Kevlar tyres...anyone know anything about them?

Macha

I have had it! That's two flat tyres in as many days. And its ALWAYS my back wheel, which is the hardest to repair. you know, take it off blah blah. grrrrr

Does anyone know anything about kevlar tyres? I've heard that there are a few different types. Any info at all about the different types or best place to get them would be great

thanks

cargrouch

My understanding of it:
Usually kevlar means that they use kevlar thread rather than steel. This is lighter and also allows the tyre to be folded up.

What some tyres have is a very dense weave of kevlar under the thread to make punctures from sharp objects less likely. So they trade weight reduction off against puncture reduction.

Kevlar tyres won't help if your punctures are are impact punctures or "snakebites" - where the rim squashes right down on the tube and gives two holes like a snakebite. This is due to too little pressure in your tyres.

Best tyres? What sort of riding do you do? Do you want light weight or puncture resistance, or what level of compromise? (Also -mountain bike, hybrid or road bike?)

I presume you're in Dublin, so one of the other boardsers will probably be better able to answer where to buy.

randomname2005

From sheldon brown:
Kevlar ®
A very strong artificial fiber, used in bullet-proof vests and bicycle tires. Kevlar is used in tires two different ways, for two different purposes:

* Kevlar beads are used on some high performance tires. Replacing the normal wire bead with Kevlar ® saves about 50 grams per tire. Kevlar-bead tires have the additional advantage of being foldable, making them popular as emergency spare tires with touring cyclists. Kevlar-bead tires are somewhat harder to mount on a rim, and are more likely to blow off than wire-bead tires. They work best on "hook edge" rims.

Probably of more interest to you:

* Kevlar-belted tires have a layer of kevlar under the tread surface, with the purpose of making the tire more resistant to punctures caused by small sharp objects, such as thorns and glass slivers. Kevlar-belted tires have slightly higher rolling resistance, price and weight than corresponding tires without the belt.

There are many different puncture resistant tyres out there, i have used specialized nimbus with no problems for many years, but find the cost of them prohibitive. Am currently using Schwalbe City Jets, have about 3000k on them with no problems. Daymobrew will advocate the use of Continentals
The secret is keeping them hard. You may just be at the end of the life of the tyre, similar to a car tyre the thread will wear away and make it easier for stones/glass to penetrate.
R

daymobrew

taconnol wrote:

I have had it! That's two flat tyres in as many days. And its ALWAYS my back wheel, which is the hardest to repair. you know, take it off blah blah. grrrrr

You should not need to take the wheel off.

What size are your current tyres?
As randomname2005 says, I have Continental Sport Contact 26x1.3 on my mountain bike. These tyres have great puncture protection and are fast. (I'm changing to Continental Ultra Gatorskin 26x1.2 for higher air pressure, narrower tyres and hopefully faster speeds). Both are about e29 per tyre, but worth it.

Macha

Hi guys, thanks for the replies

Cargrouch, my bike is a BH frame road bike. I live in Dublin and use it for transport around the city, commuting, going to the gym out in UCD etc. I really wouldn't mind having heavier tyres if it means less punctures. Each flat tyre raises my blood pressure and I've had to walk home from UCD a few too many times!

Thanks for the info Randomname2005. Yeah I guess its the Kevlar belted tyres I'd be looking for. TBH, I don't know that much about the alternatives available on puncture resistant tyres.

I have had the bike for about 1yr & 3 months now so I guess they are coming to the end of their life, but even a year ago I was getting an unusually high number of flats - I reckon over the 15 months, I've had about 12 flat tyres- that's almost 1 a month! And they're always on my back tyre - maybe because there's more weight on that tyre??

Daymobrew, how can I replace a tube without taking off the wheel?? You say that you use continental tyres - are they suitable for road bikes?

Apologies for silly questions - I love cycling but don't really get into the technicalities of it all unless forced to!

thanks

milod

taconnol wrote:

I have had it! That's two flat tyres in as many days. And its ALWAYS my back wheel, which is the hardest to repair. you know, take it off blah blah. grrrrr

Does anyone know anything about kevlar tyres? I've heard that there are a few different types. Any info at all about the different types or best place to get them would be great

thanks

Been there! but not anymore, now I use Specialized Armadillo and Dr Sludge tubes - inflated to the correct pressure you simply don't get punctures.

What size are your wheels/tyres?

Surrender

daymobrew wrote:

You should not need to take the wheel off.

?, Keep it simple, remove the wheel
Your rims 700 x23?

Sludge tubes above are brilliant alright

daymobrew

taconnol wrote:

Each flat tyre raises my blood pressure and I've had to walk home from UCD a few too many times!
.....
Daymobrew, how can I replace a tube without taking off the wheel?? You say that you use continental tyres - are they suitable for road bikes?

I don't carry a spare tube, just a puncture repair kit so I never have to take my wheel off.
If you've had to walk home it sounds like you don't carry a repair kit. Things are probably different with road bike tyres where it is probably quicker to replace the tube on the road and patch it later.

The Continental UltraGatorskins should sort you out.

Conti website wrote:

Conti‘s sophisticated anti puncture tyre

The ultimate wire bead training & racing tyre where puncture protection is priority. Using the latest technology against flats the GatorSkin range uses an aramid breaker and Duraskin® sidewall ProTection. The Duraskin® sidewall reinforcement forms an external protective sheild over the entire casing to prevent cuts, puntures and abrasions. The slick natural rubber tread is designed to perform well in wet/wintery conditions.

