Kevlar tyres???

5p9arw38djv2b4

Are they worth it? My new commute is to city centre and in last week I have had 2 punctures (one was a nail, not sure the other, maybe glass)... Anyway it's a pain, and just wondering if the Kevlar tyres work or if I would be wasting money?the roads I cycle are not in a good area and are regularly spotted with glass etc

No Pants

Are your current tyres in good condition, are they properly inflated and do you cycle far enough out from the kerb/roadside?

Outkast_IRE

LadyLabyrinth wrote: »

Are they worth it? My new commute is to city centre and in last week I have had 2 punctures (one was a nail, not sure the other, maybe glass)... Anyway it's a pain, and just wondering if the Kevlar tyres work or if I would be wasting money?the roads I cycle are not in a good area and are regularly spotted with glass etc

If the tyres have plenty of thread left and will last a while i would suggest these http://www.wiggle.co.uk/panaracer-flataway-tyre-liner/

I got these after a series of punctures and 2 years later of nearly daily use and i havent had a puncture. Well worth it.

Ansconeio Flanderas

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

If the tyres have plenty of thread left and will last a while i would suggest these ...

I got these after a series of punctures and 2 years later of nearly daily use and i havent had a puncture. Well worth it.

Excuse the ignorance, but would using the tyre liner have any bearing on the air pressure you use?
Also, did you ever identify what caused your series of punctures or did you put it down to bad luck? I'm on a run of punctures on both my commuter and 'weekend' bikes atm that is breaking my little heart.

blobbie

LadyLabyrinth wrote: »

Are they worth it? My new commute is to city centre and in last week I have had 2 punctures (one was a nail, not sure the other, maybe glass)... Anyway it's a pain, and just wondering if the Kevlar tyres work or if I would be wasting money?the roads I cycle are not in a good area and are regularly spotted with glass etc

Get some http://www.wiggle.co.uk/schwalbe-marathon-plus-smartguard-city-tyre-2013/ - make sure they are the correct size etc - some of the german sites have good deals but the cost can be prohibitive

Worth their weight in gold when it is hammering rain and you are trying to replace a tube. If money is an issue, get one for the rear and, as mentioned, a flataway for the front as the front is quicker to change if needed.

And as mention above, make sure your tyres are properly inflated http://www.bicycling.com/maintenance/repair-maintenance/yourtires-air

And do a regular spot check for shards of glass embedded in the tyres

cdaly_

LadyLabyrinth wrote: »

Are they worth it? My new commute is to city centre and in last week I have had 2 punctures (one was a nail, not sure the other, maybe glass)... Anyway it's a pain, and just wondering if the Kevlar tyres work or if I would be wasting money?the roads I cycle are not in a good area and are regularly spotted with glass etc

Yes they do. I use Continental Gatorskins which cost about EUR30 each. They are pretty good at keeping most of the sharp things out but anything will puncture on a nail. Try avoiding the debris strewn cycle tracks and use the roads instead.

Ansconeio Flanderas wrote: »

Excuse the ignorance, but would using the tyre liner have any bearing on the air pressure you use?
Also, did you ever identify what caused your series of punctures or did you put it down to bad luck? I'm on a run of punctures on both my commuter and 'weekend' bikes atm that is breaking my little heart.

Shouldn't affect the pressure but low pressure is a source of 'snakebite' punctures. A snakebite will be two holes in the tube where it has been pinched between tyre and rim. Pumping your tyres harder will avoid these.

Outkast_IRE

Ansconeio Flanderas wrote: »

Excuse the ignorance, but would using the tyre liner have any bearing on the air pressure you use?
Also, did you ever identify what caused your series of punctures or did you put it down to bad luck? I'm on a run of punctures on both my commuter and 'weekend' bikes atm that is breaking my little heart.

It was glass in all cases, unfortunately i have to cycle through a few spots where broken glass is common.

The air pressure doesnt change you pump it up to whatever the normal is for you.

goz83

Don't over inflate. I couldn't help splitting my sides laughing when i seen a young lad pumping his tyres to the max at a petrol station. He hadn't got 5 metres when his front tyre exploded like a gun shot

Walk of shame

arybvtcw0eolkf

goz83 wrote: »

Don't over inflate. I couldn't help splitting my sides laughing when i seen a young lad pumping his tyres to the max at a petrol station. He hadn't got 5 metres when his front tyre exploded like a gun shot

Walk of shame

How do you know he pumped his tires to the max and there wasn't a fault in the tyre?.

I wouldn't trust a garage forecourt pump, no way.

I use a track pump and digital gauge for both my bicycle and motorbike.

OP, I switched to kevlar tires a few years back and it made a massive difference. I'd be reluctant to use anything non-kevlar on my commute (to work) bike now.

goz83

Kara Thankful Jogger wrote: »

How do you know he pumped his tires to the max and there wasn't a fault in the tyre?.

I wouldn't trust a garage forecourt pump, no way.

I use a track pump and digital gauge for both my bicycle and motorbike.

OP, I switched to kevlar tires a few years back and it made a massive difference. I'd be reluctant to use anything non-kevlar on my commute (to work) bike now.

I was topping up the washer bottle on my car, watching him over inflate the tyres. I've put air into tyres enough times to know when one should stop. I was waiting for the pop there and then, but it didn't happen until he started to cycle off. I didn't feel it was my place to tell him that I thought he was putting too much air into his tyres. It's possible the tyre was faulty, but it was definitely over inflated.

irishrover99

Kevlar tyres are good for stopping punctures but be prepared for a harder commute to work with them on from rolling resistance.

I have schwalbe lugano tyres on my commuting bike which are currently on sale on wiggle for 15 euros. Some days it feels like i have led in my pockets while cycling compared to the tyres on my other bike

Pinch Flat

irishrover99 wrote: »

Kevlar tyres are good for stopping punctures but be prepared for a harder commute to work with them on from rolling resistance.
......Some days it feels like i have led in my pockets while cycling compared to the tyres on my other bike

Must be the engine then:pac:. I use 23mm Schwalbe Lugano's on my commuter and have no issues with rolling resistance. Quite a nice tyre actually given their bargain basement price.

OP I have used (all on my commuter - kevlar lined). Given my user name, I would feel a bit of an authority on punctures:)

• Continental Gatorskins (Bomb proof but tricky in the wet).
• Continental Grand Prix (not the GP 4000's) - bombproof and better in the wet.
• Scwalbe Luganos (current tyre - no issues)
• Panaracer Ribmo - Bombproof but hard to get on and off (Was using on Mavic Askiums buy may be different on other rims).

Make sure your tyres are at the max recommended pressure. Periodically take out bits of glass (deflate the tyre, remove and re-inflate). This helps a lot.
Hope this helps.

No Pants

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Continental Grand Prix (not the GP 4000's) - bombproof and better in the wet.

You would rate Grand Prix higher than GP4000s in the wet? Genuine question.

Pinch Flat

Was just clarifying that they were bog standard Conti Grand Prix's - never used GP 4000's TBH, but the GP's I used were less slippy than the Gatorskins

Thought my 1000th post would be a bit more exciting, ah well

ZiabR

What are your thoughts on the Michelin Pro4 tyres? I hear they offer good grip even in wet weather even though they are slick.

No Pants

logik wrote: »

What are your thoughts on the Michelin Pro4 tyres? I hear they offer good grip even in wet weather even though they are slick.

Never tried them. I currently run Schwalbe Ultremo ZXs in 23mm and they're solid in the wet.

Wishbone Ash

goz83 wrote: »

... It's possible the tyre was faulty, but it was definitely over inflated.

Most forecourt airlines only go to 60psi whereas a standard roadbike needs 120psi. It's possible the tube wasn't seated correctly within the tyre.

OP - if you don't mind sacrificing a bit of weight and rolling resistance go for Marathon Schwalbe Plus tyres. Smallest size is 700x25 and you'll get 20,000kms out of a pair. They cost approx €38 each. (They're the tyres used on the Dublin Bikes.)

dave_o_brien

logik wrote: »

What are your thoughts on the Michelin Pro4 tyres? I hear they offer good grip even in wet weather even though they are slick.

They do. They're not the toughest of tyres though.

cdaly_

logik wrote: »

What are your thoughts on the Michelin Pro4 tyres? I hear they offer good grip even in wet weather even though they are slick.

Slick tyres are not a problem for grip in bicycles. The contact patch is too narrow for aquaplaning at bicycle speeds. Threads on bicycle road tyres are simply a sop to people who are used to threads on car tyres.

krissovo

logik wrote: »

What are your thoughts on the Michelin Pro4 tyres? I hear they offer good grip even in wet weather even though they are slick.

They are fine, I have them on one of my bikes but no where near the grip of conti gp4000s. On the pro4 I have had the rear wheel spinning going up a wet hill so never had the confidence in the wet that I do with the conti's.