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Best puncture-resistant 45C road tyre instead of WTB Riddlers?

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Best puncture-resistant 45C road tyre instead of WTB Riddlers?

Old 06-02-21, 06:02 PM
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fredlord
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Best puncture-resistant 45C road tyre instead of WTB Riddlers?

I recently bought a bike with WTB Riddler 45C tyres because I'm sick of constantly being rattled apart by the goat tracks I have to use on my commutes. I do very little actual gravel riding, though that may change down the line.

My tyres of choice have always been puncture-resistant: Marathon Plus, Gatorskins etc. Have flirted with the idea of Tannus Armor inserts, but never pulled the trigger. Yes, I know the Marathons are particularly slow, but I prioritise puncture-resistance.

I have actually quite enjoyed riding on the Riddlers, even on pavement. Would a slicker tyre be that much quicker? If I keep the Riddlers then I'd definitely consider the Tannus inserts. Bad idea?

I've made up my mind about tubeless, and it is not an option. Really.

So, a 45C puncture-resistant tyre for pavement? Tannus Armor inserts? Thoughts?
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Old 06-02-21, 07:21 PM
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Originally Posted by fredlord

I've made up my mind about tubeless, and it is not an option. Really.

Yes. Go tubeless. Why you’d want to fart around this option is beyond me.
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Old 06-02-21, 07:37 PM
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Although I can answer that question I'm not going to, because I don't want this thread to be that kind of discussion.
There are other threads for discussing that stuff.
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Old 06-02-21, 07:37 PM
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If puncture resistance is your priority, tubeless is the way to go. I personally love the Specialized Pathfinder pro. I'm using the 38 mm version, but they have a 42 mm version.
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Old 06-02-21, 07:39 PM
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Originally Posted by KJ43
If puncture resistance is your priority, tubeless is the way to go. I personally love the Specialized Pathfinder pro. I'm using the 38 mm version, but they have a 42 mm version.
There are other threads for discussing that stuff.
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Old 06-02-21, 09:17 PM
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Originally Posted by fredlord
There are other threads for discussing that stuff.
Just giving you the best answer. Good luck.
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Old 06-02-21, 09:26 PM
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If the riddlers work, then just keep em.
If they don't, then go with the heaviedt thickest marathon tire..

...and then of those don't work, look into a tire inflation system which can self seal when small punctures occur
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Old 06-02-21, 11:02 PM
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr
If the riddlers work, then just keep em.
Well, that's the issue; they ride fine, but I keep hearing that they're not particularly puncture resistant. That's why I'm thinking about using the Tannus inserts with them. I'll research to see if that will be much heavier and/or slower than switching out to 45C Marathon Pluses.
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Old 06-03-21, 05:56 AM
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr

...and then of those don't work, look into a tire inflation system which can self seal when small punctures occur
I see what you did there.

Originally Posted by fredlord
Well, that's the issue; they ride fine, but I keep hearing that they're not particularly puncture resistant.
Sounds like you haven’t yet had a puncture on those tires, but you are already worried that they are too puncture prone? Why don’t you ride them and see what happens?

If the Riddlers do end up being too puncture prone for you, you should just take mstateglfr ’s advice.
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Old 06-03-21, 07:10 AM
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Schwalbe Marathons
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Old 06-03-21, 07:21 AM
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Don't worry about punctures if you aren't having punctures. I think only a few are cursed enough to live in an area where they happen.
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Old 06-03-21, 07:40 AM
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So, I have run the 45mm Riddlers and am currently running the 45mm Maxxis Ramblers. In my limited experience, the Ramblers ride similar but have been a marginally more robust against punctures…that being said, I have run both tubeless, so it’s hard to gauge whether or not I’ve got many punctures on the Ramblers, because really small ones could be happening and sealing up without noticing. Personally, I’ll probably go back to the 40mm Ramblers when these get replaced…clearance is a little tight on my current bike with the 45s.

My theory is that there are essentially two strategies you can try for puncture protection:
  1. A bulletproof tire with a built-in puncture protection layer (Marathons) or some add-on layer like the Tannus armor (Mr Tuffy, etc).
  2. A relatively supple tire running tubeless with ample sealant.

Both options work. #1 is probably easier to set up and more versatile (eg, no need for special rims, or if you like to swap out tires) but the ride is almost certainly going to be better on option #2.
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Old 06-03-21, 02:20 PM
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This page is the reason why I going tubeless with the Riddlers is almost certainly not going to be an option for me. I'm increasingly thinking about just ditchng them and going with the Marathon Pluses.

Reviews start at bottom of page.

Reviews of WTB Riddlers
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Old 06-03-21, 02:45 PM
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Originally Posted by fredlord
This page is the reason why I going tubeless with the Riddlers is almost certainly not going to be an option for me. I'm increasingly thinking about just ditchng them and going with the Marathon Pluses.

