New Thorn Mercury owner

[martinf]

35mm Schwalbe Marathon Plus

IMO they're the best way to spoil any ride, I really don't get the idea of having a comfortable frame and putting stiff tyres on it. I used them when I had a commute where a puncture would mean missing a train and an hour wait for the next, but I'd never use them in any other circumstance. There's plenty of good alternatives with decent puncture protection.

Seconded, at least in the narrower sizes. The 700C x 28 I had on the old visitor bike were awful, almost like riding on solid tyres. I find the wide 26" x 2.0" size less horrible, but still sluggish compared to the other tyres I use (mainly Schwalbe Marathon Supreme and Dureme).

I have them on the rear wheels of my two visitor bikes at our island flat, where I don't want visitors tampering with the hub gear and Chainglider settings. I'd also consider using wide Marathon Plus if I ever had to ride regularly in an area with loads of broken glass or thorns.

The visitor bikes are (normally) only used for short distances, the island is 8 km x 3, so the performance hit doesn't matter much. But one visitor clocked up nearly 200 kms during a 10 day stay.

The main advantage of Schwalbe Marathon Plus is that they virtually eliminate punctures. To put that into perspective I don't think I have ever had a puncture with Duremes, and very few with Supremes.

[Marcc72]

On a massive tour, it has to be 35mm Marathon plus for sure.  Not sure I would want anything bigger, but lots do I guess!  Better for carrying loads, better for being puncher-free.  I don't want that hassle in the middle of France!  At home unloaded using my Mercury for everything, I use the 32mm Specialized All Condition Armadillo Elite.  Great puncher protection, plus they roll really well.  I love the feeling of these tires.  I have been using them for several years.  I was shocked by just how nice they made any bike feel that they have been fitted.  They are not cheap either, I have even used these on sportives in the past, I have had these up to 45k on a decent flat, 70km downhill.  They roll just a little slower, but with 1 flat in 8 years, I keep using them. The Mercury runs amazing with these on. 

[PH]

I don't want that hassle in the middle of France! 

Your ride, your choice, but hassle? It's a chance for a ten min break off the bike, and that includes time for the banana*. Good pump and levers, plus a bit of practice and it shouldn't be regarded as a hassle, at least not on a tour. 
I keep a puncture log (Note spelling ) across all bikes and about 70% urban riding, I've averaged one every 4,600 miles, I'm not compromising the ride quality to extend that, though as I said, your choice.  Tyres are far better now than they were a couple of decades ago, on club rides it used to be common for at least one, now it's a rarity, the puncture trophy used to have several contenders in double figures, now you're in with a chance with more than two. 

* Best bit of puncture advice I ever received - On a long ride, eat before fixing, not only will that make sure your thinking isn't impaired by low sugar, it might also be the last time your hands are clean for a while.

[JohnR]

* Best bit of puncture advice I ever received - On a long ride, eat before fixing, not only will that make sure your thinking isn't impaired by low sugar, it might also be the last time your hands are clean for a while.

That reminds me of the occasion when I changed the inner tube but put the one with the hole back on the wheel. I only realised that when I got home. For the rest of the ride I was thinking there was a thorn in the tyre that I hadn't found which had punctured the replacement tube so I just stopped every few miles to add more air.

[mickeg]

I carry some disposable medical type gloves with my spare tube.

I average one puncture a year.  I would rather not use a tire that slows me down that much to prevent only one puncture.  Thus, I do not use the Marathon Plus tires. That said, some people live where there is much more stuff out there that can cause punctures.

[John Saxby]

Marathon Supremes for me, two different sizes for two different bikes. 

Have had only one puncture on tour since 2014 -- a cut sidewall on a forest road en route to Ystad in SE Sweden.  Fixed that over lunch in a nearby farmer's barn -- but once inside, it started pouring with rain almost immediately, so no time lost.  And--this from the Silver Linings Dep't--I learned that I could fix a cut sidewall with a then-new plasticky $20 bill, plus some Sugru.

When I got home, I found that Filzer makes a heavier-duty patch for sidewall cuts.  So, I bought one of those, and that has ensured no more sidewall cuts in the years since. 

[mickeg]

In USA a lot of post office shipping envelops are made from pretty tough Tyvek.  I cut pieces from envelopes and have a piece or two with each of my spare tubes, thinking that if I need one I will have a spare tube out at that time too.   Used envelopes are free, so the cost to do that is only my time.  Have not used one yet, but still carry them.

