Do puncture resistant tires work?

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.

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.

Edited March 28, 201511 yr by Kenny

that is very impressive.

what kind of tyre is it?

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

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

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.

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.

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.

...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 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.

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.

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

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.

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Edited March 29, 201511 yr by flecc

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

...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

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.

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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.