All about wheels and tyres

[Yellow Saddle]

Thanks for the reply, I accept they don't claim they are puncture proof, but they do say it is "Flat-less" the following is on their website:

THE NEW FLAT-LESS TIRE.
Schwalbe’s best selling model. The most puncture resistant pneumatic tire there is. In addition to the superior puncture protection it features many inner values:

Less than 500 miles, and only 6 weeks use, before "the most puncture resistant pneumatic tire there is" suffers a puncture is a bit of a let down. Perhaps I'm just a bit angry at the moment and should have chilled out a bit before going on here, but anyway, their website also says they stand by the quality of their products and if you think it is a warranty issue go back to your dealer. I'm not overly optimistic but I'm going to see what the LBS says - still got my receipt.

I'll probably get up tomorrow and think I was just unlucky, but if anyone in future starts singing the praises of the M+ as they have to me in the past, they are likely to be on the end of an unexpected tongue lashing.

You really don't have a case and please don't harass the shop owner. Punctures happen. The thicker the tyre, the less chance of it happening but riding over a little sharp glass knife standing upright thanks to a recent agitation by your front wheel will penetrate any rubber. It is the luck of the draw. Puncture resistance is a function of tyre thickness and no-one is prepared to ride a totally puncture proof tyre because it will be a solid tyre, not a pneumatic one.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Sadly I was not amongst them. Spent 2 years on the stock level set before I realised that I can get a better ride.

In what way was the better ride better?

 

[Arrowfoot]

'Speed' was a word I used, as (presumably) one of your potential 'differences' - which you didn't actually specify. Perhaps you could clarify what 'differences you were referring to?


The opnus is on you to clarify what differences exist. You are the one claiming there are differences, not me.



Most bikes are not flourescent pink either - what's your point?



Er, in your original post, see below:

Looks like you made some assumptions.

 

[Citius]

Looks like you made some assumptions.

A bit like you in your opening post then. Except yours are generally wrong. Meanwhile I look forward to the clarifications that myself and others are asking for...

 

[Arrowfoot]

A bit like you in your opening post then. Except yours are generally wrong. Meanwhile I look forward to the clarifications that myself and others are asking for...

Again which part of the post is wrong? Not interested in splitting hairs about definitions of terms stock and entry levels. Typically both and you and Yellow Saddle will explain in detail when a post contains errors and we all benefit from it.

 

[Psycolist]

As with so many of these controversial posts, you can put as much science into your argument, you can throw as much money at the topic, you can push your point of view to the n'th degree, but its all about your own personal preference & experience. PR2's and 501's are about the standard of wheel I ride. I cant justify investing hundreds of pounds into a component when I only ride a couple of thousand miles a year, and then only for my own pleasure. Marathons are my tyre of choice as they will cope with any weather, any temperature, any surface, ( except melting tar ) but roll freely while giving ample grip in poor conditions. I have come to these conclusions by trying many many different wheel and tyre set ups over a long period of time. Yes there are wheels that allow me to climb my local nemesis 3 seconds quicker than my 501's do, and yes there are lighter, or gripier or more fancy looking tyres than my Marathons, but they don't suit my needs to the same level that my Marathons suit me. And I think that's the point of my post. Use equipment and components that suit your riding and pocket, but never be frightened to try something else !

 

[Arrowfoot]

I feel that some more information is required by @Arrowfoot to prevent the thread "going downhill", ending up in a slanging match and being Closed.

• this might be true for the lower end/ value-for-money bikes but one would not expect it to be true for a more expensive machine (> £1200 ?), as the wheel-set upgrade is often one of the main selling points
• perhaps a better definition of the "various price bands" would be helpful ?
• examples of what you consider to be "stock and entry- level grades" of wheels and tyres would be helpful too

MOD HAT ON:
Please can everyone respond to the points being made in the thread and not respond to what-they-think-they-know-about-the-OP. This could be a very useful thread for newer, less experienced members, so everyone do your best not to let it wander.

Thanks Swoosh. I would not worry too much. I had this in the third sentence of my opening post. I will surprised if most folks don't get it.

"The wheels and tyres however are pretty much stock and entry level grades except for the top range."

Anyway the post is to help enable discussions on equipment for the cycling lot, throw out myths including mine that I might have created or propagated and educate some of us. I thought the wheels and tyres were not talked about much except on the frequent theme of puncture protection.

 

[Citius]

Again which part of the post is wrong? Not interested in splitting hairs about definitions of terms stock and entry levels. Typically both and you and Yellow Saddle will explain in detail when a post contains errors and we all benefit from it.

Generalisations are rarely helpful, and your OP contained a lot of them. For instance...

As a moving contraption, once you are in particular gear combination, the wheels and tyres make all the difference

So - you say they make 'all the difference'. What difference do they make? And how are you qualifying or quantifying it? You can't just say 'it makes a difference' without saying what difference it makes.

For tyres, look for TPI of least 150. These are light, about 225grams, have reduced rolling resistance and typically comes with puncture protection kevlar strip or similar.

YS has already addressed some of this, but TPI has no relevance to a tyre's weight.

Unless you are into racing, 25c tyre pumped to 100psi will give you decent rides.

Again, massively over-simplistic. It's quite possible that a 25mm tyre inflated to 100psi will give you a worse ride than you had before - depending on who you are, where you are riding and what kind of surfaces you are riding on. I used to run 23s at 80-90psi - if I rode 25s at 100psi, I would be bouncing around like a space hopper.

 

[Arrowfoot]

Generalisations are rarely helpful, and your OP contained a lot of them. For instance...



So - you say they make 'all the difference'. What difference do they make? And how are you qualifying or quantifying it? You can't just say 'it makes a difference' without saying what difference it makes.



YS has already addressed some of this, but TPI has no relevance to a tyre's weight.



Again, massively over-simplistic. It's quite possible that a 25mm tyre inflated to 100psi will give you a worse ride than you had before - depending on who you are, where you are riding and what kind of surfaces you are riding on. I used to run 23s at 80-90psi - if I rode 25s at 100psi, I would be bouncing around like a space hopper.

Again what are the errors in the opening post? Again where in the post do I say TPI is relevant to tyre's weight?

 

[Citius]

We are going round in circles here. The problems are with your complete lack of clarity. I already answered the TPI question twice...

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Again where in the post do I say TPI is relevant to tyre's weight?

"For tyres, look for TPI of least 150. These are light, about 225grams"

Any reasonable person would read this and assume that lightweight tyres have a TPI of at least 150. I can' read anything else into it.

However, please elucidate your understanding of TPI and its bearing on tyre quality.

 

[Scoosh]

As Posted previously:

MOD HAT ON:
Please can everyone respond to the points being made in the thread and not respond to what-they-think-they-know-about-the-OP. This could be a very useful thread for newer, less experienced members, so everyone do your best not to let it wander.

Unfortunately, some people have been - and maybe still are - unable to stop the petty bickering and demanding all details down to the smallest detail, so another thread has to be Closed.