No Punctures on a Brompton

[@rbailey6949]

Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge Gianni

[@BromptonTraveler]

More than welcome! Thanks for watching.

[@pjbilly2464]

Good practical advice. I use the Schwalbe Marathons Plus and inflate to 100PSI using a track pump at home and a similar mini track pump away from home. I happily have very few punctures. I have found, like you, tyres in good condition and at the correct pressure helps a lot to avoid the dreaded puncture. Never had a puncture at a convenient time!!!

[@BromptonTraveler]

Yes, the mini pump has improved things a lot for me. I remember only one that I particularly liked...It happened on the last 10km of my Pakistan trip and it was small enough to let me get to the end with just a couple of stops to pump the tyre up. That was the only time I have ever been happy with a puncture but it goes to show that it is possible.

[@bucketofbarnacles]

Excellent advice. Many thanks.

[@BromptonTraveler]

Muchas gracias!

[@jasonloke2219]

Thanks, Bro, for the comments on puncture prevention. They are very sensible. Thanks for sharing!!!

[@BromptonTraveler]

Simple but they do make a big difference. Especially if you are patient enough to do all of them regularly. Thanks!

[@brucesmith9144]

I’ve changed over to Schwalbe Marathon tires with very good success. I also carry a can of self-sealant just in the puncture fairy makes an unwelcome visit. Still don’t know what is available for tubeless tires in 16” or 20”, but would like to explore that possibility - thanks for suggesting them.

[@BromptonTraveler]

I don't have great experience with tubeless but from the little I know and have heard they don't provide as nice a feel when riding. I would stick to Marathon tyres and keep the pressure up and those few other tips. Of course sealant is a good alternative to having to fix them right there and then. Thanks!

[@brucesmith9144]

@@BromptonTraveler thank you for the insights. BTW, I am greatly enjoying your videos as they are inspirational. You must forgive me for being a Dahon rider; no complaints of the Brompton - I like them and perhaps one day soon can make the investment.

[@BromptonTraveler]

@@brucesmith9144 The bike you have is the best bike, no worries! I have a old Dahon too!

[@carolleenkelmann4751]

Can you imagine- my Schwalbe Marathon (anti-puncture ) tire (new) got a slow puncture from "split" - that small, crushed sharp stone (grit) used in winter instead of salt to give more traction in snow and ice. Cannot do much about avoiding split when its Spring and the snow and ice is gone but being motivated to check your tires is a very sound piece of advice that I will be adhering to. Thanks for reminding me.

[@lynnef4228]

Well ... I watched your video ... pumped my tyres up to 80+ ... set off ... got a puncture!! Grazie al cielo it was the front tyre! I had to consult You Tube in order to get the pump off the bike and was only able to get it up to 38psi! So I’m going to be buying the Marathon tyres, and that pump! Thanks for the recommendations Gianni 😀

[@BromptonTraveler]

That wasn't much help then..!. I hope you have just been extremely unlucky. Marathon are good and don't forget to check the tread every now and then too. Wish you better luck on your next ride... ( maybe I shouldn't dig my hole any further... ) Thanks

[@lonestarlaurel8620]

SooooooThankful !! What great news, Gianni. I will be checking my tyres first thing tomorrow morning, and following every ride thereafter. Already have the great tyres, and will follow your advice re the pump. Cheers, and happy trails to you. 🥳

[@BromptonTraveler]

Easy to forget to do it but if you keep at it you are guarantee to have less punctures which are always a bit of a pain to fix on a Brompton :) Happy rides.

[@LifeontwowheelsRocks]

Thank you for that excellent advice borne of your unique experience, thank you.

[@BromptonTraveler]

Thanks for watching! Nothing that is not known but taken together does make a big difference. Cheers

[@timetravelfilms727]

Good advice. I carry a foot pump on rides to get up to 100psi+ - smaller hand pumps are just to get you home like you say. Also limit your speed on gravel / downhill gravel. When I fit a new inner tube I give the inside of the tyre a wipe round with a wet wipe just in case there are small stones inside, and make sure the rim tape is in good shape.

