Tyre nightmares

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pduffy9370
Posts: 12
Joined: 15 Jan 2011, 12:54pm

Tyre nightmares

Post by pduffy9370 »

Fitted a new rear tyre on my Dawes Ultra Galaxy last night (Schwalbe Marathon Plus - to replace the original Schwalbe Marathon, which had done wonderful service (>5000 miles)). Went out for the first ride on it this morning. After about 10 miles, became aware of a tang-tang-tang noise coming from the back wheel: stopped, and found that a piece of wire was gradually emerging from the side of the tyre and twanging against the fork. Managed to get home without problems (apart from the noise.)

Just wondering if anyone else had ever experienced anything like this. (I never have - in over 35 years of cycling.)

Nothing like being 10 miles from home and having the sense that your rear tyre is disintegrating to ruin a nice cycle ride ...
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531colin
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Re: Tyre nightmares

Post by 531colin »

It is an occasional fault with Schwalbe. Take a photo and contact the retailer. The retailer may want sight of the tyre to exclude the possibility that violent use of tyre levers has caused the damage.
Bicycler
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Re: Tyre nightmares

Post by Bicycler »

It's certainly not unknown for the wire bead to fail.

These tyres are notoriously difficult to fit on some rims. It is possible to cause that kind of problem with overenthusiastic use of tyre levers. If not it is a straightforward warranty issue.

EDIT: I see colin got there first.
pduffy9370
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Joined: 15 Jan 2011, 12:54pm

Re: Tyre nightmares

Post by pduffy9370 »

Interestingly, I did have massive problems getting the new tyre on the rim (at times, I thought I wasn't going to manage it at all, and had to keep convincing myself that the new tyre really was the same size as the old one.) But I didn't use levers - I just pushed the tyre on with my thumbs (they still ache ...)

I've contacted Schwalbe via their web page and submitted a photo - I'll post an update re. reply (or lack of one.) (I bought the tyre from a local shop, but it was a few months ago, and I don't have the receipt. I might take it round to them anyway and see if they're interested.)
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531colin
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Re: Tyre nightmares

Post by 531colin »

How to fit a Mara Plus tyre......http://www.spacycles.co.uk/index.php

guess who the funny-looking old guy is?
pduffy9370
Posts: 12
Joined: 15 Jan 2011, 12:54pm

Re: Tyre nightmares

Post by pduffy9370 »

Many thanks for that. It's basically what I (eventually) did - although I wish I'd seen the video first, for the tips about holding the tyre on with toe-straps and pushing the bead into the rim well in order to get enough slack to get the last bit of the bead over the rim edge. (I can't see that what I did should have snapped the bead wires - my thumbs aren't that strong!)

BTW - it was Spa that I got the bike from (think it was spring 2012 - after my previous one got written off by a guy driving into the back of me at a roundabout.) I've done a lot of miles since then, and have been really pleased with the new bike.
Bikefayre
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Joined: 1 Dec 2014, 3:36pm

Re: Tyre nightmares

Post by Bikefayre »

One of my own bikes runs the Schwalbe Marathon Plus wheelchair tyre as it uses an obsolete tyre size a 590 26 ins rim fitted on the rear due to pothole damage, a Westwood rim to a 700C hybrid Peugeot bike which takes seven foot of road space. Apart from hideous cracks which Schwalbe have now cured it has still fairly new tread after three years. Running wheelchair tyres is a bigger risk than standard tyres yet have been no problem, not even a puncture. Why not try the new Energizer Plus from Schwalbe as it has raised letters marked MOPED so should be made to a much higher standard and quality. Cannot understand as had a pair of seriously perished Camel tyres which were falling to bits and carried me through an icy winter on my stupidly heavy mountain bike, once the carcass spread dumped them.
Brucey
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Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Tyre nightmares

Post by Brucey »

Bikefayre wrote:One of my own bikes runs the Schwalbe Marathon Plus wheelchair tyre as it uses an obsolete tyre size a 590 26 ins rim fitted on the rear due to pothole damage, a Westwood rim to a 700C hybrid Peugeot bike which takes seven foot of road space. Apart from hideous cracks which Schwalbe have now cured it has still fairly new tread after three years. Running wheelchair tyres is a bigger risk than standard tyres yet have been no problem, not even a puncture. Why not try the new Energizer Plus from Schwalbe as it has raised letters marked MOPED so should be made to a much higher standard and quality. Cannot understand as had a pair of seriously perished Camel tyres which were falling to bits and carried me through an icy winter on my stupidly heavy mountain bike, once the carcass spread dumped them.


there is no need to run wheelchair tyres on a 590 rim! There are gazillions of bikes using those size tyres (including new ones). You might choose to use wheelchair tyres, but you don't have to, e.g.

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tyres-26-(590)-dept199/

Many wheelchair tyres have the same load rating and only differ (if at all) in terms of rubber compound, and then not always.

The suggestion of an energizer plus tyre isn't a bad one. They vary in weight, load and pressure rating with size; there is a summary chart here;

http://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/road_tires/energizer_plus

The OP's fault is almost certainly caused by Schwalbe going a bit mad and failing to ensure that there is any rubber moulded in with the wire bead. If you cut apart such a tyre (e.g. if they refuse warranty for some reason) you will likely find no rubber in the fold where the bead wire sits. If you compare this with the cut-up samples that most schwalbe dealers have in their shop, you will see that it is different and is arguably therefore defective/substandard. You can usually identify if your new tyre is like this because it will creak horribly if you flex the bead region slightly.