They come in 700x23, 25 and 28. Only the 23s are available in a folding variety.
Don't forget to keep the tyres pumped hard.

Macha

Yeah you're right I don't carry a puncture repair kit. Im a bit crap at repairing tyres so I try to just bring a hand pump just to get home - more often than not I forget it so I know its usually my own fault.

Im not sure what size my tyres are, just regular road bike size I guess. The bike cost around €500 so i suppose its just a standard size.

Thanks for all the information guys!! Im going to ring around now and get some prices.

Macha

Oh, one more question, what are your opinions on Hutchinson tyres? any good, or are the brands you suggested better?

daymobrew

taconnol wrote:

Oh, one more question, what are your opinions on Hutchinson tyres? any good, or are the brands you suggested better?

My road bike has Hutchinson Top Speed 700x23. "STOP puncture" is on the sticker on the side. One puncture in 700 miles (right at the end of the Wicklow 100 - I think it was just a tube failure as there was nothing in the tyre).

Cycle Superstore, where I ordered the 26x1.2 Ultra Gatorskin tyres, said that that model (in road sizes) is very popular there. Based on the description of those tyres I'd go for them.

kona

cargrouch wrote:

My understanding of it:
Usually kevlar means that they use kevlar thread rather than steel. This is lighter and also allows the tyre to be folded up.

What some tyres have is a very dense weave of kevlar under the thread to make punctures from sharp objects less likely. So they trade weight reduction off against puncture reduction.

Kevlar tyres won't help if your punctures are are impact punctures or "snakebites" - where the rim squashes right down on the tube and gives two holes like a snakebite. This is due to too little pressure in your tyres.

Best tyres? What sort of riding do you do? Do you want light weight or puncture resistance, or what level of compromise? (Also -mountain bike, hybrid or road bike?)

I presume you're in Dublin, so one of the other boardsers will probably be better able to answer where to buy.

i aint aying you are wrong but my MTB tyres are kevlar and , you defo wont be able to fold them!!!! maybe its different tyres but thats just my experience with them, the kevlar just makes them more resistant to punctures.
i have panaracer trailblasters on my XC bike and i havnt had a puncture in over a year?? the bike is used everyday and used off road too.
any decent bike shop will stock them, halfords carry them i know for sure, as i got mine there they are e20 for 26x2.1 kevlar MTB tyres, they stock smaller widths too.

Alkers

Get a handpump that attatches onto your frame and bring a spare tube with you. Maybe invest in one of those small bags that clip on behind your saddle. Then bring an adaptor for a Car-garage pump and you should be able to always get home.

randomname2005

kona wrote:

i aint aying you are wrong but my MTB tyres are kevlar and , you defo wont be able to fold them!!!! maybe its different tyres but thats just my experience with them, the kevlar just makes them more resistant to punctures.
i have panaracer trailblasters on my XC bike and i havnt had a puncture in over a year?? the bike is used everyday and used off road too.
any decent bike shop will stock them, halfords carry them i know for sure, as i got mine there they are e20 for 26x2.1 kevlar MTB tyres, they stock smaller widths too.

There are kevlar beaded and kevlar threaded, the threaded ones are foldable:
Kevlar beads are used on some high performance tires. Replacing the normal wire bead with Kevlar ® saves about 50 grams per tire. Kevlar-bead tires have the additional advantage of being foldable <from sheldonbrown>
where the kevlar beaded ones have added puncture resistance.

kona

randomname2005 wrote:

There are kevlar beaded and kevlar threaded, the threaded ones are foldable:
Kevlar beads are used on some high performance tires. Replacing the normal wire bead with Kevlar ® saves about 50 grams per tire. Kevlar-bead tires have the additional advantage of being foldable <from sheldonbrown>
where the kevlar beaded ones have added puncture resistance.

thanks for clearing that up man, i wast too sure.

cargrouch

"Bead" is the bit that hooks into the rim AFAIK.

Foldable tyres have Kevlar beads (and kevlar rather than steel wire throughout the carcass I presume?). They may or may not have an extra thick kevlar belt under the contact surface of the tyre.

Steel beaded tyres are not foldable. They may or may not have an extra thick kevlar belt under the contact surface of the tyre.

If you like your own tyres, and can't get them in a version with a kevlar protection built in, I've seen a roll of material (kevlar I presume) that you can put into your tyre before you put the tube in. It exists for MTBs anyway.

Edit - I don't really know who I was replying to there, or if I even was. Too. Long. At. Work.

kona

cargrouch wrote:

I've seen a roll of material (kevlar I presume) that you can put into your tyre before you put the tube in. It exists for MTBs anyway.
.

i think you are talking about slime, its green and blocks the hole made by a nail etc. its available for racers and hybrids too.

dove

using specialised armadillo tyres. and that was my own fault breaking the valve!

billyk

best tyre money can buy is the schwalbe marathon+ , retail of about 30 euro never seen one punctured

Civilian_Target

Hmm.. I always carry a spare inner tube instead of a puncture repair kit - there's something tedious I think about trying to find the hole in a tire on the road when you could just do a permanent fix and change the whole sodding lot!