Yes, thanks for that. I'll bear it in mind, but I'm not sure if I'm brave enough!

Is it not possible to undo both wheelnuts and drop the wheel out an inch or so to enable a tube to be wangled round — without mucking up the chain, gears, etc., of course?

 

Is it not possible to undo both wheelnuts and drop the wheel out an inch or so to enable a tube to be wangled round — without mucking up the chain, gears, etc., of course?

 

Yes it's possible, but it can need more hands than we've got and means setting up things again, chain tension, and brake pad alignment with the rim even. The expander method is lightning quick and means no setting up, but of course it won't suit all cases. If the spindle extension is long or if the frame tubes are alloy, short and rigid, expansion is unsuitable. There's times when it's very handy though.

.

I like this photo

 

http://tebsuk.webs.com/Accessories/MarathonPlusStapled250.jpg

That's a great photo and one I refer to myself

 

I got fed up with punctures so fitted Marathon Plus tyres to my E-motion and Marathon Plus 'Tour' to my eZee Forza

 

Not had a single puncture since... Touch wood

Some more M+ experiences

 

Hi,

Saw this thread, and thought I'd add my own reports on the Marathon plus, Kojak, and Marathon tyres.

 

First of all, the M+. is very puncture resistant. At times in the spring, I used to think myself 'lucky' to get a few miles without a blackthorn puncture, after farmers had been murdering the local hedges, but the M+, has reduced this to almost non-existent. However, nothing is perfect. I have had masonry nails go through them, and wire strands, from a lorry tire blowout. One blackthorn did make it through, but I think this got through, _as the tyre was deflating from the masonry nail_. I call this a 'half puncture'. Fairly sure it would not have got through if the pressure had been higher.

However have noticed a 'pattern' to my puctures on the M+. You actually seem to be slightly more likely to get one in the first perhaps hundred miles, than in the next few hundred. I suspect it is the slightly sharper edges on the treads, make it more likely for things like blackthorn to get started, and also possibly the old suggestion on tyres that they do harden if kept for some months, before use, may apply.

Have seen a couple of cuts from flint/glass, which I am sure would have got through 90% of tyres, which the M+ survived. Hve put about 1400 miles on four M+ tyres, on two bikes over the summer.

 

The Marathon is still 'good', but not in the same class. However it has a slightly nicer ride, and possibly rolls a little quicker (on a Brompton). Almost represents the 'minimum' that tyres ought to now be aiming for in terms of durability. Used this for quite a while before the + became available, ad was generally quite impressed.

 

The Kojak, is quite surprising. I suspect because it has little tread, it seems less prone to picking up sharp objects, and quite resistant to things like glass cuts, but in conditions wih thin mud 'over' a hard surface, grip is poor. It works quite well on simply 'wet' surfaces, and does roll easier. Touch wood, yet to see a puncture in about 500 miles, _but_ have tended to only use these in the dry, which makes punctures less likely anyway....

 

Best Wishes

D'oh!

 

A third Marathon Plus puncture, and not long since the last one in mileage terms (what with having a nasty accident, followed by the long cold winter).

I think it must have been a thorn from all the hedge-cutting we get round these parts, although I do always try to avoid the clippings.