Having said this I have fitted such creaky schwalbe tyres myself (no option...) and have not had any such problems to date. I wouldn't take them loaded touring though. I have seen others have such troubles and in most instances I am fairly sure the tyres were not inflated to the recommended pressure. If you use a decent gauge, fair enough, but if you didn't, note that the puncture resistant tyres like these feel harder than they really are, even when they are underinflated.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bikefayre
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Re: Tyre nightmares

Post by Bikefayre »

Fit the wheelchair tyre simply because I live in a thorn infested area as have had over six punctures in one ride with standard tyres. Plus do own and will use two sets of normal tyres, one from Meghna the other Camel. My favourite Raleigh Record is no longer made so switched to the Schwalbe Marathon Plus as it has an updated Roadster pattern. The Schwalbe was a test tyre and will be fitted after the standard tyres are done.
MikeF
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Re: Tyre nightmares

Post by MikeF »

Brucey wrote:there is no need to run wheelchair tyres on a 590 rim! There are gazillions of bikes using those size tyres (including new ones).
cheers

By golly you're right. :o And you can still buy Rigida rims http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/rigida-rm19-26-x-1-3-8-inch-590-silver-alloy-rim-36-hole-prod18604/ and westwood ones too http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/westwood-26-x-1-3-8-590-36-hole-chrome-rim-prod22137/. Surely these sizes would be preferential to 622 on smaller frame sizes? Why aren't they used anymore or is this just yet another cycling fashion fad?
"It takes a genius to spot the obvious" - my old physics master.
I don't peddle bikes.
Brucey
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Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Tyre nightmares

Post by Brucey »

MikeF wrote:
Brucey wrote:there is no need to run wheelchair tyres on a 590 rim! There are gazillions of bikes using those size tyres (including new ones).
cheers

By golly you're right. :o And you can still buy Rigida rims http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/rigida-rm19-26-x-1-3-8-inch-590-silver-alloy-rim-36-hole-prod18604/ and westwood ones too http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/westwood-26-x-1-3-8-590-36-hole-chrome-rim-prod22137/. Surely these sizes would be preferential to 622 on smaller frame sizes? Why aren't they used anymore or is this just yet another cycling fashion fad?


Ah, but they are used by some manufacturers, eg Pashley models;

Ladies bikes:
Pashley Princess Sovereign
Pashley Princess Classic
Pashley Sonnet (Bliss and Pure)
Pashley Britannia
Pashley Penny

Mens bikes:
Pashley Roadster 26 Sovereign
Pashley Roadster 26 Classic
Pashley Parabike
Pashley Tube Rider

all use 590 wheels fitted with 26 x 1-3/8" tyres.

The thing is, the world is awash with different rim sizes; 571, 584, 590, 597, 609 are all rim sizes which sit in that range and could have tyres that give a smaller diameter than 622 (although 609s normally have tyres that come out a bit larger diameter than a skinny 622 fitment).

I've ridden a lot of miles on 26 x 1-3/8" tyres and they are pretty good really; they give you the chance to run a frame that has a head tube length , bb height, overall wheel diameter etc that are otherwise similar to a tight clearance 700x23C road bike, but with a comfy 37mm tyre and mudguards instead. It would make me quite happy if there were a greater choice in tyres and rims than we presently have in this size.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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andrew_s
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Re: Tyre nightmares

Post by andrew_s »

Brucey wrote:It would make me quite happy if there were a greater choice in tyres and rims than we presently have in this size.

The way things are going, your wish may be granted, at least in terms of 584 rims & tyres, if not 590.
Brucey
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Re: Tyre nightmares

Post by Brucey »

andrew_s wrote:
Brucey wrote:It would make me quite happy if there were a greater choice in tyres and rims than we presently have in this size.

The way things are going, your wish may be granted, at least in terms of 584 rims & tyres, if not 590.


I've not owned any 584mm stuff for some years now. When I stopped before, I said 'never again', mostly because of the extremely limited tyre and rim availability. IIRC for a long time all I could readily obtain was a basic Michelin tyre.

On the face of it, with the rise of the '27.5er', and internet retail, one ought to be better off. And certainly there are lots of rims out there. But they are mostly 32 drilled (a few 36 drilled) and nearly all for disc/hub brakes rather than for rim brakes. And those that are not are kinda pricey and are not that easy to get hold of.

Tyre-wise it is a similar story; lots of MTB stuff, only a few road tyres.

So right now, although I could buy some really nice 584 kit, it is kind of pricey, choice is still very limited, and availability is patchy. If I blew a tyre on a ride and needed another, it is still a 50-50 bet as to an LBS having any kind of road tyre and if they do, it'll likely still be a basic Michelin.

I'm not sure I'm not still as well or even better off with 590s for many purposes; you can get some kind of tyre more or less anywhere, and I can buy a basic alloy rim for about ten quid.

Bit of a toss-up between 584. 590, and 630 as to 'which would be the least practical size to go touring on', I guess. Unless things change dramatically, if you want/need a smaller wheel than 622, 559 is likely to remain the touring wheel size of choice for some time to come.

cheers
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MikeF
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Re: Tyre nightmares

Post by MikeF »

Until your post I hadn't realised how readily available 26x1 3/8 were. There doesn't seem to be so much availability for 26x 1 1/4 though, which also used to be a very popular size.
The problem nowadays seems to be that there's much more effort put into marketing, ie telling people what they must have, rather than selling what people need or would like to have.
"It takes a genius to spot the obvious" - my old physics master.
I don't peddle bikes.
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