Brompton Tyres

[cyclecycle]

Hello,

The brommy need a new set of shoes, what are other folders here running and what has been their experience and recommendation for reliable commuting:

Marathon or Marathon Plus?

The pluses cost a wee bit more but tempted if they are to be recommended.

Thanks in advance,

[foxyrider]

if you want to forget punctures go for the +

[Lewis3392]

Hi There,

This is My first time posting, but have found existing posts on this forum helpful, so thanks all.

I would pay the extra for the better protection, the Plus have 5mm protection while the marathons have 3mm

I am looking at buying a folder with 16 x 1.75 tyres and replacing them with Marathons or Plus, I seem to only be able to get Marathons in this size as Marathon plus come in 16 x1.35. Will these fit? I am confused by tyre sizes how much the difference will matter.

Thanks

[SA_SA_SA]

The new Marathon greenguard sounds a better compromise for small tyres: it has a 3mm rather than the pluses' 5mm protective band so more room for air (suspension).

Hovever, I haven't tried either: perhaps someone has? I would be interested if my idea was correct in any way.

[Merry_Wanderer]

Now done nearly 3,000 miles on Marathons on my Brompton. These are the old kevlar, pre greenguard tyres. Got them from Spa for £11 each IIRC.They are about 1 mph slower on road than the standard Brompton tyres but give better grip. Absolutely no problems commuting on a mixture of tarmac, gravel and quarry towpath. I recommend them. I have bought a pair of the newer greenguard which were also cheap, but plenty of life left in the existing tyres. Wouldn't bother with M+ unless you have an urban commute with lots of glass

[MLJ]

Lewis3392

I am looking at buying a folder with 16 x 1.75 tyres and replacing them with Marathons or Plus, I seem to only be able to get Marathons in this size as Marathon plus come in 16 x1.35. Will these fit? I am confused by tyre sizes how much the difference will matter.

There are two 16" sizes, 305mm and 349mm. Brompton uses the 349mm size. The Brompton tyre is 349x37mm, which equates to 16"x1 3/8". It is best to stick to ISO sizing for comparisons.

With regard to tyre type, I use the now standard Brompton tyre (with kevlar). It is lighter than the Marathons and easier to get on and off. I do not know that it is less puncture proof than the others, and know those who have punctured the M+ and then struggled to deal with it. Having used two of these on the rear wheel, they have not punctures during that time.

[Brucey]

The new Marathon greenguard sounds a better compromise for small tyres: it has a 3mm rather than the pluses' 5mm protective band so more room for air (suspension).

Hovever, I haven't tried either: perhaps someone has? I would be interested if my idea was correct in any way.

The tread sits on the outside of the casing and the casing's internal shape is determined by air pressure, not tread design. So to a first approximation the 'suspension' offered by a given tyre is determined by the carcass width and not the tread.

However.... in reality it is more complicated than that because under load the tread's shape pushes differently into the tyre carcass even on a flat road. This plus the flexing in the tread itself can make two tyres with the same carcass (but different tread) feel different (even on small bumps) and have different rolling resistance too.

FWIW I think that the greenguard marathon (in larger sizes) has a relatively low Crr but only if it is inflated to full pressure, and then it isn't comfy. At lower pressures most properly puncture resistant tyres seem rather draggy to me.

cheers

[SA_SA_SA]

...The tread sits on the outside of the casing and the casing's internal shape is determined by air pressure, not tread design. So to a first approximation the 'suspension' offered by a given tyre is determined by the carcass width and not the tread.....

So does that mean both have the same size of air chamber but the greenguard(with its 3mm band) is less tall?
(I had assumed Xmm less area of elastomer band meant Xmm more area for air space = suspension, but now this sounds wrong)

I suppose the thinner band would be more flexible, so still perhaps better for a smaller tyre. But both 349 elastomer marathon types are 35mm rather than 37mm of standard Brompton/Schwalbe Kevlar Marathons.

I wonder if the blue marathon plus band is best on big fat tyres like my rear 47-559.

[cyclecycle]

Hi,

Thanks for info ... so just to recap is the general concensus that marathon plus are probably overkill for general commuting?

[Brucey]

if you can accept the likelihood of (perhaps) a couple of punctures a year, yes.

But if any puncture is a real disaster (and it is for some folk) then M+ are a good idea; their downsides (price, weight, rolling characteristics) are small beer by comparison with a 'disaster'...

cheers

[torquerulesok]

FWIW, M+ are an absolute pain to fit on a B, the standard Marathons are much easier. I've used the latter for the past two years in London with no p*nctures.

[Merry_Wanderer]

As a compromise you could opt for a M+ on the rear, which is the worst one on which to change a tube and a cheaper M on the front as this is the easier one to change. I am assuming you have a hub geared Brompton not the single or 2 speed

[cyclecycle]

Hi there,

Decided to go for the regular marathons (M+ a bit excessive) - thanks to all for their input.

Is this the right one for a Brompton:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/schw ... prod69134#

Seems like a good price

Thanks,

[Merry_Wanderer]

That's the one