[@BromptonTraveler]

Yes, I also learnt the hard way. Good advice about the rim tape and wet wipes! Thanks

[@mnelson311]

I use a Ryobi battery powered air pump/gun, so easy yet not the kind of thing to squeeze into a bike-packing bag. Good for regional day touring. I go with 100 psi at least once/week, and I use the Shwalbe marathons. My Ryobi air gun just vanishes inside my T bag on weekly rides.

[@BromptonTraveler]

I had a look at that, thanks I wasn't aware of it. Yes it seems a little large for traveling with it. 100PSI must be tight! I think above 80/85 psi on a loaded Brompton is adequate to cut down punctures significantly, at least in my experience. Many thanks.

[@danieladams2986]

Hi, really cool video thanks. Do you use a pocket digital Tyre pressure reader or just guess the tyre pressure by feel please?

[@BromptonTraveler]

When I am touring I bring a Lezyne pump which has a basic gauge but it is not necessary. A hard tyre by feel will do. Also when touring in most places you find bike shops who will lend you a good pump to top up when needed. Cheers

[@stephenschuit7880]

Nice to see you again. These are great reminders for reducing the likelihood of a flat. Thanks. I keep my Schwalbe tires at 100psi. Am I crazy?

[@BromptonTraveler]

Thanks Stephen. Not a chance of traveling for a while... :) Somebody just commented that they do the same at 100psi. I remember reading that Brompton Schwalbe Marathon tyres can be inflated up to 115psi so you are well within the limit! The pump I show there is probably good enough to push it up to 90 but I find anything around 80/85 is adequate to lessen punctures. Cheers

[@normhanson981]

Inspiring as always . You deserve more subs. Thanks.

[@BromptonTraveler]

That was a simple one but hopefully it highlights the difference it makes if you pay attention regularly to these small details. Many thanks.

[@astrohardy]

Thanks for this video. Yes, your advice clearly reflects my personal experience. On average I had tire flats roughly every 130km on my trecking bike. My Brompton came with the original Kevlar tires, and I saw the second puncture at kilometer 65. After switching to Marathon Plus and regularly adjusting the pressure with a floor pump and a pressure gauge I rode >4000km on the Bromption and > 1000 on the other bike with one incident up to now. This strangely was a damage on the side of the tire which made the inner tube stick out, occuring after 1500km on the Brompton. I don't know the reason for this damage and replaced the damaged tire with a new Marathon Plus.

[@BromptonTraveler]

Good to hear. What is sure is that I used to have many more punctures than I do now. Was the sidewall tire damage on a Schwalbe Marathon Plus? Many thanks!

[@astrohardy]

@@BromptonTraveler Yes, it was. I am not sure if I perhaps hit some obstacle or how it happened.

[@BromptonTraveler]

@@astrohardy Thanks. I guess it was a matter of bad luck but will keep an eye for that too!

[@tjc89]

Buy Schwalbe Marathon PLUS. Best £90 i ever spent. Job done. Espeically in a city so full of glas and potholes like Liverpool.

[@BromptonTraveler]

Yes I guess they do make a difference. I have had good success on the Standard too though. Thanks

[@slicedpage]

This was an easy sub, very helpful info. This might seem a silly question but why do you have to pump up bicycle tyres after a few days? Is there an inherent problem with inner tube quality, valves?

[@BromptonTraveler]

Thanks! In my experience any bike I owed needed topping up air every now and then. This happens more when you are using the bike in the heat of summer which is often when I am touring. Also you are riding a bike that is loaded with luggage and much heavier and doing so for 6-8 hours every day. Every few days might be excessive but the idea is to make sure your tyre pressure is held very high as it helps avoiding punctures. On a Brompton rear wheel punctures can be a pain to fix if you need to remove the wheel. Cheers

[@binjones]

what about adding tire sealant to lessen impactnof a puncture?

[@BromptonTraveler]

I am not sure what kind of sealant you mean? I thought sealant is what you can use to get a quick fix after you get a puncture? Cheers

[@binjones]

@@BromptonTraveler A tube sealant such as Stans tube sealant, slime tube sealant or Armor-Dilloz tire sealant? I ask as I am trying to lighten my travel load to a degree, for commuting ( 70+ miles daily) as I build up to making a Travel expedition from Washingon DC area on ghe old C&O canal tow path to Pennsylvania. The surface is mainly hard pack, with some paved sections.

