Anti-Puncture Bicycle Tyres?

Harlequin565

Harlequin565

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I've just had 2 punctures in 2 days and had to walk back home in this silly heat. It got me wondering whether there are options out there for the terribly lazy photographer-cyclist...

I go out 2-4 times a week doing variations on the same 8-10 mile circuit. Weekends I tyend to hit the canal footpaths, but mostly it's 50/50 road/woodland trail. The woodland trail is quite up & downy, very muddy, rooty and treacherous in the winter/wet so I have a mountain bike. It has 27.5" (x 2.25") wheels. Almost every puncture has been a bramble thorn of some sort.

I've read up on the internet, and seen Specialized Armadillo tyres (road tyres, not off-road, so no good for me) and Kenda tyres (don't seem to do anything in my size). Much of the internet says "go tubeless" but that involves lubricant, maintenance and faff, and sounds like it's for people who want to mess about with their tyres. You still get punctures with these tyres too. I also read about strips that go inside the tyre between tube and tyre, but these have had mixed reviews and are quite expensive. It seems to be more for running at lower PSI - which is getting too technical for me (i.e. I'm not bothered). There seem to be kevlar tyres out there, but none in my size or for MTBs.

I'm not sure whether it's just general lifespan either. I've had the current tyres (Schwelbe Nobby Nics) on this bike from new (2-3 years old) so I wonder if they could just be knackered? they seem fine. Lots of knobbly tread still in them.

I am thinking that a set of Schwelbe Marathon Plus tyres is the solution based in the internet searchers I've done. It's very difficult to tell I guess - I've gone a year without a puncture, then had 2 in 2 days, so internet "feeling" could be wrong/confirmation biased because punctures are so random. I'm a lazy cyclist. Often I've got a backpack of photo gear and when I get home, I sling the bike in the garage and go inside to do photography stuff. The bike is a means to an end.

There may be no answer to this, but just asking the question here in case there is a miracle tyre out there, or (more likely) a recommendation from people who know far more than I. Is there such a thing as a puncture proof tyre?
 
I've got Schwalbe Marathon Plus on my wheelchair which I use for over 12 hours a day every day. I do about 20-40km a week in the chair all in all over a range of surfaces and the only punctures I've had have occurred due to issues with the wheel and the tube, rather than anything coming through the tire itself. My current pair are about 2 years old. I'd recommend them
 
I commute to work 5 days a week by bike and swear by Schwalbe Marathons. Next step down is Schwalbe Durano's. I run a Durano on the front and a Marathon on the rear. I'm not going to mention the pun**** word but I do well!
 
Schwalbes are good, tight fit on the rim so be warned. Have used Spesh Armadillos, also seem fine, but heavier.
MTB wise,I used Panaracer Fires, don't recall them being puncture prone.
 
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Thanks everyone. Muchly helpful as usual.
 
Many years ago I had some kevlar lined mtb tyres on mine. Never had a puncture with them on.
 
Tubeless are less fuss than tubed once they're on - just add artists latex or Stan's no-tubes and laugh at thorns. You could also buy 'slime' tubes that contained a similar sealant at one time.

If you're getting 2 years from Nobby Nics then you aren't riding anywhere harsh (my set got a slash through the rather thin sidewall in the first couple of rides).
 
If you've had them on for a year and you're suddenly getting visitations then it might be time to replace, a picture might help :)
 
chris954 said:
Many years ago I had some kevlar lined mtb tyres on mine. Never had a puncture with them on.
Click to expand...

Any chance of something I can Google?

ancient_mariner said:
If you're getting 2 years from Nobby Nics then you aren't riding anywhere harsh (my set got a slash through the rather thin sidewall in the first couple of rides).
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The road is probably the harshest. Woodland is just mulchy and dirt. No stones/rocks.

Tori_T said:
I've used these tyre liners in the past, and they were okay. Not as good as the Schwables, but worth twelve quid.
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Thanks for this Tori. The Internet reckon they are a pain to install. Would you agree? I was looking at the Panaracer ones which are £15 and you need 2. Does the one you linked contain enough tape to do 2 tyres? (desc not clear)
 
You get two rolls, one for each tyre.
The best way I found to fit them was to put the inner tube in the tyre, with just enough air to expand it, then slide the liner down the side and underneath.
Check it's central with a once-over after installing, then fit the tyre, taking care you don't trap the tube with the rim or the tyre lever.
 
