Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Freewheeling => Folders => Topic started by: TeddyUK on 24 May, 2012, 03:49:26 pm
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Hello everyone. Which is the fast tyre for brompton?
Is Schwalbe the only one manufacturer for Brompton?
Thanks
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The fastest tyre is a Primo Comet, difficult to find in this country. Brompton's own tyre/s aren't bad (the discontinued Yellow is noticeably faster than the Green). Schwalbe's Kojak isn't faster than the Green and the Marathon is like running in gumboots. The Marathon Plus, don't even go there.
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The Kojak feels slower to me than the discontinued Stelvio. I'd go for Brompton's green label tyre, although the Marathon Plus, despite its weight, has undeniable benefits when changing a rear tube is such a faff. and it rolls pretty well. I've ridden 80 miles on them a few times.
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So, the brompton's own tyre are not so bad. Are the primo comet good on wet street?
Thanks
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Which is the difference between:
Schwalbe Kojak HS385 http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/schwalbe-kojak-hs385-rigid-tyre-16-inch-(349)-prod25082/ (http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/schwalbe-kojak-hs385-rigid-tyre-16-inch-(349)-prod25082/)
and
Brompton Kojak Folding Road Tyre http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/brompton-kojak-folding-road-tyre-16-x-1-1-4-inch-(32-349)-qtyrkojak-prod23183/ (http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/brompton-kojak-folding-road-tyre-16-x-1-1-4-inch-(32-349)-qtyrkojak-prod23183/)
???
The "Brompton" Kojak are lighter and with the reflective strip, but also the "conventional" Kojak are reflective (reflective label).
@LittleWheelsandBig is the Primo Comet size for Brompton 16x1 3 8?
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The Marathon Plus, don't even go there.
As I may have mentioned before, I rode the 2010 BWC on a Brommie shod in M+ and finished a respectable 96th (IIRC). Imagine what I'd have achieved if I'd been using "fast" tyres!
Anyway, my experience of the Stelvios is that they're not significantly faster than M+, so if Kojaks are slower than Stelvios, I really wouldn't bother. Although having said that, it could just be that I'm a faster rider generally than I was when I had the Stelvios, so maybe don't use my experience as a reliable yardstick.
These Primo Comets sound interesting...
d.
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Which is the difference between:
Schwalbe Kojak HS385 http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/schwalbe-kojak-hs385-rigid-tyre-16-inch-(349)-prod25082/ (http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/schwalbe-kojak-hs385-rigid-tyre-16-inch-(349)-prod25082/)
and
Brompton Kojak Folding Road Tyre http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/brompton-kojak-folding-road-tyre-16-x-1-1-4-inch-(32-349)-qtyrkojak-prod23183/ (http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/brompton-kojak-folding-road-tyre-16-x-1-1-4-inch-(32-349)-qtyrkojak-prod23183/)
???
The "Brompton" Kojak are lighter and with the reflective strip, but also the "conventional" Kojak are reflective (reflective label).
The lighter version is lighter because it has kevlar folding beads instead of rigid steel. The casing and rubber is the same, so the ride is the same.
Kojaks are not racing tyres, but I don't reckon they're terribly slow either. They don't puncture easily. (In fact I've never punctured mine). Note that they're narrower and shallower than many/most other tyres to fit the Brompton, so they effectively lower the gear a bit. That's one reason why I chose them. Low weght is good as well, particularly on a bike that you lift and carry frequently.
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I have just changed over to Marathon Plus on the Brompton from Green Label. I was honestly quite shocked how flimsy the Green Label tyres felt. On the road I dont notice any difference.
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I bought a pair of Marathon Plus at the time of ordering my Brommy. They went straight in the cupboard under the stairs and remain unusued. I thought I might want them if ever I got a commute so important that it was vital to maximise puncture resistance. Hmmm. That time may never come, and I wouldn't like the extra weight to carry anyway. Maybe I'll sell them. Keep an eye on For Sale.
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Yes please, if you decide to sell.
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I bought a pair of Marathon Plus at the time of ordering my Brommy. They went straight in the cupboard under the stairs and remain unusued.
So have you ever actually ridden or carried a Brommie fitted with M+ tyres?
d.
