Puncture proof tyres

[Missrizz]

Hi,

I had puncture proof tyres fitted to my bike due to too many punctures. Only problem is it's now made my bike heavy and feels slow, doesnt roll like it use it.

Is there a way of keeping the puncture proof tyres and speeding it back up or am I better off removing them and putting normal ones back on?

Thanks

 

[steveindenmark]

Short answer. No not really. The added protection adds weight.

Someone will come and mention tubeless. Good luck with that 😁🍀

 

[wafter]

Like for like puncture-resistant tyres will always be heavier and have more rolling resistance thanks to the additional material beneath the surface of the tyre. That said the levels of resileance vary, and with them the extent of the negatives.

Also, all puncture resistance tyres are not created equal and some are much better than others; so there may be some gains to be had by changing them if you've had a particularly crappy set fitted. What make an model are the tyres concerned?

 

[boydj]

I commuted for 8 years on Conti GP 4 Seasons and had only 1 puncture in all that time. They're light and fast, but reasonably well protected, as long as you keep them pumped up to the recommended pressure.

I did try Schwalbe Marathons at one point, but they were heavy and slow.

 

[Missrizz]

Thanks for the replies, I couldnt tell you the make of them!
I shall pop into my local bike store and see what they can do, before I had these tyres my bike was great, nice and fast now just feels heavy and slow!

Thanks for the help

 

[Deafie]

I commuted for 8 years on Conti GP 4 Seasons and had only 1 puncture in all that time. They're light and fast, but reasonably well protected, as long as you keep them pumped up to the recommended pressure.

I did try Schwalbe Marathons at one point, but they were heavy and slow.

Was that the Marathon plus or the the regular HS420? I use both, I really like the regular Marathons, the pluses are horrible but utterly reliable.
I think we need to know what size tyres the OP is using to know what best to recommend.

 

[All uphill]

Was that the Marathon plus or the the regular HS420? I use both, I really like the regular Marathons, the pluses are horrible but utterly reliable.
I think we need to know what size tyres the OP is using to know what best to recommend.

That's my experience too.

After experimenting I now have Marathon on the front of my tourer and Marathon+ at the back, which works for me.

If the Marathon+ ever wears out (unlikely) I'll replace it with Marathon.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I needed to calibrate the sight on my .22 rifle, so I shot at the Marathon+ tyres on my hybrid ( from about 10 feet away ). They didn’t puncture, so they are pretty good as far as puncture resistance is concerned, although they are hellishly heavy, and do make the bike sluggish. But that’s good training.

 

[silva]

Since the marathon plus changed from green to blue antileak the punctures moved from once a year to 3 a year. One occasion was quite remarkable: a 1.5 cm rounded stone, not sharp or so, that somehow sticked in the tyre, smashed through outer wall then worked itself through the antileak. It was alike the antileak itself caused the stone to stay sticked to it. The tyre was 3 weeks before mounted new. Marathon plus have quite a price tag, alike twice another. Having a third puncture in such a short time I ceased buying them.
They're also a pain in the !ss to get off/on without damaging the edge with the steel cord in it.

 

[Cycleops]

You might check out this site which gives an overview of rolling resistance and puncture resistance:
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews
The two are always a trade off. The best compromise according to many on here are the Marathon Green Guards. I run some and can concur.

 

[ChrisEyles]

Yeah, I also use schwalbe marathon front and M+ rear on my tourer/commuter. Puncture resistance is very good, weight and rolling resistance noticeably not so good.

It's a trade off I'm happy to make for commuting, I'm less keen on it for weekend leisure rides but still use the bike for this purpose in bad weather.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I do a lot of my mileage on Marathon Greenguards and have had no visits from the Fairy on them and I find they roll and grip well. Yes, they're heavier than a flimsy racing tyre, but I don't have to spend half my time fixing punctures. There are some pretty puncture resistant light road tyres out there, but they are not cheap and they will not give the same service mileage that a Marathon will. Overall, the Greenguard version is a very reliable tyre, with a low cost per mile, and I do not find they feel slow. Compared to riding on a MTB knobbly tyre, a Marathon actually feels quite quick!

 

[Fab Foodie]

I commuted for 8 years on Conti GP 4 Seasons and had only 1 puncture in all that time. They're light and fast, but reasonably well protected, as long as you keep them pumped up to the recommended pressure.

I did try Schwalbe Marathons at one point, but they were heavy and slow.

My experience of these is good too. For general usage and light touring they've been fine.

 

[RobinS]

For fairly long haul touring (3 months at a go) we have got to the point where we will only buy Marathon Plus, or Plus Tour. Even when worn down so you are actually running on the puncture protection layer we have never had a penetration puncture using them. They do wear out though - typically 7,000 - 10,000km of heavily loaded touring - but that's a lot better than the 1,100km JanetS got out of an emergency purchased Vittoria Randonneur - got her from Bolzano to Bonn and that was it!

 

[Cycleops]

My experience of these is good too. For general usage and light touring they've been fine.

They come out quite well on the site I linked above.