on the road."
Indeed, but the old railway path I mentioned has a mud/slime covering after rain... ;-)
Hmmm... mud might be beyond the tread on a Top Touring or Marathon/Plus.
I've used Stelvios in snow but I think it was pushing the snow out of the way and contacting the road. The track I left behind me was road coloured.
Certainly the nimbii are fine in mild mud, I just wonder if I can get better or if I should just stick with them...
The Kojaks are pure slicks, so they'll be hopeless over loose surfaces like mud or snow (I know the latter in detail because I tried a couple of times to ride the lowracer this winter!)
On a solid surface, slicks give most grip, but once the surface is mobile, you need the nobblies!
So... there's no real consensus then so probably I'm as well sticking to the Specialized Nimbus in 1.5 x 26 pumped up to 90psi-ish then....
In a week or so I'll have had 1k miles from them, they grip enough on tarmac and in light mud, they're pretty easy to push along and no punctures so far (touch wood). Unless someone knows different I guess it's resolved!
You know what they say, if it's not broken....
Ironically I had my first flat yesterday (but for over 2,500 miles that's still not bad going). The carcass feels like it has a reasonable amount of depth left but has a few little nicks, so perhaps I should look to retire them at the one year mark?
We sell metric tons of M'Plus tyres in all sizes every year. We agree with all the comments re deadness of ride, weight, pain in the ass installation.
BUT if you want a near 'nuke from orbit proof' tyre then they are ace.
If your riding involves less puncture likelihoodness then standard Marathons are nice.
Min - we should sort some others for you if you like (presuming we sold you them of course...)
You didn't but thanks anyway. :-) I didn't want anything with the word marathon in the title after that, or with any of the letters from the word marathon etc etc..
Min didn't want anything with the word marathon
Kojaks would be good for you then ;-)
Dave plugged them earlier I see. They are light and I'm fitting them on my next demo bike.
Schwalbe now have Duranos which seem good. As used in the LEL Audax by LB rider. Schwalbe seem to be going hyper intoducing new tyres. Only thing holding them back is trying to find new names.
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