[Cameron]

Hi Peter,

I have now replaced my Marathon Racer with Marathon Greenguard. Overall I think I have seen a slight increase in speed (maybe 0.5kmh on my usual circuits) but the feel is better, which is also important. I didn’t like the M Racers at all, and in theory they had less protection than the normal Marathons, so fingers crossed it works out.

Now to decide whether to put mudguards on. I have heard mixed reports on whether it impacts performance.

Regards,

Cameron

[NeillSlater]

it depends how your TSR is set up.if its a stripped down TSR and is basically road bike i.e. no mudguards,no carriers.basically a TSR set up as a purist roadbike, with either Campag,SRAM or Shimano road drivetrain with drop bars then you can go ahead and fit race tires e.g. Schwalbe One or Continental GP 4000 or Moulton Bridgetsone for example.
These race tires are intended strictly for out and out lightweight road bikes.
race tires are literally a flimsy bit of rubber intended for very light race bikes.thats it.
As soon as you fit a carrier and start carrying luggage then race tires arent practical.
This is Not what they are intended for.
They will wear out very very quickly indeed.
Then you need to go to heavier duty tires such as Marathon Plus or Gators or Marathon or the like.

[NeillSlater]

Marathon Plus when well maintained and regularly checked to ensure that the tire is free from glass shards and inflated to the maximum tire pressure are true fit and forget tires.
you can get on with enjoying your Cycling.
Marathon Will puncture easier than Marathon Plus.
But is a tremendously reliable tire.
if you want more speed,then consider Schwalbe One at the Greater risk of punctures..
Schwalbe one at maximum tire inflation costs around 12,5 Watts.
Continental Contact speed is your other option.however,there is No information on the power ratio..the puncture resistance should be around that of the Schwalbe One.
another fastish tire is the Schwalbe Kojak.It has an anti puncture belt but they are rumoured to not be very sturdy especially during wet weather..if you want a Kojak then you need to combine it with the Flataway Kevlar anti puncture belt.This seems to ward away punctures quite effectively..
also you need to consider the amount of weight you are carrying.if your bike is very light then you can consider a lighter race tire.if your bike is bogged down with heaavy weight then your Only option is Marathon Plus.Marathon Plus is a Robust,long lasting,hard wearing tire.even if you are touring,do try your utmost and be quite ruthless and get the wieght Down to the very bare minimum.the lighter the bike the easier it is to get it moving at a high speed and keep it rolling at high speeds and the less knackered you will feel at the end of the day..also you´ll enjoy your Cycling far more if the bike is light.only take the bare minimum.waterproofs,bike lock,pen,paper,whole grain sandwich a bottle of drink.chuck everything else out.

[NeillSlater]

one other option is the tannus tire.this is to all intents and purposes a solid tire.the rolling resistance is said to be that associated with marathon plus..but flats are completely utterly ruled out..M+ rolling resistance is around 20 watts.tannus is well worth a try for long distance efforts where you really Dont want a puncture

[Dave Minter]

A related but slightly different query.

I have just built up some tubeless 406 Fratelli rims with tubeless Schwalbe Pro One tyres. We will be using them for long brevets on our eTap-equipped Moultons, once the Covid situation settles down enough.

Are there other fast tubeless tyres that fit under the mudguards and dual pivot brakes on a TSR or a prototype Jubilee? Most narrow 406 tyres are as slow as a wet week e.g. Kojaks or Duranos.

[Author]

Posts