Ciwan

Hi Guys

I keep getting punctures, one every month or so, and it is really starting to irritate me. Especially when you wake up in the morning, want to get to work, then find out that one of the tires is flat. So I'm forced to pay a Taxi to make it to work on time.

Recently me and friend went touring France on our Road bikes, and on there I have the Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires, and they were great, we did 1600 miles and not a single puncture, they really are awesome for punctures.

I was wondering, is there anything like that for the Brompton? What I have been using ever since I got my Brompton is the Schwalbe Marathon, but they are bad, or for me at least! like I said I get a puncture at least once a month.

I commute through town, so there is broken glass ... etc but I would like something that can take that with no problems.

Any suggestions?

Thank You.

J.

nigelme

The exact equivalent is these - https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/schwalbe-...%29-prod15580/

I have standard Marathons on 3 bikes (including my Brompton) and have never had a puncture with them.

Ciwan

Thanks Nigelme.

Just to confirm, those that you linked will fit on my Brompton wheels? Is it £30 per tyre or for a pair?

dynaryder

Those tires are the the same as the optional ones you can get on a new Brompton.

One flat a month sounds really high. What are your current tires? I get a flat every few years here in DC;tires with puncture protection,proper inflation,and watching where you ride are key to avoiding flats. Also,do you regularly check your tires to see if there's anything in the tread?

Ciwan

Hi Dynaryder.

I don't think they are the same, according to this, the ones you get with a new Brompton are "Schwalbe Marathon", and NOT "Schwalbe Marathon Plus" (Nigelme confirm please).

Up to now, yes I have been using the ones you get optional with a Brompton (i.e. the Schwalbe Marathon), but I find them to be no good. And yes to all the points you mentioned, but still no good.

I go over a lot of bumps, a lot of glass (UK industrial towns) and a lot of hills.

mulleady

I was getting a lot of flats on Marathons so switched to the Marathon Plus ones for the Brompton.

They certainly don't roll much slower and appear to be much tougher but had them a few week only so too soon to tell. I'd bet on less punctures.

dynaryder

Sorry,I meant 'same size'. You were asking if they fit.

If there's that much debris on the roads,you may want to consider going with tire liners.

nigelme

I'm not up on recent Brompton build options but this is the 'Schwalbe Marathon Plus HS348 Rigid Tyre - 16 x 1.35 Inch (35-349)' which do fit Brompton - (£30 is for one - which seems a bit much to me)

Ciwan

Thanks Guys.

I don't mind paying £30 for one as long as the pair last me a long time (5 to 6 years? )

BassNotBass

That's an extremely high rate. I also ride through industrial sections littered with glass and scrap metal and hardware yet get maybe one puncture per year. What did you find to be the cause of the puncture and where along the tube was it? Was it a section of the tube that is protected by a puncture resistant belt in the tire?

Ciwan

The punctures are along the edge that is in contact with the tire, so not the metal of the wheel. I know it is high

Winfried

For riding in the city, as an alternative to Marathon Plus tires which are pretty heavy and slippery in the rain, I was wondering about other brands of puncture-resistant tires, or keeping the standard Brompton kevlar tires and inserting tire liners.

What do you think?

keyven

I too am curious as to what other brands or tyre types are good options for Brompton - 16" bikes aren't that uncommon now (where I come from) but how come I only keep hearing of Schwalbe? Or maybe they're just no other 349s which are comparable quality-price wise?

Ozonation

I'm not sure there are many other options. When I first got my Brompton, I looked hard to see what else was available for 16" tires and there's not much. Tire options really expand once you reach the 20" size, and if you have other brake options, such as linear brakes to give a bit more clearance.

I would love a 20" wheeled Brompton that would allow me to put Big Apples on for that "extra suspension" and to go on rougher surfaces. I'd be willing to sacrifice a bit of portability for a 20" Brompton that folds in the same fashion.

fietsbob

just have to hire a Custom builder .. and get what you wish .. budget 5 grand or so ..

bhkyte

Marathons have served me well re puncture protection for years. I run spare folder for puntures or mechanical problems. I wounder if your marathons are faulty. Marathon plus can have fit issues and I returned mine to the manufacturer s.

Check carefully the inner tyres. Not for thorns glass etc, but for broken fibes of kevlar pointing towards the tube. These can be very subtle and hard to spot. This is the only way I have had repeated puntures on marathons. I went years before first punture.

If you do find a tiny broken fibre from a previous punture its quite hard to get rid of. Sand it down or pull it out with pillers with out further distortion that causes it to bend inwards from cutting it.

You could also try slime, not everyone likes it but I tend to use it to fix puntures with good results.

Ozones description of wanting a 20 inch brompton for off road is basically a birdie in my mind. Fantastic with big apples.

keyven

Turning an expensive ultra-portable like the Brompton into something Frankensteinian may not be in your best interest. You may get some extra suspension and speed but I suspect you'd lose a chunk of portability and resale potential lol.

Better to buy a Birdy or Montague and be done with it.

dynaryder

Just do a 305 conversion:
Off-road Brompton

There was actually an article out there somewhere of a guy who put 305 wheels/Big Apples on his Brommie,but I can't find it right now.