I used the Specialised Armadillo when they first came out. I used them solely on the road, and punctured both tyres in the first week. I also found them very sluggish. I changed to Vittoria Rubino with the Kevlar band and never had any problems after that.
 
Schwalbe Marathon Plus are ridiculously difficult to fit, I really struggled and I know what I'm doing, cycling for 30 years. In the end I found a You Tube video showing a way to fit them using cable ties...it worked. Having said that, they last for bloody ages (5000 plus miles for me) and seeing as only something stupid will puncture them (in my one case - an industrial staple) once they're on they're on. Plus, they stretch once they have been used.

Shame they don't stop you having accidents, I was hit by a car last Thursday, first ever accident in 15 years of commuting to work by bike.
 
I've got the Schwalbe Marathon Plus on three bikes; hybrid, Brompton and on the spare road wheels for my mountain bike. Fingers crossed tightly, not had a puncture yet.
I think they are really useful on the Brompton as the rear especially is difficult to work on.
The mountain bike tyres are very heavy due to the larger profile and I wouldn't buy them again.
 
In the city I know I have to put puncture protected tyres on. As I'd get a puncture very quickly. Glass mostly.
Lensman Mark said:
Schwalbe Marathon Plus are ridiculously difficult to fit, I really struggled and I know what I'm doing, cycling for 30 years. In the end I found a You Tube video showing a way to fit them using cable ties...it worked.
Click to expand...
I've been fitting Schwalbe Marathons and Marathon Plus for many years, and had zero issues with fitting them. So it's not always the case. Not sure why there might be a difference.

Lensman Mark said:
Having said that, they last for bloody ages (5000 plus miles for me) and seeing as only something stupid will puncture them (in my one case - an industrial staple) once they're on they're on. Plus, they stretch once they have been used.
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I too rode over an industrial staple, where the U shape made the staple pierce the tyre from the side, where it is not protected.

There are other brands of puncture protected tyres, besides Schwalbe. E.G. Prophete, and I've had others that do a good job too.
 
ianp5a said:
I've been fitting Schwalbe Marathons and Marathon Plus for many years, and had zero issues with fitting them. So it's not always the case. Not sure why there might be a difference
Click to expand...

Different rim designs can alter tyre fitting (a rim with a deeper well will allow the bead to sit further into the rim, reducing tension getting it over the last step, for example) as can kevlar vs steel beads.
 
Tubeless is a ‘faff’ I found and I gave up.

But there is a way and I use this method on all 3 of my bikes. (Presta valves only ‘the thin ones)

This works for any tyres but you may need new tubes.

Schwalbe tubes have removable valve inners, (some others do) the centre bit with the knurled valve unscrews leaving the empty metal outer valve case.
You can remove the inner with a pair of pliers but small cheap valve removal keys are available.
Now get some Stan’s Notubes sealer and a plastic syringe (syringe nozzle needs to fit in the empty metal valve) Amazon have them. (Search YouHuGu 100ml)
Use the syringe to ‘inject’ NoTube into the tube. The Stan’s will guide you on how much sealer for a given size tube.

Get a puncture and in most cases the Stan’s will seal the tube. It has worked for me.

I haven’t ‘invented’ this method, I saw it on Youtube.
 
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badlywornroy said:
Tubeless is a ‘faff’ I found and I gave up.

But there is a way and I use this method on all 3 of my bikes. (Presta valves only ‘the thin ones)

This works for any tyres but you may need new tubes.

Schwalbe tubes have removable valve inners, (some others do) the centre bit with the knurled valve unscrews leaving the empty metal outer valve case.
You can remove the inner with a pair of pliers but small cheap valve removal keys are available.
Now get some Stan’s Notubes sealer and a plastic syringe (syringe nozzle needs to fit in the empty metal valve) Amazon have them. (Search YouHuGu 100ml)
Use the syringe to ‘inject’ NoTube into the tube. The Stan’s will guide you on how much sealer for a given size tube.

Get a puncture and in most cases the Stan’s will seal the tube. It has worked for me.

I haven’t ‘invented’ this method, I saw it on Youtube.
Click to expand...

that's what I do on both my 'Cross bike and the Fast road one...

the same trick will actually work with Schrader valved (the car type) ones - the valve cores are removable, so you can remove the core, wallop some of the liquid latex spooge into the innertube, then screw the valvecore back in.
 
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