Schwabe Marathon Plus. Expensive, but light and I replace tires once or twice a year, with about 100 miles/week commuting.
2014-06-11 17:57:50
14
*TIRE*d of flats
Heh, heh
I've been using Ribmo's for a few years now, probably gone through a dozen of them
I'm wondering if anybody else is using something different for commuting?
I had a couple where the wire blew out from changing the tire and a couple that I had to toss because they got holes in them that resulted in the bulge, which would eventually wear down and result in more flats.
I don't do a very good job at keeping track of mileage, but I think I've only had two out of that dozen that I actually wore down to the threads and didn't have to ditch before that point for another failure
Is there anything more durable out there?
2014-06-11 16:11:05
I was looking at those on Peter White's page... they do look appealing
2014-06-11 18:51:04
I also use the Schwalbe Marathon Plus and love love love them. I've had one flat in prob 13K miles, it was a roofing nail that I just impaled the tire on. I get about 7K miles out of a front tire, and about 5k miles out of a rear tire.
They're so reliable that I use them and keep wearing them out until the nail-resistant inner blue layer is clearly visible - then I replace them. They are expensive, but man you just don't get too many flats with them.
2014-06-11 19:49:28
I've had good luck with the Vittoria Randonneurs but I don't have any reason to believe they are more or less reliable than the RIBMOs. I did do the "break the wire loose while changing the tire" thing but otherwise no problems. I've had one puncture in 5 years plus 3 pinch flats (2 of those were on the f'n C&O).
2014-06-11 20:31:39
I was confused by why I get only a year or less from my Schwalbe's and others get years, so I checked. I'm using the Schwalbe Marathon Supreme, not the Plus. These are much, much lighter tires than the Marathon Plus. So they last less long, but if you like light wheels and get the Marathon Plus by mistake, as I did once, you'll pray for the day they will finally wear out.
2014-06-12 07:13:35
I've had great luck with the ribmos. I usually run them on my fixed gear till they are pretty worn, then put them on my polo bike and ride them till the liner or threads begin to show AND I actually flat. I do think they don't ride as well as a lot of other tires. I'm going to try to switch back to thickslicks once my current pair of ribmos are worn out.
So long as I keep the pressure at over 90psi so I don't snakebite, it's very rare I have any issue. I'm surprised that you've had so many issues with them.
How/where did the bulges happen? Was that on the sidewalls or the riding surface?
2014-06-12 08:12:52
the f’n C&O
I believe there a petition to make this the official name. +1
2014-06-12 09:14:43
Continental Gatorskins have served me well. I commute from Moon Twp to Downtown over all sorts of hazards. I got about 4000 miles on the last pair and just replaced them as there wasn't much if any tread left and I didn't want to deal with possible flats on the way to work. Highly recommend them!
2014-06-12 19:24:44
I’m on my first set of ribmos with about 7k on them and they seem to have quite a bit of life left in them with only one flat that was tube related (stem pulled away from tube). They do roll a little slower than other tires I’ve used, but overall I’m happy with them. They can really be a pain to put on though, so I hope you didn’t resort to using levers to put the last bit of tire on – which might explain the bead separating from the tire. I’ve done this in the past with other tires and you cant fault the tires for what is “operator error”.
2014-06-12 21:55:05
Pierce, I know you are a bit of a chest pounder and probably wouldn't read my response, but I will give one anyway. If you want a really great tire, I would go with Conti 4 Season's. They are truly the best tire I have ever had. I have to run 23's because my fixed is to tight and I have had two flats in about 3 years. Not bad considering I have some sidewalk riding including the Highland Park Bridge which has some glass now and again. Enjoy your rides.
2014-06-12 23:37:13
I had solid tires for a couple of years. They were incredibly liberating--no concern about flats at all. Unfortunately, the people who make and market these (Airfree Tires) are a scam outfit and should be avoided. The idea is so obvious, and certainly good technology could be developed, that it boggles the mind that good solid tires aren't available. Since then I've used the Schwalbe Marathons like them quite a lot.
2014-06-13 08:37:42
Conti 4 Season. The best of the best. I ride them to about nothing and have had only three flats in 3 years. Not bad considering I ride over glass all the time. They also handle and ride like a dream. Not cheap, but great.
2014-06-16 00:56:53
Thanks for all the suggestions... If I had more wheels and money, I'd give them all a whirl. But for now, I chose the Marathon Plus's.
I agonize over pretty much every purchase and for my size (26x2), the Plus's cost about $50 a tire, but they seem to stand out as a top contender for flat protection.
Will now agonize over whether or not I should get a trekking bar or get a pair of linear pull aero brake levers, new drop bar and use my bar end shifters
2014-06-20 12:31:35