Would You Return These Tyres?

[DavyS]

I am getting thorn punctures every ride so ordered a couple of Schwarbe Marathon Plus tyres from a famous German retailer.
They were sent folded in half in a shallow box 15 cm deep. The wired rims on Marathon are supposed to be heavyweight and I noticed that they were distorted by the folding - see photo.
I fitted the tyre, checked that the inner tube was not trapped under the tyre beads and then inflated the tyre to 60psi. Suddenly the tyre bead lifted at one point and allowed the inner tube to escape and burst.
So I intend returning the tyres (bit of a hassle to Germany and now wishing I had bought them from a local bike shop). But before doing this it occurred to me that many tyres must be bought by post and sent folded.
Any thoughts?

[PT1029]

I have straightened such bent tyre beads in the past, and the tyre fitted fine. Might be worth a try to save the hassle of returning. If the straightening does not work, at least you have a photo of how it came. Straightening IME can be done with fingers, so no worries about mangling the rubber with pliers/grips.
If you inflate the tyre in stages, you can check if the tyre is seated correctly, stays seated correctly, and if it is gradually rising up at the bend, so saving another uncontrolled release of air.

[pwa]

I have straightened such bent tyre beads in the past, and the tyre fitted fine. Might be worth a try to save the hassle of returning. If the straightening does not work, at least you have a photo of how it came. Straightening IME can be done with fingers, so no worries about mangling the rubber with pliers/grips.
If you inflate the tyre in stages, you can check if the tyre is seated correctly, stays seated correctly, and if it is gradually rising up at the bend, so saving another uncontrolled release of air.

+1 It is usually possible to twist a metal beaded tyre into a compact package without damaging it, but yours have been treated roughly. Try to straighten it out with your fingers, or pliers cushioned with something soft, like card. And if you can, all well and good. If you can't, send em back. Don't mark them during your manipulation, of course.

[Brucey]

the wire bead in many schwalbe tyres is a narrow wire that has three or four turns to make it strong enough. However there is often an incomplete turn in the wire, i.e. there may be (for a short length) just two or three strands instead of three or four.

This weak spot is of course where the tyre tends to kink when it is folded. It is also where you can least afford to have one strand of the wire fail; you will then be down to 1/3 or 1/2 of the designed bead strength.

So by all means straighten the bead, but do be aware that the bead may be significantly weakened if one strand of the wire fails.

hth

cheers

[pete75]

So I intend returning the tyres (bit of a hassle to Germany and now wishing I had bought them from a local bike shop). But before doing this it occurred to me that many tyres must be bought by post and sent folded.
Any thoughts?

I've returned stuff to Rose in Germany and it's no more bother than returning stuff here. Print off a return label on their website. STick it on the package an dtake it to the post office. If you don't want to fold the tyres wrap them in some bin bags.

[PH]

I'd return them, they might be OK they might not, but I wouldn't have paid to take the chance. Also, if you don't accept such poor practice as bad packaging, they're more likely to stop doing it.

[peterh11]

I agree - I would return them. These tyres are not cheap and you will be expecting them to last a long time (I have a pair which are nowhere near worn out after about 4500 miles and 0 punctures - I am hoping they will do the same again easily) so best to get off on the right foot so to speak.

PeterH

[Samuel D]

Here’s the trick for folding non-folding tyres, by the way. Perhaps a helpful email with the URL to Rose is in order?

[DavyS]

Thanks for everyone who explained how to bend the bead straight. That is fairly easy to do if the bead is bent sideways but not upwards. If the tyre beads had been bent sideways then inflation pressure would have pushed the bead flat against the wheel rim. But the problem is that the tyre beads are bent upwards (radially) and inflation pressure just pushed the tyre off the rim.

I have decided to return the tyres and have emailed the photo of the damage to Rose with a request to urgently send me replacements (and since the tyres and the inner tube are scrap, stated I would be grateful if they accepted my photographic evidence and did not request that I spend more time packing and returning the items. I have already wasted a great deal of time trying to fit the distorted tyres on my wheels).

And cheekily I have included the URL to the Sheldon Brown website showing how to fold a tyre without damaging it!

[MikeF]

Here’s the trick for folding non-folding tyres, by the way. Perhaps a helpful email with the URL to Rose is in order?

Fan belts can also be folded like that although there isn't much need for them on a bike - unless you have a belt drive. IIRC many used to be sold folded like that, but they don't seem to be nowadays.

[nomisp]

Hi. before sending them back it is worth looking at the video showing marathon plus tyres being fitted on the SPA website, marathon plus tyres have a reputation of being awkward to fit and stay on the rim from new but when mastered they are a very good tyre. regards Nomisp

[Merry_Wanderer]

I had to return a non functional B&M dynamo headlamp to Rose. Their customer service was excellent and received the replacement within 2 days of them receiving my returned item. Didn't cost me a penny thanks to their returns policy

[DavyS]

Update from the OP .........
As many of you guessed, the German online retailer was Rose Bikes. I sent the photo and they sent me two new tyres and an inner tube without demanding I go to the trouble of returning the original ruined tyres. So impressive returns policy but a friendly email reply would have been nice - maybe the language is a problem.
So the new tyres arrived, in the same flat box. And again folded over rather than figure-of-eight fold, so sidewalls distorted but this time the beads were not kinked (I think that with the first set of tyres, the packer must have stamped on the bend to get the tyres into the box !!)
So with unkinked beads the tyres go on much easier and have had first bike ride. The ride is very harsh (Schwarbe Marathon Plus have tough side walls?) so will need to reduce inflation from 4.0 bar to perhaps 3. The 'Tour' tread cut through the mud and the bike did not slip or squirm; and cos dont have a knobbly tread I did not have chunks of mud thrown up all over me - and no punctures for the first time for ages
So a good outcome. Thanks everyone for your advice.

[moeszyslak]

Score 1 for Rose bikes, great service there.

The ride on marathons (in my experience anyway) is very harsh, and they also suffer from poor rolling resistance. Of course they are superbly puncture resistant, and exceptionally durable. Horses for courses!