I always carry a couple of $1 bills (US) to use as tire boots. Cover the puncture hole on the inside and you're good to go. Or as Leo might say, Bob's your uncle.
I have been using Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires for most of my tours. If you keep them properly inflated they are indestructible. I finally punctured one last summer after years and thousands of miles. On the side of the road in Oregon, I discovered that my tire changing skills have gone to pot.
When not touring, I like Mondials or basic Marathons for the lower rolling resistance.
I swap the Marathon Plus tires out before tours. I have at least four in the basement that still have plenty of tread on them. That said, I'm not planning on changing the tires for this year's tour. I bring a spare tire (Panaracer Pasella) in case of a catastrophic tire failure.
John Pickett wrote:
"My tyre changing skills have gone to pot"
A tribute to the durability of modern touring tyres!
"I'm still not able to recall what I used before that ..."
It finally came to me. The tires I stopped using in favor of Gatorskins were Specialized Armadillos. They wore oddly and the outer layer of the casing tended to flake off.
2 weeks ago