Which tyre should I get for a Brompton?

[Kell]

that's because a whole ride average speed uses moving time, so excludes stopped time (at junctions etc) but a segment uses the full time, so people cant "cheat" by having a rest halfway up a hill and then pressing on to steal a KOM

Makes sense.

 

[Kell]

So, according to the MainTrack app, it took just 460 miles to get my first puncture in the Contis. Big piece of flint - where I live, lots of houses are brick/flint construction, so you get lots of little pieces of ultra-sharp flint everywhere.

One ride on my road bike at this time of year, I got five punctures in 40 miles.

Switched back to the M+ for the winter.

 

[T4tomo]

the only punctures I ever got on my brommie were on the 2005 issue standard brompton reflective tyre. Once I switched to marathons (not the plus version) I was untroubled thereafter... but London streets, which was their main usage, is not very flinty!

 

[berlinonaut]

If flints are very common on your routes you won't be able to escape from punctures w/o Marathon Green, Marathon + or Tannus tires. Unfortunately the faster the tires are the more vulnerable are they and vice versa the less vulnerable/more massive the heavier and slower they are. Possibly in such an environment the Marathon Green is the best compromise in terms of minimizing risc to an acceptable level while maintaining an acceptable rolling resistance.

 

[Kell]

This is the first actual 'puncture' I've had on the Brompton - had the bike 7 years. I think I mentioned earlier in this thread that the only other time I've had an issue was when the front brake calliper wasn't done up properly and rocked forward under heavy braking - enough to wear a hole in the sidewall.

I've always maintained I'd rather have a slower ride on M+ than a faster ride on something with less protection, but thought I'd give these a go.

Think this experiment has convinced me to make the Contis a summer only tyre when there's less debris.

It was absolutely chucking it down and dark when it happened too adn I didn't really fancy changing the tube by the side of the road. Instead of about a five minute ride, I walked about 25 minutes home.

 

[tinywheels]

The puncture is a brompton rider's worst nightmare.
I've had 3 in as many years. How I wished I was on a bike with qr wheels on those occasions.
I caught a taxi to avoid having to repair my last one. Did it over lunch in the warmth 😊

 

[berlinonaut]

This is the first actual 'puncture' I've had on the Brompton - had the bike 7 years. I think I mentioned earlier in this thread that the only other time I've had an issue was when the front brake calliper wasn't done up properly and rocked forward under heavy braking - enough to wear a hole in the sidewall.

Were you running M+ before or the standard Brompton Kevelar? If the flint situation has been the same over this period as it is now and you ran the Kevelar something less massive than M Green or M+ like The M Racer could also be ok.
Also one single data point of a puncture is not statistically significant. While it may seem logical to see the cause in the change of tires it may just be a correlation and the puncture the random one that hits once in ten years, no matter what.

 

[ukoldschool]

I put up with punctures and stick with Kojaks, the feel and lack of rolling resistance is worth the trade off to me (London roads)

 

[Kell]

The tyres I have on now are the ones I removed to put the contis on.

Didn't see a need to buy anything new. Might just do what I do with the cars and run winter and summer tyres.

 

[Kell]

I put up with punctures and stick with Kojaks, the feel and lack of rolling resistance is worth the trade off to me (London roads)

It was noticeable moving TO the contis that they were faster. But it seems MORE noticeable now I've switched back. Feels like pedaling through treacle.

Were you running M+ before or the standard Brompton Kevelar? If the flint situation has been the same over this period as it is now and you ran the Kevelar something less massive than M Green or M+ like The M Racer could also be ok.
Also one single data point of a puncture is not statistically significant. While it may seem logical to see the cause in the change of tires it may just be a correlation and the puncture the random one that hits once in ten years, no matter what.

Yes, the tyres now on were the ones I took off. My thinking now is just to run the M+ in winter and the conti in summer.

 

[berlinonaut]

I put up with punctures and stick with Kojaks, the feel and lack of rolling resistance is worth the trade off to me (London roads)

I do have a Brommi with Kojacs, one with M Racers, one with Scorchers and one with Marathon Green to choose from (And plenty of different tires and tubes as spare parts). So I can choose according to mood and circumstances and furthermore do have resilience/backup in case of a puncture. Admittedly a bit of a luxury solution.

 

[rogerzilla]

The puncture is a brompton rider's worst nightmare.
I've had 3 in as many years. How I wished I was on a bike with qr wheels on those occasions.
I caught a taxi to avoid having to repair my last one. Did it over lunch in the warmth 😊

The nightmare would be watching one of the many loose fittings roll down a drain cover.

 

[jay clock]

i spent two hours last night changing tyres.

from schwalbe marathon plus - 9 years old but not much usage last 8 years - to Conti Contact Urban

What a ball ache. Front one not ridiculously difficult, but the lack of quick release on the break makes reinserting the wheel, a bit of a Pfaff. The actual tyre removal from the Rim fantastically easy

The real one has the major pain of trying to work out how to reassemble all the gear mechanism.

Assembled. I noticed that the tire was not seated properly where the valve is. So the wheel was very slightly Oval.

I then had to remove it again and fit a new tube.

Around two hours total. If I do get any more punctures, it will definitely be taxi for me.

Looking forward to seeing if the handling, improves dramatically with the new tires as the old ones are like a piece of concrete

 

[Fastpedaller]

I'd favour a smooth tyre rather than a treaded one - stones can get caught in the tread and cause a puncture, plus treaded ones are probably heavier. Forgive my 'sweeping statement' answer, but I have no knowledge of the particular tyres in question.

 

[T4tomo]

i spent two hours last night changing tyres.

from schwalbe marathon plus - 9 years old but not much usage last 8 years - to Conti Contact Urban

What a ball ache. Front one not ridiculously difficult, but the lack of quick release on the break makes reinserting the wheel, a bit of a Pfaff. The actual tyre removal from the Rim fantastically easy

The real one has the major pain of trying to work out how to reassemble all the gear mechanism.

Assembled. I noticed that the tire was not seated properly where the valve is. So the wheel was very slightly Oval.

I then had to remove it again and fit a new tube.

Around two hours total. If I do get any more punctures, it will definitely be taxi for me.

Looking forward to seeing if the handling, improves dramatically with the new tires as the old ones are like a piece of concrete

ah brings back memories, I only had a puncture before I changed to marathon (not +) tyres on mine from the old Brommie tyres.

taxi and fix at your leisure is definitely "the way"

A couple of tips

• you only inflate the tyre after you've reattached it, that way the lack of a brake release doesnt matter.
• for the rear I always found having he bike laid on its side and the rear end flopped in a bit helped with removal and refit of chain tensioner etc.
• if in doubt take a photo of the back end before you disassemblke