[@BromptonTraveler]

@@binjones I see. I haven't tried any of those but I have tried tubeless Tannus tyres for example and didn't like the way they affect the ride and I wonder if a sealant might also have a similar effect? I have found Schwalbe Marathon and the few tips I highlight here as the best policy against punctures but you still need to be prepared to fix the odd punctures. Carrying a spare tube and a patch kit won't add much to your load.

[@binjones]

@@BromptonTraveler Thanks. I was looking at the information provided by testing the impact of sealants on a tire athat it doesn't impact ride or handloing, but does allow you the ability to continue cycling even if you get a puncture. It just requires simply, waiting the few minutes for the puncture to seal and then if need be add a little more air. Now Victor of Everyday Cycling, hasn't spoken to the ride quality. It was his KZbin recommendation that led me to you. I guess I will ask him about the ride and handling quality. I will udate you to his thoughts or experience.

[@binjones]

@@BromptonTraveler THis is the Video from Victor that led me to you as he follows your Videos. I have reached out to see what his experience or thoughts are on ride amd handling with the sealant in the tires. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iIS1kHppo7OInZI

[@bmwofboganville456]

Mr Flippini I started reading your book. Please forgive the off-topic question; what's your opinion on the official Brompton rear rack, vs titanium options from Taiwanese/Japanese thirdparty makers? Ti Parts even make a part-Carbon rack. Do you think the Brompton rack is still the most robust option for touring? TIA.

[@BromptonTraveler]

Many thanks. To answer your question I would need to try the alternatives. Titanium I am pretty sure is good but they tend to be very expensive and I don't have experience with them. The Brompton rack is what I have used so far and I had a couple of times when it was bent ( I have done a video on that. ) while transporting the bike by plane. It is a resistant rack but what gets bent is the stays which are part of the rack and cannot be bought and installed separately which is something I have contacted Brompton about and asked them to change... For the set up I use you don't need the strongest rack as my backpack leans on it but some or most of the weight is taken by the bar which holds the shoulder straps. I should experiment with some other solutions. Saying that in the last few years packing the bike in the way I have shown a few times on the channel meant that I haven't had any damages on the rack for a while...

[@piershunday]

Good stuff, I have a good pump at home but it would be too big for touring- what was the one you recommend? Thanks for the great content :)

Check the Xiaomi Air Pump, it's portable and capable to inflate to 10bar, more than 100psi...

[@BromptonTraveler]

The one I use and that is shown on the video is this Lezyne - @t​ Not cheap but I can recommend it. Thanks!

[@deantwyman116]

Great advice thanks

[@BromptonTraveler]

Thanks a lot Dean. Simple but effective.

[@peterforde9513]

Thanks again for wonderful words of wisdom. Do you use different pressure for front & rear? When not touring I use 70 psi front and 80 rear on Schwalbe Marathons. I think I travel a tad lighter than you (no cooking no camping) when touring so I then bump the tires to 75/85. So far, so good and the somewhat lower gives me a more comfortable ride. Thoughts ?

[@BromptonTraveler]

Hello Peter, you seem to know more about tyre pressure than I do... I usually pump both hard, say 80Psi but it does make sense to be a little lower on the front wheel especially if it makes your ride more comfortable. All my punctures have been on the rear so far. Cheers.

[@markperrins3152]

Darn that “Puncture Fairy”.

[@BromptonTraveler]

right...

[@gabrielr.7576]

Very helpful!

[@BromptonTraveler]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ayclarke1880]

Helpful video! Which Lexyne pump is that exactly?

[@BromptonTraveler]

I use this one @t​ ( affiliate link ) which I can recommend as compact, light and very capable to pump the tyres hard.

[@terrysallbikes]

A great short video, informative and to the point thanks again

[@BromptonTraveler]

This was not meant for experts like yourself! Thanks for the comment though :)

[@Alex-tv3qo]

Hello You would not consider touring on continental urban contact tyres?

