Tread Patterns

[Rod Tibbs]

The rear tyre on my Synergie Mistral is now smooth and in need of replacement. I have looked at the various makes suggested on this forum Schwalbe and Continental etc with a view to finding something relatively free from punctures.

However I have been baffled by the range of tread patterns. Some are like masses of little studs and others are variously shaped lumps. I use the bike on normal roads and want something suitable which does not impose too much drag and/or noise. I never go off-road with it.

Could anyone give me some advice please on what to look for?

Thanks

Rod

 

[jerrysimon]

If you are using it every day and don't want puntures get Marathon Plus

Not 100% puncture proof but close.

Regards

Jerry

 

[Rod Tibbs]

Thanks for the advice. I have been slightly leaning in that direction. Is it worth thinking about a Kevlar reinforced tyre do you think? I notice that Halfords have some in their lineup although I don't think I would actually buy them from there.

 

[flecc]

The Marathons have, like all good tread patterns, tread blocks which overlap in order to give a permanent contact at one level and with similar rubber amounts touching the road.

Poor tyre tread designs allow the surface levels to drop at regular intervals and/or have changing total areas of contact which means more energy is needed to overcome the constant high frequency variations in drag. Blocked tread mountain bike tyres are often the worst for this.

Kevlar helps a lot but is second best to the MPs.
.

 

[jerrysimon]

Definately go for kevlar lining. Plus's go one step further and have an inner quishy band (non techy jargon lol )that they claim you can put a drawing pin through, without it getting to the tube

They are more expensive. If your hapy to risk it, their ones with a Kevlar band are cheaper and are still pretty puncture resistant.

Halfords are expensive, buy on line.

Regards

Jerry

 

[Rod Tibbs]

Thanks Jerry. Can I take it that the Marathon Plus has both a Kevlar band and a 'squishy' layer?

Regards

Rod

 

[flecc]

Schwalbes technical information makes no mention of Kevlar in the MPs, only mentioning the five mm of inner protection added to the tread thickness.

That makes sense since all these stiffening components add to rolling resistance, so using both a kevlar band and the inner layer could make that unacceptable. They like to claim the MPs roll as easily as any other tyre, not totally borne out by independent reviews but still only very slightly higher.
.

 

[Mussels]

IME the kevlar layer is about as good as tissue paper if the tyre is almost worn out, my worst is 6 punctures in 10 miles before I gave up and pushed it. Good thick rubber is best, the MPs add a layer under the rubber which has the same effect.
I carry a spare tube and repair kit, I've only had to change the tube twice and the second time I didn't have a spare with me.
I've had dozens of punctures and usually it's a 5-10 minute roadside fix, not hard.

 

[Rod Tibbs]

Thanks Mussells, you seem to have been having a pretty rough times as far as punctures are concerned!

I have discovered a firm not too far from me called the Cambridge Bike Company and they are stocking the Marathon Plus range so I am hoping to call in and have a chat with them later this week. The prices look OK but in any event it is better to be able to look at something and handle it before buying.

I am hoping to be able to release the rear wheel a little creating sufficient gap to do the job without completely taking wheel and motor out. Has anyone any experience/advice in doing this sort of thing? My bike is the Synergie Mistral which looks fairly straightforward once the brakes have been freed off and cable clips removed.

All advice welcome.

Rod

 

[flecc]

I am hoping to be able to release the rear wheel a little creating sufficient gap to do the job without completely taking wheel and motor out. Has anyone any experience/advice in doing this sort of thing? My bike is the Synergie Mistral which looks fairly straightforward once the brakes have been freed off and cable clips removed.

All advice welcome.

Rod

That's normally possible ok, I've done it a few times. Just take care not to pull on the cables into the motor or rest them against anything since they can break internally.
.

 

[Rod Tibbs]

Job Done - but with additional benefit!

I have now taken the plunge and fitted Schwalbe marathon plus tyres on my Mistral. Apart from feeling a little less vulnerable to punctures I find the ride is considerably smoother and softer.

I know the lanes round here like the back of my hand and there are one or two places that can loosen your fillings but on the Marathons the surface is definitely smoothed out and less fine vibration is getting through.

I don't recall anyone mentioning this as a benefit before and I wonder if others have noticed the effect. The pressures are up at 60 and 65 lbs so the smoothness is not coming from semi inflated tyres. I can only assume it is the five mill of extra gel or whatever it is that is doing the job.

Anyone else had the same experience.

Rod

 

[flecc]

I have now taken the plunge and fitted Schwalbe marathon plus tyres on my Mistral. Apart from feeling a little less vulnerable to punctures I find the ride is considerably smoother and softer.