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Yes, Brompton tyres are 349.
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So have you ever actually ridden or carried a Brommie fitted with M+ tyres?
No. I know what they weigh and I ride another bike with M+ tyres.
First dibs for the tyres goes to Domestique. I'll think about it for a day or two more though.
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No. I know what they weigh and I ride another bike with M+ tyres.
Are they the same size as Brompton tyres?
Do you carry that other bike around much?
I'm not having a dig, just trying to ascertain the basis for your comments - its just that my extensive experience of riding a Brommie with M+ tyres is that the weight is not an issue.
Mind you, I use M+ because reliability is the primary consideration for me. If rolling speed were my top priority, I'd seek out the Primo Comets mentioned by LWaB.
d.
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The extra weight of the M+ tyres isn't significant by itself. My decision not to use them on the Brompton is just part of a larger program. I don't need extra puncture resistance on this bike, therefore I do without with the extra weight, rolling resistance and size of M+.
Kojaks save weight and lowers the gear without being too impractical, whereas pure racing tyres might not be durable and puncture resistant as I want. So they're a compromise. I will be interested to know more about Primo Comets though. Perhaps they could be good for a bit of summer fun? I'd definitely give them a go if I was entering the BWC (which I'm bottling out of).
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Which is the difference between:
Schwalbe Kojak HS385 http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/schwalbe-kojak-hs385-rigid-tyre-16-inch-(349)-prod25082/ (http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/schwalbe-kojak-hs385-rigid-tyre-16-inch-(349)-prod25082/)
and
Brompton Kojak Folding Road Tyre http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/brompton-kojak-folding-road-tyre-16-x-1-1-4-inch-(32-349)-qtyrkojak-prod23183/ (http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/brompton-kojak-folding-road-tyre-16-x-1-1-4-inch-(32-349)-qtyrkojak-prod23183/)
???
The "Brompton" Kojak are lighter and with the reflective strip, but also the "conventional" Kojak are reflective (reflective label).
The lighter version is lighter because it has kevlar folding beads instead of rigid steel. The casing and rubber is the same, so the ride is the same.
Kojaks are not racing tyres, but I don't reckon they're terribly slow either. They don't puncture easily. (In fact I've never punctured mine). Note that they're narrower and shallower than many/most other tyres to fit the Brompton, so they effectively lower the gear a bit. That's one reason why I chose them. Low weght is good as well, particularly on a bike that you lift and carry frequently.
I ride mainly in the 5th gear (not to many hill except between Finsbury park and Camden, in London) so I think I'll try the Kojak, folding option (not the "Brompton" Kojak, just to save a little bit of money).
Thanks
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The fastest tyre is a Primo Comet, difficult to find in this country. Brompton's own tyre/s aren't bad (the discontinued Yellow is noticeably faster than the Green). Schwalbe's Kojak isn't faster than the Green and the Marathon is like running in gumboots. The Marathon Plus, don't even go there.
Is the Primo Comet this one?? http://www.amazon.com/Primo-Comet-Bicycle-37-349-Black/dp/B000AO5L5A/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
Is it good on the wet?
Not able to find the website of this tyre
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Harder rubber rolls faster but doesn't stick in the wet. The Primo, like most of the tyres for a Brompton, uses fairly hard rubber.
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I have the terribly expensive Kojak folding tyres, and they are not significantly faster than M+. Lighter, yes.
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Recent Bromptons will take Greenspeed Scorchers (older Bromptons don't have the clearance) with just a few millimetres to spare. I've not used them but they are reckoned to be a shade quicker than the Comet.
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I have the terribly expensive Kojak folding tyres, and they are not significantly faster than M+. Lighter, yes.
What he says. Lighter means better acceleration though, so if you're sprinting traffic lights they might be worth it.
The Kojaks weigh about the same as the Stelvio Light. But the Stelvio is 28mm where the Kojak is 32mm, and accepts an ever higher pressure which will rattle your bones even more, unless you have a very smooth road surface. For comfort reasons (!) I prefer the 35mm M+.
If I was to carry the bike daily in and out of a train I'd use the Kojaks, since the weight difference is noticeable on carrying it.