John, you were is Sweden and you used a Canadian $20?  That does not show very much respect for the local currency or the local economy. 

[John Saxby]

John, you were in Sweden and you used a Canadian $20? That does not show very much respect for the local currency or the local economy.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, George.  I looked in my wallet, and there was this green plasticky thing...

But in Ystad, I did buy a Conti 26 x 1.75 to see me back to Berlin (as it did.)  And, I stayed in a spiffy hotel, The Continental, just off the main square. Not usually my style, but the weather was wet'n'windy, and the cost was modest for a two-night stay. And, it turned out that the dining room--so the desk staff informed me--was used by Henning Mankell as a lunchtime setting for Kurt Wallander.

A large part of my reason for visiting Ystad was to pay a personal homage to Mankell, who set his Wallander stories in Ystad & surrounds. I'm a huge fan of his work, and he was suffering at the time from the cancer that eventually killed him.  The nice people at the town bookshop were chuffed to meet yet another literary pilgrim -- people came from all over the world just to see their small town, they said.  Then, they asked me about the star Swedish defenceman for the Ottawa Senators, Erik Karlsson, and the Sens' captain, Daniel Alfredsson.

So it all balanced out in the end. Wouldn't have been half as interesting, I'm guessing, if Osi the Raven had been shod with Marathon Plus tires (perish the thought.)

Cheers,  J.

[mickeg]

John, you were in Sweden and you used a Canadian $20? That does not show very much respect for the local currency or the local economy.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, George.  I looked in my wallet, and there was this green plasticky thing...
...

About a decade ago I did the Glacier Waterton loop with Adventure Cycling.  The guide had a Bike Friday and he pulled a trailer that was the travel case for the bike.  Trailer had two wheels, I do not recall if they were 16 inch or 12.  But he kept having flats on the trailer, one tire was so worn that the tread was gone in one spot.  He was using $1 bills (USD) for a tire boot, I kept telling him that a $10 would last longer and that was why he kept having flats.  He did not believe me, so he kept using $1s and kept having flats.

Some of his flats were in Canada.  Good thing he did not try that with Canadian money, the $1 (CAD) coins would not work very well in his tires.

[John Saxby]

Loonies & toonies indeed...And we won't even get into crypto-currency NFT's.

But what'll we do when the cashless society finally arrives? Start saving green plasticky things against the day? 

[in4]

…We’ll all be heading towards a Shanghai-type dystopia if ever that comes about. Astride my Nomad I shall be heading in the opposite direction. 😊 Bike chain not block chain

[steve216c]

On a massive tour, it has to be 35mm Marathon plus for sure.  Not sure I would want anything bigger, but lots do I guess!  Better for carrying loads, better for being puncher-free.  I don't want that hassle in the middle of France!  At home unloaded using my Mercury for everything, I use the 32mm Specialized All Condition Armadillo Elite.  Great puncher protection, plus they roll really well.  I love the feeling of these tires.  I have been using them for several years.  I was shocked by just how nice they made any bike feel that they have been fitted.  They are not cheap either, I have even used these on sportives in the past, I have had these up to 45k on a decent flat, 70km downhill.  They roll just a little slower, but with 1 flat in 8 years, I keep using them. The Mercury runs amazing with these on.

Welcome to the club Marc!. I too spoiled myself for my 50th albeit with a non-Thorn Rohloff hubbed bike. I wasn't aware of Thorn as a brand, only discovering this forum later.

Contrary to popular folklore, wider tyres have been proven to have less rolling resistance than skinnier tyres. And not only that, they add some additional comfort in absorbing bumps and potholes much better, so that longer tours are more of a pleasure than a pain... literally!

I personally swear by Marathon Plus tyres. Most of my family bikes have them. Admittedly, slightly more sluggish than same size Big Apples, but hardly noticeable in the real world of being out and about on a bike. Any bike I ride tops 100kg+ with me on it. The heavier the load, the greater the risk of puncture. Lighter riders can probably afford to cut corners on how puncture resistant their tyres are. There is an optimum tyre for everyone, and this depends heavily on your riding habits, your total weight and the features that are important to you. As a heavier set cycle commuter hitting 160-200km a week and on a tight schedule, I don't want to be late to work because of scrimping on puncture resistance and getting a flat.  Add in a few potholes and kerbs on my commuting route, wider tyres help absorb those unavoidable impacts. But that is me- and my circumstances.