Anyone else had the same experience.

Rod

I think it depends on what was fitted before, I've found the opposite, though that's been partly due to the Marathon Plus being narrower section.

The 2.125" width Kenda's on the Quando were far more comfortable than the 2" MPs, and I found a similar worsening of comfort on the Torq 1, Kenda 1.95" changed to 38 mm (1.5") MPs.

In the narrower sections the interior layer can make the side walls of the tyre stiffer and less inclined to give.
.

 

[kevinfox]

Quando 1 & 2 tyres

Flecc,
given that the Kenda tyres gave the best ride would you go with them again for your Quando or stick with your replacements despite the worse ride?
I need new tyres for both my Quando 1 and the Quando 2, does the lack of suspension on the Quando 2 make a difference to the tyre choice?
Are the standard tyres anything special? We've not had a puncture so far so maybe they are puncture resistant?
Thanks
Kevin

 

[Marky T]

Hi Rod,

I've just fitted the Schwalbe Hurricane 26x2, after weaving through the mass choice of tyres available. So far so good, seems really smooth on the road, I was looking for a mainly road tyre with slight off road use ie, canal towpath, loose shingle, gravel type capability and so far I am very happy with this tyre, kevlar lined and looks good.

 

[flecc]

Flecc,
given that the Kenda tyres gave the best ride would you go with them again for your Quando or stick with your replacements despite the worse ride?
I need new tyres for both my Quando 1 and the Quando 2, does the lack of suspension on the Quando 2 make a difference to the tyre choice?
Are the standard tyres anything special? We've not had a puncture so far so maybe they are puncture resistant?
Thanks
Kevin

I never got a single puncture with the Kendas on either the Quando or Torq 1 over about 800 miles on each, so their claim that they are puncture resistant was born out for me. The change to MPs was just precautionary since they'd been so successful for me previously, but with hindsight, I should have kept the front Kenda on the Quando since the MP there does cause discomfort and front punctures are very easy to deal with. An MP on the rear would still be my choice though.
.

 

[Old Timer]

I never got a single puncture with the Kendas on either the Quando or Torq 1 over about 800 miles on each, so their claim that they are puncture resistant was born out for me. The change to MPs was just precautionary since they'd been so successful for me previously, but with hindsight, I should have kept the front Kenda on the Quando since the MP there does cause discomfort and front punctures are very easy to deal with. An MP on the rear would still be my choice though.
.

Yeh! it`s funny how different tyres make all sorts of vehicles drive differently on the road.

I went in for new tyres on my VW Golf and instead of the Dunlop SP sports that I have replaced before( default tyres fitted from new) I was offered some Pirelli P 6000`s at a really good discount so went for it as I only use the car locally at not at any high speed or mileage. Well! the ride and road holding has gone up from something 7/10 to 10/10 and it`s not the new tyres making it so obvious. I was quite amazed at the jump up in comfort as well.

 

[kevinfox]

I never got a single puncture with the Kendas on either the Quando or Torq 1 over about 800 miles on each, so their claim that they are puncture resistant was born out for me. The change to MPs was just precautionary since they'd been so successful for me previously, but with hindsight, I should have kept the front Kenda on the Quando since the MP there does cause discomfort and front punctures are very easy to deal with. An MP on the rear would still be my choice though.
.

Thanks, I'll try and get another set of Kendas. How much tread should I change them at? The Quando 2 didn't have much tread on it's tyres when new (2mm?) and with it being ridden the majority of time by my non leaning partner they are just worn along the middle.

 

[flecc]

I don't worry until quite a lot of the area is smooth Kevin, after all, sport bike are smooth from new. The main thing I go by is the increase in punctures when the former tread area gets thin and is more easily penetrated.

If you have difficult road conditions or snow etc, you might feel the need for a tread then though.
.

 

[Sevenhills]

Hi

If you never go off road, lack of knobbly tread does not affect the grip of the tyre; it sounds odd, but I believe its true.
Bike tyres dont suffer from aqua-planning like car tyres because of the small ammount of tyre that touches the road.



S

 

[flecc]

Hi

If you never go off road, lack of knobbly tread does not affect the grip of the tyre; it sounds odd, but I believe its true.
Bike tyres dont suffer from aqua-planning like car tyres because of the small ammount of tyre that touches the road.

True, in fact the smoother the tyre surface and larger the area of contact, the better the grip. Gaps don't grip.

It's on loose stuff like a broken surface, sand or snow etc that a tread profile can give more purchase at times, forming the loose matter into the tread shape and thus giving a form of gear teeth to gear teeth engagement.
.