Wired v Folding

[JohnR]

The video in4 might be thinking of could be this one for the dreaded Marathon Plus, I offer my own advice for dealing with those, involving a bin and ordering some better tyres...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XUFVrl0UT4

I also recall finding that video when wrestling with Marathons of some flavour. I assume the theory is that once they are on then there should need to remove them by the side of the road to fix a puncture.

[martinf]

I also recall finding that video when wrestling with Marathons of some flavour. I assume the theory is that once they are on then there should be no need to remove them by the side of the road to fix a puncture.

That's the general idea of using Marathon Plus.

I prefer putting up with the occasional puncture (not very frequent with 50x559 Supremes or Duremes) rather than having the slight loss of comfort and the slightly greater loss of responsiveness from Marathon Plus in the same size.

The 700C (28x622) old generation Marathon Plus I had on my former visitor bikes were really horrible, almost like riding on solid tyres, not surprising considering the reduced air space inside due to the thick walls and tread.

But I have 50x559 Marathon Plus on the rear wheels of the current two visitor bikes, as I don't want inexperienced riders messing with the Nexus hub gear change settings. As the distances on the island where I keep these bikes are short, the performance hit of Marathon Plus isn't significant.

[mickeg]

...
I prefer putting up with the occasional puncture (not very frequent with 50x559 Supremes or Duremes) rather than having the slight loss of comfort and the slightly greater loss of responsiveness from Marathon Plus in the same size.
...

That is my thinking too.  I have never owned one of the Marathon Plus series.  I average one puncture a year.

I did a short tour this past April.  About 380 miles (~610 km), I had no punctures.  My touring partner used Marathon Plus Tour tires, and he added tire liners to them to make sure.   Somehow his rear tire liner caused a flat.

I had a Hutchinson Globetrotter (discontinued) rear tire, and up front a Marathon XR (discontinued).  Both had some flat protection, but not as much as the plus tires.  No problems at all.

[PH]

I assume the theory is that once they are on then there should need to remove them by the side of the road to fix a puncture.

I've only had one set of Marathon Plus, on my Raven about twenty years ago, fitted for a 36 mile a day commute, much of it along urban cycle paths, in the dark. They never punctured, they were replaced when the rear wore out and the commute had come to an end.  I replaced them with something that rode better and it wasn't until I did so that the realisation of how much I dislike riding them really struck me, I'm scarred for life.  OTOH, I regularly ride with someone who uses them for everything, day rides, touring, Audax, commuting... so opinions do differ!
Back to tight tyres, they do ease off with use and I have a feeling wired ones more so than folding.  I had some rigid Marathon Racers that were a real struggle to fit, I dreaded a puncture but when the first happened, after several hundred miles, I had no problem removing or refitting. I think it's some kind of settling in, though I offer no theory about how that physically happens.