Do puncture resistant tires work?

[Deleted member 4366]

I wheeled out my bike to go on an urgent errand, when I spotted this sticking out of my puncture resistant tire:




I grabbed my pliers to pull it out. How much would you guess was in the tyre?




How about two inches?



The tyre is still inflated believe it or not.

 

[Kenny]

Got to be a Marathon Plus. There a heavy tyre but there's no substitute for the protection that the thick layer of rubber gives.

 

[stevieb]

that is very impressive.
what kind of tyre is it?

 

[jwm]

Tread pattern looks like a marathon plus, amazing that it still held pressure. Only problem I have had a couple of times is glass getting lodged in between the tread and slicing through. Sadly happened twice in two weeks, never had a problem with the greenguard on the same route... But punctures are a random fact of cycling.

John

 

[EddiePJ]

Surely that has everything to do with the inner tube rather than the tyre.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

It's a MP with a standard tube. It looks like the nail went through the rubber, then hit the puncture guard and got deflected along its surface so it didn't go through the tube.

 

[baldylox]

After having a puncture out in the wilds and not being able to get the back wheel off to replace the tube ( too tightly fitted for a small multi tool to manage), I have taken a belt & braces approach; Smart Sam Plus (with puncture guard) and slime in inner tubes ( I also carry a cheapo puncture kit now). Overkill, maybe but not too much additional weight that you'd notice.

 

[Nealh]

Just goes to show that if luck is on your side and the inner tube isn't affected you will get away with it, otherwise it would have gone down.

 

[Alan Quay]

...or it goes to show that the Kevlar layer in schwalbe (and probably other makes) tyres IS worth having.

I'll admit I was sceptical at first, but after about 2500 puncture free miles I'm a convert.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I did have a puncture with that tyre a couple of weeks ago. The tube had a pinhole in its outer side, but I couldn't find any sign of anything coming through the tyre. When I saw that nail, I thought, "Oh no, 1000 miles on the old tyres with no punctures and now two punctures in two weeks with puncture proof ones". I've done 1600 miles on these ones so far.

 

[Alan Quay]

I did have a puncture with that tyre a couple of weeks ago. The tube had a pinhole in its outer side, but I couldn't find any sign of anything coming through the tyre. When I saw that nail, I thought, "Oh no, 1000 miles on the old tyres with no punctures and now two punctures in two weeks with puncture proof ones". I've done 1600 miles on these ones so far.

Before I started with the Schwalbe Fat Frank's I had some Specialized LK's. (Low Knob!). I had a puncture after about 50 miles, and stuck em in the garage. A couple of years on, I put them on a bike I was messing with. Sure enough, a puncture on the first test ride.

Anecdotal evidence I know, but that's my experience.

 

[Richard T. Jensen]

I had the first puncture on Schwalbe Marathon Plus after 24.000 km

 

[flecc]

One slow puncture in a Schwalbe Marathon Plus in 7 years with these tyres front and rear on two e-bikes and rear only on a third e-bike for less time.

Although not puncture proof, they are the most effective way to reduce punctures to a minimum, but at the cost of slight loss of comfort and slightly greater roll resistance.
.

 

[jerrysimon]

Punctures always come in twos lol

The only punture I have had on a MP was when the inner tube rubbed inside and holed.

The penalty is weight for me "carrying my Brompton", so I compromise with a Kojak on the front and a MP in the back

If I recall I think I have only ever had one puncture on the front all the others being on the back, none since I swapped out the Kojak to an MP on the back.

Did I really just jinks myself and say that

Jerry

 

[SteveRuss]

...or it goes to show that the Kevlar layer in schwalbe (and probably other makes) tyres IS worth having.

I'll admit I was sceptical at first, but after about 2500 puncture free miles I'm a convert.

I wasn't under the impression that the Marathon + uses Kevlar any more. I think they were experimenting with just a rubber layer some years ago. I don't know where that took them but i'm fairly sure there is no Kevlar layer in there any more

 

[flecc]

Correct Steve, the Schwalbe Marathon Plus doesn't have any kevlar, they rely on a very thick underlayer of a rather plasticky rubber that's inclined to reject anything penetrating. The total of tread and underlayer means it can take a drawing pin fully penetrating without it reaching the tube.

Schwalbe do have kevlar liners incorporated in many other types of their tyres.
.

 

[RobF]

Schwalbe is pushing at least one of its puncture protection bands as environmentally friendly because it is made from recycled - you've guessed it - tyres.