Originally Posted by
efk22
I am thinking of getting Schwalbe Marathon Plus for my bike. I had my first pinch flat last week after hitting a huge pothole. These Schwalbe's protect against puncture flats but don't help against pinch flats. How hard is it to change a SMP on the side of the road? Aren't they a bear to get back on the rim?
As far as pich flats are concerned, my tire was inflated to the correct psi. Would a better quality tube help with pinch flats as well?
The idea of "correct psi" for a tire is a bit ambiguous. Did you have them at the maximum recommended psi? If so, are you sure it was a pinch flat? How wide are your tires?
I don't have a lot of experience with pinch flats, but I do have a good bit of experience avoiding them in a situation where they are common (CX racing). In theory, thicker tubes will help protect against pinch flats. I cover my tubes in baby powder, which theoretically gives them a chance to slide out of a pinch. Of course, the best protection is just not having the tube ever get pressed against the rim. The best way to do that is to have more air in the tire. This isn't just about high psi. A wider tire will also help, assuming your rim is wide enough not to offset the benefit. Beyond that, pay attention to how you ride. When you know you're about to hit something, get out of the saddle and relax your knees and elbows. Your body will absorb most of the impact and the tire won't pinch. Of course, sometimes you hit something you didn't see, like your pothole.
The Marathon Plus is notorious for being difficult to mount, but mostly that's because it's a very stiff tire. I suspect this means that they will be less likely to pinch flat than other tires of similar width and inflation.