Cycling UK Forum

My tourer has Schwalbe Marathon 700 x 38C tyres on.
Generally well rated.
Wire bead (so not folding).

I am looking to carry a folding spare tyre.
Can anyone recommend a tyre which would be suitable?

I can recommend Continental Contact Plus tyres, I am very pleased with mine.

Any use:- https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TYSCHGONE ... lding-tyre
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TYPATSVPT ... lding-tyre

reohn2 wrote:Any use:- https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TYSCHGONE ... lding-tyre
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TYPATSVPT ... lding-tyre

Thanks - just to confirm that my current tyre is allegedly 40 mm?
40-622 seems to imply this

Also, what is a ""clincher"?

yes 622 is the size of a tyre to fit on a 700c rim.

a clincher is a 'normal' tyre. the type you use with an inner tube.

(as opposed to a 'tubular' which is glued to a different style of rim. these are a traditional type of racing tyre.)

LittleGreyCat wrote:

reohn2 wrote:Any use:- https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TYSCHGONE ... lding-tyre
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TYPATSVPT ... lding-tyre

Thanks - just to confirm that my current tyre is allegedly 40 mm?
40-622 seems to imply this

Your present tyre will probably measure between 35 and 37mm wide and high,height measured from the outer edge of the rim to the outer edge of the tyre.
The Schwalbe G-One will be about the same size in section.
The Panaracer T-Serv will be slightly smaller in section.
Section being width and height

Also, what is a ""clincher"?

Clinchers are the type of ordinary tyres with inner tubes,like the ones you have fitted now.
Almost all tyres are clinchers though some are tubless ready which means they can be used without an inner tube but they need to have the rims set up to be ridden like that and also need and anti puncture solution inside the tyre that seals small punctures with not much air loss .
The other type of tyre is tubular,these need a special type of rim which they're glued onto,and have the inner tube sewn into the tyre,they're used almost exclusively for road racing.

Hope that answers your questions.

Here's a thought - if you're carrying a spare and you use it, then you no longer have the spare that you considered necessary. So you're either going to decide that you don't need one, in which case what's changed? Or, you're going to want to replace it as soon as possible, in which case the spare needs to get you that far...
When I carry a spare it's a half worn lightweight 28mm folder, which I'm happy to use at the front on good surfaces and with care on less good. it's half the weight and more importantly a third of the bulk of my usual touring tyre.

If you want to carry a spare tyre as a precaution against one of your tyres being so damaged by a tear or similar that it is unusable, I think it's rarely the case that such damage is so bad that it's not possible to use some form of tyre boot or similar to allow the tyre to continue to be used until you get home or can get to a bike shop. Park Tools sell a purpose made tyre boot, but DIY improvisations may be as effective or better, not least because you can make them larger than the Park tyre boot.

The traditional tyre boot would just be a piece of an old tyre cut off from the bead which would be carried in your toolkit (usually thinner racing type tyres because they are more flexible and will conform better between the inner tube and tyre), but I've read of duct tape being used (wrap a length of the tape around something in your kit such as a spanner handle or pump barrel, and when you need it cut off the required length and stick it to the inside surface of the tyre to bridge the tear) and old toothpaste tubes (although you still need duct tape or similar to stick it inside the tyre). I've even used the cardboard packaging from my spare inner tube to make an emergency tyre boot.

I carry a 'spare spare' tyre similar to PH's in that it is one that I'd run on the front only (on a loaded bike) pending purchase of a replacement for the original tyre. I also carry booting fabric; of the many things I have tried I now prefer to use fabric cut from an old umbrella. It is thin, strong, lightweight and basically rotproof. Three or four layers is about right for a medium sized gash. Because the fabric is thin it doesn't turn the tyre a funny shape and you can have the boot extending ~3" in all directions away from the damaged area.

In your case I'd carry a lighter built folding tyre eg a Voyager Hyper as a spare.

cheers

Brucey wrote:I carry a 'spare spare' tyre similar to PH's in that it is one that I'd run on the front only (on a loaded bike) pending purchase of a replacement for the original tyre. I also carry booting fabric; of the many things I have tried I now prefer to use fabric cut from an old umbrella. It is thin, strong, lightweight and basically rotproof. Three or four layers is about right for a medium sized gash. Because the fabric is thin it doesn't turn the tyre a funny shape and you can have the boot extending ~3" in all directions away from the damaged area.

In your case I'd carry a lighter built folding tyre eg a Voyager Hyper as a spare.

cheers

Personally I can't think of any incidents in over 40 years of cycling where a tyre boot was needed. But I have had a couple of instances where a spare tyre was useful -

One was on LEJOG to lend to someone in the group so they could get the last few miles (probably around 15-20) to our destination for the day (where they bought a new tyre & gave me my spare back).

The second was running in a new pair of studded tyres & the bead on one side of the rear failed after about 4 miles (3 beads stayed put fine but the 4th was, by that stage, peeling itself off completely in about 2 turns of the wheel). After a few attempts to try to get it to reseat I swapped it out for the Voyager Hyper in my seat pack & returned home (carefully in case the other new tyre was also a problem). The faulty tyre was replaced without any quibble.

on day rides I usually carry booting material rather than a spare tyre. Even if a spare is carried, once you are using it, you then (until it is replaced) only have the booting fabric as a back up. For the weight of it (30g is a lot of umbrella fabric BTW) you may as well carry booting fabric on the basis that it might do some good and it doesn't cause any harm.

cheers

Brucey wrote:on day rides I usually carry booting material rather than a spare tyre. Even if a spare is carried, once you are using it, you then (until it is replaced) only have the booting fabric as a back up. For the weight of it (30g is a lot of umbrella fabric BTW) you may as well carry booting fabric on the basis that it might do some good and it doesn't cause any harm.

cheers

I do the same. Canvas from old tubular tyres etc. I carry a spare tyre plus that when touring, but I know how to fold tyres, as you do, I'm certain!

Thanks, all.

Interesting reading, including the implication that there is a right and wrong way to fold a tyre.