Originally Posted by
BruceMetras
Run over to the Bike Friday Yak group.. they're discussing tires right now... one commuter reported multiple flats in short order with the Scorchers on SF city streets and went back to Marathons (pluses in this case) and flat free.. Scorchers in the 406 size were also prone to sidewall cracking (without being left in the sun) .. I sent a set back for replacements..
Hmmm, it's not clear what model he's using. There are three different kinds: normal, kevlar belted ("TR"), and heavy-duty (which I think are discontinued). The normal ones will get tons of flats no doubt. And like Kojaks, Scorchers are slicks, so they'll pick up all sorts of road debris, which maybe increases puncturability; and thorns going in the sidewall will easily bypass even a belted tire.
I've used both 349 Marathons and Scorchers on my tikit and have biked a lot in DC and on the brutal San Pietrini road surface in Rome. I've always bought TRs since they usually also have reflective sidewalls. I've had only a few flats with the Scorchers due to punctures: the vast majority are due to worn valve stems, and a few snakebites. The big issue I've had with Scorchers is the reflective sidewall material eventually cracking -- but that's *not* the underlying sidewall canvas, just the reflective stuff. Was that the issue you had?
In truth though I don't buy these tires based on flat resistance -- if I needed that I'd buy Marathon supremes or something. I buy them because they are *far* more comfortable than my stock Marathons because they are so large, and way faster and grippier.