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I have the terribly expensive Kojak folding tyres, and they are not significantly faster than M+. Lighter, yes.
What he says. Lighter means better acceleration though, so if you're sprinting traffic lights they might be worth it.
The Kojaks weigh about the same as the Stelvio Light. But the Stelvio is 28mm where the Kojak is 32mm, and accepts an ever higher pressure which will rattle your bones even more, unless you have a very smooth road surface. For comfort reasons (!) I prefer the 35mm M+.
If I was to carry the bike daily in and out of a train I'd use the Kojaks, since the weight difference is noticeable on carrying it.
I carry daily my bike in and out of the office and home (first floor flat), but for the moment I never used it in train/tube/bus. And I do 8 miles in the morning and 8 in the night. At this point of the post I really don't know if to spend money to change the green labeled Brompton tyres with something else. The pair that I have is still good, and it seems that all the alternatives (.. not so many) are not much better then the basic one
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Ok, I bought the Kojak tyres 2 weeks ago. Done with them 250 km. (london main roads, I am 78 kgs, condition of the road 70% of the time wet). And they are already full of cuts. Is this normal?
(http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/12/photongi.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/651/photongi.jpg/)
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I don't have that many cuts in mine after much more mileage (including on wet roads). I make an effort to avoid places where broken glass collects, including the gutters.
I don't worry about cuts that haven't gone all the way through the casing anyway.
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The KojaK are not for me. Running now on Marathon Plus. If interested I have a pair of new Kojak to sell, never used or installed! Plus the one reported in the picture
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The Marathon+ should really be the standard factory tyre, assuming most people buy Bromptons for everyday transport. Changing a flat is such a faff that the weight penalty is soon forgotten, and they have an unusual combination of decent grip and durability (normally you get one or the other).
In a different size, I have been running the same pair of M+ tyres on an all-weather, 4 or 5 day a week commuting bike for three years now and they have only ever been off the rim in that time so I could swap to spiked snow tyres. The rear tyre is barely worn and they grip on slimy roundabouts like the previous Stelvios couldn't. I also rode the Dunwich Dynamo on them and averaged 17mph rolling.
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Not in my experience. I'll stick with something that rolls better and still rarely punctures.
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Reviving this ancient thread, are there any tyres better suited to gravelly bridleways these days?
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What would that look like given the limited clearance available?
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You tell me...
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Reviving this ancient thread, are there any tyres better suited to gravelly bridleways these days?
When I got my Brompton they had the Brompton Marathons on and they were pretty good for gravel canal paths etc. I've since moved on to Conti Urban and I am not sure I'd want to ride the same paths with them on (though I have endured some COR with the kids on courses I've taught on...
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You tell me...
Well they do Marathon Racers and Kojaks/Ones in tanwall now if you're after poseur points.
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My Marathon racers were distinctly skittish on damp gravel on Sunday. I see that Schwalbe do Winters - with the advisory that the frame needs to be protected. No good at the moment though.
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I've been really happy on Marathons (think they might be the Plus, have to check). Seem to roll along fine to me, but then I use them on other bikes and for some Audax events too. I'd use them on gravel, in so far as I'd choose a Brompton for gravel in the first place.
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I've little choice. It's a gravelly bridlepath that hasn't been maintained since opening or a significant detour on a busy A road. It's easily rideable in the dry, but not so user friendly in damper conditions. Once it gets to tarmac it's then a roadway to multiple big houses and they appear to have spent nothing on maintaining their access road in many years. It then becomes a pothole-avoidance slalom. Still better than the alternative...
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That newflangled marathon-winter-without-the-studs doesn't appear to be available in Brompton sizes, unfortunately.
I've got non-plus Marathons on mine, after the untimely demise of the original Brompton greens. Seems okay for not-too-muddy off-road, as I'd expect for a Marathon, but I fitted them late in the year and they haven't had the thin-film-of-leaf-slime test[1].
[1] Which the 40-406 equivalent failed spectacularly on my tourer a couple of years ago, unceremoniously dumping me in a heap.
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SJS have very cheap semi-knobbly Raleigh tyres, but I thought those were crap...? https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tyres/raleigh-record-tyre-black-qtyrral-16-x-1-38-inch-37349/
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They are.