Schwalbe Kojak tyres - any good for city commuting?

[Foyzy]

Hi all,

I am just about to take the plunge and start commuting in London. Next week I am taking delivery of a new Cannondale Bay Boy and can't wait to get going.

The question I have is, are the Schwalbe Kojak tyres it comes with any good for city commuting? I know they are very light and fast, but does anyone have any experience of their puncture resistance? ideally I do not want to run very heavy tyres but equally I cannot afford to have too many punctures as I will be commuting to work. Can any Bay Boy owners / Kojak users give any views?

I am toying with the idea of having the bike fitted with some Specialized Armadillo All Condition tyres for peace of mind, but if people here think the Kojaks are a good tyre then I might stick with whats on the bike for now.

Any advice gratefully recevied!

 

[jefmcg]

I'd keep the kojaks until they wear out, then buy something else. I've gone through a lot of 16" Kojaks. Didn't get a whole lot of flats from them, but the sidewalls are thin. I had an on going issue with my rear brakes getting out of adjustment and touching the tyre: it didn't take much of that for the tyre to pop like a balloon - ok, make a bang as it deflated. My last Kojak was on the front wheel: not much wear on the road surface, but something had torn at the rubber on the sidewall (not the brake this time) and the fabric was showing through. They'd done about 4,700km on the road at that point: not brilliant for a front tyre, but not a disaster.

 

[mattsr]

I don't know the Kojaks, but if you want to be as puncture-proof as possible, go for Schwalbe Marathon Plus. I've been commuting on them for over two years without a single puncture.

 

[Foyzy]

Thanks for the replies. Does anyone else out there have any experience with the Kojaks? Still can't decide whether to leave them on or not!

 

[BlackPanther]

If puncture prevention is a priority then Marathon Plus offers far better protection. I've not used Kojaks, but reviews online don't fare well. In my opinion, the 25mm M+s are pretty quick, and just about bullet proof.

Personally, I'd be looking to swap the tyres anyway as they look like they're 35mm (?) on the BadBoy, so I'd want thinner for better acceleration/top speed.

 

[Foyzy]

Thanks, the Bad Boy comes with 700X28 tyres so Will be looking to fit that size. Yes I have heard good things about the Marathon Pluses but also that they are very heavy. Specialized Armadillo All Condition tyres are supposed to be as bulletproof as the Marathons, but lighter and faster? Does anyone have any experience of both?

 

[Deleted member 1258]

If you are looking at puncture protection try Bontrager Race lite HardCases

http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/119612.html

but as others have said try and wear out the stock tyres first, I've still got the stock tyres from my Verenti hanging in the shed, never been used and will more than likely end up in the bin, I swapped the tyres as soon as I got the bike.

 

[BlackPanther]

Yes I have heard good things about the Marathon Pluses but also that they are very heavy.

Well they are a bit heavier, but on a commuter when you're weighed down anyway with work panniers full of work stuff, lunch, riding gear etc etc the extra weight is pretty negligible. I suppose that once you're moving you also have a bit more momentum stored up in the extra weight......it really isn't noticeable to me. Tyre width is more important for making faster progress, so I'd just go for as thin a tyre as is safe.

2 x Marathon plus tyres for £44.95 free p&p. Cheapest I can find. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-Schwa...sure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item41620387e9

 

[Foyzy]

Thanks for all the advice. I think I am swaying towards the Specialized Armadillos - they are around half the weight of the Marathon Pluses and online reviews would suggest they have excellent puncture resistance. This, plus the fact they are virtually slick means they will be faster than the Scwalbe's too i assume? Any Armadillo users care to share their experiences?

 

[ianrauk]

Thanks for all the advice. I think I am swaying towards the Specialized Armadillos - they are around half the weight of the Marathon Pluses and online reviews would suggest they have excellent puncture resistance. This, plus the fact they are virtually slick means they will be faster than the Scwalbe's too i assume? Any Armadillo users care to share their experiences?

I use Aramdillos on my 35 mile SE London round commute. They are good tyres, thought not the fastest. But they are pretty good when it comes to puncture protection. However they do cut up a little.

One thing I do and suggest you do also is to check the tyres after each ride. For splinters, grit, glass etc, anything that is stuck in the rubber. Dig these out or they can work their way in. Get into the habit of doing this (takes a few seconds to check) and the tyres will last a very long time.

In 1 year of commuting I had 3 punctures. 2 was glass, (one of those was an unavoidable broken glass bottle) another was due to a road being dug up and a very sharp flint deciding it would like to meet my innertube.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Thanks, the Bad Boy comes with 700X28 tyres so Will be looking to fit that size. Yes I have heard good things about the Marathon Pluses but also that they are very heavy. Specialized Armadillo All Condition tyres are supposed to be as bulletproof as the Marathons, but lighter and faster? Does anyone have any experience of both?

I run 26x1.35 folding Kojaks on my folder because they are amongst the lightest tyres for 26" or under money can buy. Since the added weight of a non-folding version has nothing to do with puncture protection, and since there is no such thing as "the lightest AND most puncture proof" tyre, I think whether Kojaks are acceptable to you is going to be entirely dependent on your circumstance and your priorities. If I were seeking compromise I would consider Conti Sport Contact.

The 2" Kojaks are particularly good for people who want the comfort associated with suspension but without the weight of mechanical contraptions or even the heft of the Big Apple.

Having said all that while they might be oem specials, Kojaks aren't available in 700x28, only 700x35. You might therefore want to wait and see what actually come with the bike.

 

[StuAff]

Sport Contacts are pretty good, the set I've had lasted me well despite previous hard use (second-hand bike). One puncture on the Speed Pro TT, but that was a big chunk of glass that would have wrecked any tyre. Marathons (the 'plain' Marathon) have been utterly reliable for me in 20" & 700C sizes. And despite their weight, they take high PSI & roll well. An excellent compromise. Marathon Racers are not so hard wearing but noticeably lighter and a bit quicker. Probably go for those or the Marathon Supreme when the tyres on the Portland are done. For a tough slick, I've been delighted with Durano Plus.

 

[Bodhbh]

I commuted on Kojaks a few months. I had no problems on roads, but there's stretch of cycle path notorious for hawthorn flats that I got a couple of puctures on. I've never had problems with Marathons down that stretch. So, I don't the protection is particularly high. I'd probably just ride on them and see how they do.

They were the fastest tyres I've had on the MTB by a long stretch, but in the end changed to a muddy route in so gave them to a flatmate and went back to tyres with a more aggresive tread.

 

[Leodis]

I have just picked up a Cannondale Badboy R4, I find the Kojaks very good for speed and feel. The problem with changing to a more protected tyre is that you add weight and lose feel, some say adding Marathon Plus is like riding a different bike altogether.

I am seeing how the Kojacks go, if they are too prone to flats then I will change to Conti Gattors or something else like that rather than a heavy tyre.

Having said all that while they might be oem specials, Kojaks aren't available in 700x28, only 700x35. You might therefore want to wait and see what actually come with the bike.

The badboy comes with 700x28 with Race Guard as standard.

Kojacks are made for roads and they perform best on roads. The great thing about this bike is that you can throw some 26" or 29"s on it and its a full on mountain bike, thats one of the things I love about it as well as the sexy looks.

Which BB did you go for?

 

[Friz]

I run Kojaks in the summer and have not had a puncture yet with them. The face of them is rather robust and they are fast as hell on tarmac. Only thing you really need to be careful of is any slime on the roads. It's like dancing on ice.