There is an interesting comparison of Marathon "Green Guard" https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/specials/schwalbe-marathon-32-37-40-47 of resistance across a range of widths of the same model. While it is not automatically comparable to other models in the range,  it does show tendencies that go against the skinny is better mindset.

The website does allow you to compare other brands and models of tested tyres against each other to help you make your own decision finding the ultimate tyre for you. Rolling resistance is just one factor you need to consider. Comfort, reliability, handling... you need to juggle what is important for you before investing in a decent set of tyres which will hopefully give you many thousand kilometers of cycling pleasure.

[Marcc72]

Thanks for all the replies.  I find the best thing about a forum like this is the experience people have.  I have now ridden 2500km on my Mercury.  It's not a great deal, but it's a good start to the year.  My findings are this.  The Marathon plus 35mm for some reason seem to run better.  They feel more solid, handle the bike better.  It's a heavy bike, so I guess that's the reason behind that. This bike was never made with Audax in mind, at least not in its present build.   It's not really quick enough.  The Rohloff will push up to speed, but it's hard to keep it up at 30km.  It also loses speed really fast.  Someone needs to inform Thorn that the range of gears is not the same as performance.  It's an Ox to get up large climbs at any kind of speed.  But it does grind away nice and slow.  I have gotten up a  20 percent hill ok.

Loaded this bike comes alive.  It rides better loaded rather than not.  I have carried 45k a few times.  It carries it like there is nothing there.  Makes easy light work of it.  It's a great bike for carrying loads.  It's why I bought the things tbh.  It is still a great ride unloaded, but loaded I am delighted with it!

This bike seems to love the bad weather.  I have ridden all through Jan and Feb without issue.  It feels solid and safe.

I now know what an EBB is.  I changed the tires, the chain went back on loose.  After a little research, plus a rather awful ride with a loose chain, I was able to tighten the chain.

The Front hub connection (sin wave) is not that great.  I will replace it with something stronger. It broke on my first ride out.

It is a sod to clean, but worth the effort.

Marc

[Moronic]

Well Marc you've probably put on as much distance in a month as I have in six months, so you must be enjoying the bike. I'm surprised by your experience of the performance though. That differs greatly from mine, but then I'm sure you ride much harder than I do.

Bear in mind that mine rides on 650bx50mm Schwalbe G-One Speeds, which are widely accepted to be a fast gravel tyre.

The proposition that the bike "loses speed really fast" doesn't match my experience. Of course, if you have chosen a much more upright posture than on your previous ride, this may be so due to added air drag. It is hard to imagine what else could generate such a phenomenon, apart from a dragging brake or slow tyres.

Same with the Rohloff struggling to sustain high cruising speeds. The efficiencies relative to derailleurs are well tested and documented. Your perception will be real, so the question could be what is at the root of it. If it's the Rohloff, it could just be the bigger gaps between gears than you might get on a derailleur equipped road bike. Or it could be tyres and ride posture.

I'm impressed that you liked the bike so much with 45kg on board. That's nearly double Thorn's recommended maximum (for sweet handling). What a versatile ride!

[Marcc72]

I was running Armadillo Elite 30mm.  They do run very smoothly.  But due to the weight of the bike "and me," I had a flat every month.  They're my go-to choice Audax tire. They are not suited to the Mercury in its present state.  Rohloff doesn't tend to roll as nice in a free wheel situation.  I feel that there is more drag due to the weight, build and design.  This bike could be used in an Audax, but I would need to rebuild the front end, forks, wheel, remove the rack, then remove the rear rack.  There are carbon forks that will slot right in, disk wheels that are far lighter.  I would even want to replace the Thorn Crank.  It is a heavy well built touring crankset, which is great for touring.   A Middleburn crank would run a lot lighter.   Even then it would be a little heavy to run at an average of about 23km over 400km.  Could I be arsed to do this every time I wanna use it for a different purpose, "NOPE"! Yep, it seems to like carrying the weight.  The design and build of the bike then make complete sense to me.  It starts to feel correct.  The only thing i will now change is the front fork.  I feel the bike will improve with front and rear disk brakes.  I find the front rim brake a little lacking I think Thorn offers the 853 forks which can run a disk set up.  The TRP Spyke cable brake is very decent.