Reviews start at bottom of page.

Reviews of WTB Riddlers
I suspect that many people don’t set up their tubeless tires very well. For what it’s worth, I ran the 37 mm Riddlers tubeless and had no issues whatsoever. Ditto with my WTB Resolutes.
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Old 06-03-21, 03:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Koyote
I suspect that many people don’t set up their tubeless tires very well. For what it’s worth, I ran the 37 mm Riddlers tubeless and had no issues whatsoever. Ditto with my WTB Resolutes.
Agreed. I would really take those reviews with a rather large grain of salt.

I don't have experience with the Riddlers, but I had the Rambler (tubeless) when I first got my bike for about 6 months with zero issues and I rode them hard on a variety of surfaces including semi-technical single track. I did have to bump the pressure up here and there before my rides (2 - 3 psi), but that is par for the course with tubeless tires and completely worth the ride quality and ability to seal itself.
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Old 06-03-21, 04:28 PM
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the webites for both Continental and Swalbe let you sort their tires by puncture rating.

But having said that as far as tubed tires go you won't find much of anything more highly rated than the marathon pluses. I rode the cowboy trail in Nebraska on a set of marathon plus MTB tires because I was concerned about poor trail conditions. Between all the puncture belts and half inch deep lugs on the tires I can honestly say they are goathead proof. I didn't realize how many the tires were picking up until I transitioned to smooth pavement and wondered what all the tapping noises were. Pulled a half dozen from each tire.

Having said that the first thing I did when I got back was remove those nearly new tires and get rid of them. The tire alone weighed over a kilo each. These are 26 inch wheels. God awful miserable things, rode horribly, stupid slow accelerating. Simply not worth it.

Next time I ride that trail it will be on gravelking SK tires set up tubeless. The ride is night and day different and my guess they will prove as puncture reistant.
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Old 06-03-21, 05:27 PM
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I'd recommend WTB Raddler 700x44 tubeless
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Old 06-03-21, 05:38 PM
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If you want something lighter than the Marathon Plus, maybe the Panaracer Gravelking SS Plus+ 700x43. It's half the weight of the Marathon Plus, so no way is as tough as a Marathon, but it does have a bead to bead protection layer (that's what the "Plus+" means).

I've used the wire-beaded Riddlers (700x45) and the Gravelking SS Plus+ (700x43) and the Gravelkings feel faster/smoother.
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Old 06-03-21, 05:42 PM
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Originally Posted by Pop N Wood

Next time I ride that trail it will be on gravelking SK tires set up tubeless. The ride is night and day different and my guess they will prove as puncture reistant.
Thanks for that informative post. Thought-provoking.
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Old 06-03-21, 08:20 PM
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I've done some non-tubeless research and maths for 700 x 45C:
  • 2 Riddlers + 2 Tannus Armors = 1660g
  • 2 Marathon Pluses = 2020g
My LBS guys, (who know the kind of man I am) acknowledge all the good stuff about tubeless setups but are gently suggesting I go the Riddlers/Tannus route.
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Old 06-03-21, 08:33 PM
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Originally Posted by fredlord
My LBS guys, (who know the kind of man I am) acknowledge all the good stuff about tubeless setups but are gently suggesting I go the Riddlers/Tannus route.
I don't think that means what you think it means...But I hope you enjoy your new tires.
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Old 06-03-21, 08:39 PM
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The GravelKing SS+ in 700X43 is 530g. Add tubes and you'll still be lighter than those two options.
https://www.panaracerusa.com/collect...vel-tires#info The SK+ is 540g if you like more tread.

Last edited by shelbyfv; 06-03-21 at 08:44 PM.
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Old 06-03-21, 08:59 PM
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Originally Posted by shelbyfv
The GravelKing SS+ in 700X43 is 530g. Add tubes and you'll still be lighter than those two options.
https://www.panaracerusa.com/collect...vel-tires#info The SK+ is 540g if you like more tread.
Or skip the tubes, put in some sealant, and be lighter AND get the desired puncture protection.
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Old 06-03-21, 09:02 PM
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Originally Posted by Koyote
I don't think that means what you think it means...But I hope you enjoy your new tires.
They suspect that I am a lazy, non-resourceful, ham-fisted, impractical buffoon with more money than sense who nevertheless sports a powerful set of glutes and quadriceps more than capable of propelling him through the cracked and pot-holed terrain of his urban nightmare, no matter the weight of his tyres.

And they're right!
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Old 06-04-21, 05:44 AM
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Originally Posted by fredlord
They suspect that I am a lazy, non-resourceful, ham-fisted, impractical buffoon with more money than sense who nevertheless sports a powerful set of glutes and quadriceps more than capable of propelling him through the cracked and pot-holed terrain of his urban nightmare, no matter the weight of his tyres.

And they're right!
Well, you got me – – it does mean exactly what you think it means!
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