Recommendation for Commuting Tyres

wrote:
I’ve been using Specialized Nimbus Armadillos for the last 5 or so
years. While I’ve been happy with them, I need to buy a new tyre & am
wondering if there’s now anything better (ie more puncture resistant /
better grip / faster / lighter / longer wearing)?

I doubt you'll find lighter and faster tyres that are also more puncture
resistant and hard wearing than Armadillos.

Panaracer Pasela or Vittoria Rubino Pro would be lighter and faster and
/reasonably/ puncture resistant.

~PB

I’ve been using Specialized Nimbus Armadillos for the last 5 or so
years. While I’ve been happy with them, I need to buy a new tyre & am
wondering if there’s now anything better (ie more puncture resistant /
better grip / faster / lighter / longer wearing)?

I did try a Schwalbe Marathon Plus a few years ago, but found it
almost impossible to fit (it took me over an hour) and it then blew
off the wheel. I’ve also noticed the Panacrer RiBMo (“the tyre that
commuters and tourers have been craving” according to one cycle shop
website).

My bike's a hybrid with 700 x 28 wheels & it's used mostly for
commuting across London.

Any recommendations / knowledge would be welcome.

Michael

On Jul 29, 11:48*am, wrote:
I’ve been using Specialized Nimbus Armadillos for the last 5 or so
years. *While I’ve been happy with them, I need to buy a new tyre & am
wondering if there’s now anything better (ie more puncture resistant /
better grip / faster / lighter / longer wearing)?

I did try a Schwalbe Marathon Plus a few years ago, but found it
almost impossible to fit (it took me over an hour) and it then blew
off the wheel. *I’ve also noticed the Panacrer RiBMo (“the tyre that
commuters and tourers have been craving” according to one cycle shop
website).

My bike's a hybrid with 700 x 28 wheels & it's used mostly for
commuting across London.

Any recommendations / knowledge would be welcome.

Michael

I've had no problem at all with Schwalbe marathons, kevlar fitted,
you'd have to cycle through a Greek wedding to get a puncture.

wrote:

I’ve been using Specialized Nimbus Armadillos for the last 5 or so
years. While I’ve been happy with them, I need to buy a new tyre & am
wondering if there’s now anything better (ie more puncture resistant /
better grip / faster / lighter / longer wearing)?

I did try a Schwalbe Marathon Plus a few years ago, but found it
almost impossible to fit (it took me over an hour) and it then blew
off the wheel.
6,500+ miles on Marathon Pluses without a puncture, look good for
another 1,000.

On Jul 29, 12:51*pm, Tosspot wrote:

* 6,500+ miles on Marathon Pluses without a puncture, look good for
another 1,000.

People seem to speak very highly of the Marathon Pluses ... I just had
a boatload of problems fitting one & gave up in the end.

I'm not sure if it was incompetence on my part, if it's a known
problem or I just got a duff one.

Michael

said the following on 29/07/2008 14:40:

People seem to speak very highly of the Marathon Pluses ... I just had
a boatload of problems fitting one & gave up in the end.

Look on the bright side - once it's on, it's not likely to need to come
off again until worn :-)

Some people, myself included, are not happy with the increased rolling
resistance of Marathon Pluses over, say, Schwalbe Speed Cruisers, for
instance.

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

On Tue, 29 Jul 2008 06:40:05 -0700 (PDT)
wrote:

On Jul 29, 12:51Â*pm, Tosspot wrote:

Â* 6,500+ miles on Marathon Pluses without a puncture, look good for
another 1,000.

People seem to speak very highly of the Marathon Pluses ... I just had
a boatload of problems fitting one & gave up in the end.

I'm not sure if it was incompetence on my part, if it's a known
problem or I just got a duff one.

More likely a problem with the rim-tape than the tyre.

wrote:
On Jul 29, 12:51 pm, Tosspot wrote:

6,500+ miles on Marathon Pluses without a puncture, look good for
another 1,000.

People seem to speak very highly of the Marathon Pluses ... I just had
a boatload of problems fitting one & gave up in the end.


I'm not sure if it was incompetence on my part, if it's a known
problem or I just got a duff one.

Never heard of that, mine came off easily when I swapped the front/rears
over 1,500 miles ago. Most common criticism is they are very heavy, but
I use them for commutes, and they've kept the ******* p*ncture fairies
at bay for over 2 years now.

On Jul 29, 2:40*pm, wrote:
On Jul 29, 12:51*pm, Tosspot wrote:

* 6,500+ miles on Marathon Pluses without a puncture, look good for
another 1,000.

People seem to speak very highly of the Marathon Pluses ... I just had
a boatload of problems fitting one & gave up in the end.

I'm not sure if it was incompetence on my part, if it's a known
problem or I just got a duff one.

Michael

I nearly blew a fuse when I first tried fitting an M+ a year or two
back - it was mostly incompetence on my part - since then I've learned
to only use one rim-tape. And when fitting, just as putting the tyre
back on with your hands starts to get difficult - hold it in place and
then use the heel of your thumb on the free hand to go round the rest
of the tyre pushing the bead into the hollow of the rim - then re-try
(pinching and rolling) the last bit of the tyre on by hand - if that
doesn't work repeat the pushing of the rim into the hollow and then
try again.

After practice it gets so you can fit any 'orrible combination without
levers. It can also make it easier if you fit the tyre first without
a tube (so there's nothing to damage) using long tyre-irons for max
leverage, then take it off again. Now the tyre's stretched a little
you can fit it as above (i.e. without any irons)

Others recommend washing up liquid or talc around the rim. Never had
any talc handy to apply.. Tried the washing up liquid but it's just
more mess than it's worth!

Regards,

Duncan

On Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:31:08 +0200, "Pete Biggs"
said in
:

Panaracer Pasela or Vittoria Rubino Pro would be lighter and faster and
/reasonably/ puncture resistant.

I wasn't impressed by the Pasela, I have to say. I now ride
Schwalbe Marathons on most bikes. And yes, every day there are one
or two guys I can't catch, but I am pretty quick for a middle-aged
asthmatic on a Brompton.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound