Best tyres for commuting?

[queequeg]

It is like the tread has delaminated from the casing. The rubber is still in excellent condition otherwise.

Delamination has been a recurring problem since Schwalbe moved production to Indonesia.

They had to recall the Ultremo but I've seen quite a few reports about the problem affecting other Schwalbe models.

I'll have to inspect the tyre closer. When inflated, the deformation feels like it has an air bubble behind it. It could also be that the rubber is thinner in this spot, so the tyre has a hernia when inflated.

[singlespeedscott]

The plus is a completely different tyre though. They should be named differently as they are nothing a like. Unrealistic expectations I feel. No disrespect intended.

Yes and no. The supreme is sold as having almost equivalent puncture protection at a fraction of the weight. Both of my supremes have had to retired long before the rubber itself was worn. I was not expecting 25,000km as this was more a test of whether it made commuting easier/faster with minimal loss of puncture protection.
The tread pattern on the 5,000km supreme is not even half gone, but the tyre is now unusable due to the deformation.

ironically, on my ride this morning with two new marathon plus tyres, the ride felt smoother and was 1km/h faster on the avg speed. Not really scientific, but essentially the supremes made no difference at all to my commute times.

Whats your average commuting speed, disregarding stops?

[queequeg]

ironically, on my ride this morning with two new marathon plus tyres, the ride felt smoother and was 1km/h faster on the avg speed. Not really scientific, but essentially the supremes made no difference at all to my commute times.

Whats your average commuting speed, disregarding stops?

Anywhere from 23 to 28km/h on the way in, and up to 33km/h on the way home (on my commuter bike)
However, a typical avg speed when "just riding" is 25km/h. This morning was 26km/h, which is not really significant enough to say the tyres made any real difference.
My 2014 combined avg is 25.15km/h (5110km in 203:42:58).

[rkelsen]

Unrealistic expectations I feel.

Why? Expecting more than 5,000km from a 23mm slick tyre is unrealistic, but that's not exactly what we're talking about here.

I don't think 25,000km is too much to ask from a good front tyre. I had a 28mm Continental Contact on my commuter for more than 2 years. Almost made it to 20,000km before the cotton started showing. It never punctured.

Currently running 35mm SMPs. Keen to see how long I can make them last. They've been on there for 6 months already, and the tread on the front one still looks new.

[Drizt]

Marathon supreme are more a performance tyre. It is closer to a continental 4 seasons tyre than it is the the marathon pluses. Check the weight differences and the sheer bulk of the tyres. Got to compare apples with apples.

[jasonc]

my front marathon plus is up to 18449.75kms
the rears have lasted:
8267.98kms
6,438kms
current rear has 3,744kms

[queequeg]

Marathon supreme are more a performance tyre. It is closer to a continental 4 seasons tyre than it is the the marathon pluses. Check the weight differences and the sheer bulk of the tyres. Got to compare apples with apples.

I have only been running them on the front wheel. 700x28c. This was entirely an experiment to see if a lighter tyre could give better performance for commuting. Answer, it can't (for me) as I have had two premature failures of the tyres. The first one died at 900km and still had the little rubber tags hanging off it. The 5000km tyre still had enough rubber to go at least another 5000km.
At $58 each compared to $34 each for the SMP (28mm), they don't perform that well to justify the extra cost.

[rangersac]

Well my Vittoria Randonneur experiment is officially over, at least for the rear wheel. Barely got 3000km out of the tyre, and the puncture resistance has all but gone. Back to the mighty SMP on the back, but I'll keep a Randonneur on the front as it grips better in the wet than an SMP and still looks pretty fresh.

[wgc138]

Had good results with refuse until a piece of glass made a small hole puncturing my tubes on the way back home. Somehow and someway, a lot of people like to smash their beer bottles on the streets of gold coast....

I'll probably use it for the trainer with a boot. With that experience I try to inspect my tires a bit more closely and also will be trialling out SMP on the kona jake once its assembled and original tyres give out.

For pure weight, refuse is ideal as its not too heavy especially in comparison with SMP.

[Espresso_]

I just use wider tyres and run lower pressures. If I get a puncture its no biggy. It only takes 5min to get back underway. Life's to short to ride crap tyres.

I've arrived at the same conclusion. Life is too short and good tyres are SO much better than puncture proof tyres that they make cycling much more enjoyable.

These days I just run wide tyres with supple construction and sod everything else. My bikes fly along, the ride is more pleasant, I'm faster and happier.

Actually, since moving away from any form of real puncture resistance at all I've only had one fl@t and that healed itself without even stopping (road tubeless). But for every other pedal stroke I'm better off.

To be fair, I'm not a commuter or a racer or a tourer of faraway lands and it's rarely the case that I'm in any way put out by being a few mins late on any given ride.

E

[MattyK]

Still loving my Schwalbe Marathon Supremes after 1.5 years and ~6000 km. Zero punctures. Front looks great. Rear is maybe half worn through the tread depth. Picked a couple of pieces of glass out of the rear the other week - didn't make it past the breaker belt; I hardly ever inspect them otherwise.

[warthog1]

2600km on my 25c marathon green guard and the green layer is starting to show in a number of places in the middle of the tyre.
My commute has quite a bit of climbing, seated and standing, that is pretty hard on the tyre. Still expected a bit better though, even if the road is all coarse chip seal.
Going to throw on a 25c SMP that is squared off and smooth after about 3k km but still has a bit of life in it.
The green guard rolls and grips a bit better, but the SMP lasts longer. Both have been puncture free.
Next I'm going to try a durano plus on the rear. The durano plus on the front still has the centre moulding line visible (just) after 2850km
Limited to 25c due to guard clearance, thats ok though, its wide enough for my liking

[singlespeedscott]

2600km is pretty ordinary.

[Lukeyboy]

2600km is pretty ordinary.

I got ~1800km out of a Vittoria Corsa Evo and they are.... not exactly what you would call a commuting tyre

[MattyK]

Yeah 2600 is terrible out of a Marathon. My last ones got about 10000 on the rear.

[fat and old]

FWIW. Coming out of winter, I've done maybe 2,900 k's commuting on 25mm GP4000s's. since June 1. I started at 96kg, I'm now 90 (89.9 on a good morning ) + backpack. All on a roadie. 50% paths, 50% roads. 3 punctures (one was lack of checking tyre after puncture #1 ). Had maybe 1,500 k's on them already. Lots of life left (especially front), lots of grip. Think they were 40-50 bucks an end on sale, but not sure. I'm happy.

[MattyK]

You're happy with 3 punctures in 3000km? OK.

[fat and old]

You're happy with 3 punctures in 3000km? OK.

Well, compared with 1 puncture in app. 550,000 kilometres driven with 2 4wd's, including almost 50,000 of remote outback work......no But overall, yeah, the few I got don't faze me. I just hop off, sit down and fix. Nothing's important enough that an extra 10 minutes will see me pull my hair out.....although the 8k walk cos I only had 1 tube sorta sucked.

And considering where I ride, with those tyres, it's not bad. Some of those paths are like down town Beirut at times They probably don't stack up against the tyres being talked about hereabouts (limited to 25mm on the bike), but the next set maybe I'll try some of those for myself, see how they go.

[warthog1]

Yeah 2600 is terrible out of a Marathon. My last ones got about 10000 on the rear.

Mine is a marathon hs420 not marathon plus. The marathon plus looks like it will be lucky to see 4k.
I reckon it's all the standing climbing. You can hear the rear tyre making noise which to me means it's getting hammered.
What size where your rears?
25c no doubt wears a lot quicker than a wider tyre due to the smaller contact patch.


Blame tapatalk

[warthog1]

2600km is pretty ordinary.

I reckon a lot of people over estimate the distance they get out of their tyres me included in the past. Nonetheless I did expect more from a touring tyre.
All my rides are logged on strava now and I named the ride "new marathon (AT) xx kms" when I put it on. So I'm confident that total is correct.
That model of tyre has a narrow continuous strip down the middle and it is this that has worn down. Small contact patch.
I've had more k's out of a regular 23c durano in the past on my roadie. Smaller overall proportion of climbing on that bike though.
I'll see how a durano plus goes with it's almost slick tread. I reckon it will go further.


Blame tapatalk

[MattyK]

I had a 28c Marathon (not Plus, and pre-green guard version). I routinely did the same commute for about 2.5 years, about 4000km per year before the rear showed its yellow under-tread. So I'm pretty confident in that mileage estimate. Maybe not so may hills though.

[jasonc]

2600km is pretty ordinary.

I reckon a lot of people over estimate the distance they get out of their tyres me included in the past.

I have a spreadsheet. i log rides based on bike, wheels, tyres, cassette, chain

when i replace a chain/cassette/tyre I mark it as retired

current front marathon plus: 19915.89 (not a typo)
current rear marathon plus: 5,210

[warthog1]

Here are a couple of shots of the tyre





It also has some good cuts in it, yet has remained puncture free, so I'm still happy with it Only paid 30ish for it too, so all good. I'll leave it on until that green stripe is just about continuous or it punctures. Should get to 3k.

[warthog1]

2600km is pretty ordinary.

I reckon a lot of people over estimate the distance they get out of their tyres me included in the past.

I have a spreadsheet. i log rides based on bike, wheels, tyres, cassette, chain

when i replace a chain/cassette/tyre I mark it as retired

current front marathon plus: 19915.89 (not a typo)
current rear marathon plus: 5,210

That is impressive logging, I've just estimated in the past. Strava does it all for me now.
What size tyres?

[jasonc]

What size tyres?

25c
the problem with strava is sometimes it chooses the wrong bike and you forget to change it!
with a spreadsheet, i am more likely to remember

edit: i have a greenguard at home. it'll be going on the front, not the rear.