Touring - Folding Spare Tire

Hi Guys & Gals,

I really like my older model Schwalbe Marathons, 3000 miles w/no flats. I am seriously thinking about replacing them before my WA to ND tour in September, but that is a different story. I need a folding tire to take on the tour. I am thinking about a Marthon Racer. What are your opinions?

Thanks,
Tom

Don't rule out just using the same model tire you are riding on and use the method shown at: http://www.rideyourbike.com/tirefold.html

They fold fairly small and my cook set nests nicely inside of the folded tire so not much space is used. I carry it in the front pannier on the occasions that I carry a spare.

A folding spare could be nice, but I would rather carry a real touring tire if I carry a spare and good folding touring tires are not very available.

Usually I don't carry a spare though. If in a group I am more likely to carry one as part of the community gear since the extra weight is essentially shared between multiple riders by dividing all of the community gear equitably. We carried a spare maybe 1/3 of the time with three of us on a cross country tour. The spare was my front tire that I replaced during the tour when the rear tire wore out and I decided it was good enough to keep as a spare. It wound up replacing my daughters worn rear tire for the last part of the trip.

It was kind of nice to have a spare in the more desolate part of the country, but I can boot, sew, or otherwise patch a pretty badly damaged tire well enough to get to the next town and if all else fails someone will always give you a lift to the nearest town. So for touring in the US I normally don't bother with a spare.

Don't rule out just using the same model tire you are riding on and use the method shown at: http://www.rideyourbike.com/tirefold.html

They fold fairly small and my cook set nests nicely inside of the folded tire so not much space is used. I carry it in the front pannier on the occasions that I carry a spare.

A folding spare could be nice, but I would rather carry a real touring tire if I carry a spare and good folding touring tires are not very available.

Usually I don't carry a spare though. If in a group I am more likely to carry one as part of the community gear since the extra weight is essentially shared between multiple riders by dividing all of the community gear equitably. We carried a spare maybe 1/3 of the time with three of us on a cross country tour. The spare was my front tire that I replaced during the tour when the rear tire wore out and I decided it was good enough to keep as a spare. It wound up replacing my daughters worn rear tire for the last part of the trip.

It was kind of nice to have a spare in the more desolate part of the country, but I can boot, sew, or otherwise patch a pretty badly damaged tire well enough to get to the next town and if all else fails someone will always give you a lift to the nearest town. So for touring in the US I normally don't bother with a spare.

I have always carried a "full sized" spare on my longer tours. Usually lashed to the outside of the front pannier. The only time I really needed one was on a short 2 day out and back tour when something slashed the sidewall on the rear tire badly enough that it couldn't be booted.

Aaron:)

Why not get a foldiing Marathon XR? It is lighter than the wire bead XR and folds up quite nicely. I got 7500 miles without a flat when the sidewall blew. Great to have a spare in that situation....

Here is Sheldon Brown explaining how to do it.

Make sure you use red ties....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsVrCAJMr_Y

3 Schwalbe Supremes

Rather than having the dedicated folding spare that may never get used I prefer the same tire that I normally use. That way I can put it on and get use out of it when the ones on the bike wear out, then get another one to carry as a spare. I was on a road ride with a buddy of mine and he got a flat, hauled the ancient folding spare out from under his seat...got it pumped up, just in time to watch the sidewall bulge and blow:eek: Seems it had rotted out from UV exposure, turns out he had kept that same folding tire on various road bikes for the past 6-7 years:rolleyes: and have never needed it before this event.

Aaron:)

3 Schwalbe Supremes


That will be my choice next year when Schwalbe comes out with the 26 x 1.6 Supreme. For this year I think that I am going to use everyones suggestion by getting new Marathons & looping one of my old ones for a spare.

Any other suggestions? & thanks,
Tom

Blowing a tire out to the point that you can't temporarily repair it is pretty rare, but when it happens your SOL.

So........ therefore I carry a very lightweight folding spare for just such an emergency. I will use it temporarily till I can get a real touring tire. If I blow out a back tire, I will probably have to switch my good front tire to the back and put the folder on the front.

To me, this is a good compromise. The folder is inside my bags, out of the sun light, so it should last a long time.

If I ever tour in a third world country, far away from next-day-air, or on unpaved roads in Alaska, I will carry a full sized, ready to go spare.

Here is Sheldon Brown explaining how to do it.

Make sure you use red ties....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsVrCAJMr_Y

Awesome!