[@BromptonTraveler]

Anything that is as good or better than Marathon Schwalbe is fine. I don't have any experience on Continental urban contact tyres on my Brompton as they are relatively new. Schwalbe are what most people use when touring on any bike and I have so far always found them reliable and hard to beat but I am sure the competition will catch up and the more good tyres the better.

[@tjc89]

I've only ever had a puncture on tbr front wheel never on the back.

[@BromptonTraveler]

You are a lucky man!

[@tjc89]

@@BromptonTraveler x4 punctures on front wheel and non on tbe back.

[@BromptonTraveler]

@@tjc89 Interesting. Do you normally ride with only a heavy bag at the front? It is unusual I think to get punctures at front. In 10 years with mine I have never punctured a front wheel! Cheers

[@Muddy283]

All excellent advice! One other important thing that I've learnt but you omitted to mention is constantly watching where you're riding. For me, this especially means: i. keeping as much as possible on good, well-laid surfaces (or on firm footpaths) ii. avoiding puddles (the more water there is, the more easily sharp things tend to stick to the tyre), and iii. for ever watching out for broken glass. If I find I was too late to avoid this, I immediately dismount and do a quick tyre check. All pretty basic stuff really (maybe that's why you didn't mention it 😉) but, not always being the brightest of sparks, I'm afraid I still had to learn this through hard experience ☹

[@BromptonTraveler]

You make very good points. I also do what you say most times especially stopping if i realised I have gone over broken glass. Thanks for sharing!

[@taber247]

No comment or reply necessary, thank you. But I too have the Lezyne pressure gauge pump, essential for longer trips. Thanks for the vlogs, all helpful and interesting. Like your logo with rear rack and with luggage added.

[@BromptonTraveler]

Many thanks! Appreciated.

[@ed0078]

Well done

[@BromptonTraveler]

Cheers.

[@ayclarke1880]

I have bought a Lezyne “road drive” but I cannot get enough pressure into.

[@BromptonTraveler]

I suppose it is a different model which I have never tested. The one I show can pump tyres up to 80 Psi with very little effort. With more effort you can push it further to 90 or more. Cheers

[@Muddy283]

This is the Lezyne pump that you need: ride.lezyne.com/collections/hand-pumps-high-pressure-road/products/1-mp-mfdr-v204hpdg Make sure it is the HPG. HP because it can reach High Pressures (up to 120psi at least). They also manufacture an HV variant but that is High Volume - doesn't claim to be able to get to the pressures recommended for a Brompton. G means with Gauge. That is useful too. Difficult to see the readings but I have added lines with a permanent marker to make the readings clearer, then overlaid that with a small strip of transparent boxing tape so the marker lines don't fade. This is the same family of Lezyne pump Gianni is using - though I can't see whether his is HV or HP nor whether it is with or without Gauge. Imho it is the best pump available for the Brompton when out and about. _EDIT: Apparently they now use digital gauges. Not sure about that one. More prone to fail??_ ☹

[@BromptonTraveler]

@@Muddy283 Thanks. Mine is HV but does have a simple gauge too. I find it more than capable to inflate to 80Psi or even 90 which is what I look for when touring. Of course nothing wrong if another model can push it further if you wish. Lezynes are good pumps. Cheers

[@Muddy283]

@@BromptonTraveler Yes, these days I don't pump my tyres up so high as in the past. I found this video really helpful and illuminating: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6Soip6mjJWprbM. Plus the HV delivers the air quicker and more easily. So maybe the HV is the better option after all. But no doubt in my mind that this little family of Lezyne pumps (Micro Floor Drive HP, HPG, HV & HVG) are the best pumps for the Brompton when out on the road.

[@BromptonTraveler]

@@Muddy283 Right. They are used by lots of bike tourers on regular bikes too. Thanks for sharing the video. 35 minutes on tyre pressure! That's commitment... :) Cheers

[@craiglouw4057]

Another great Video 👍👍👍 what pump do you recommend?

[@BromptonTraveler]

Thanks! Simple one for most, but these tips work, at least for me.

What tires do you use? The schwalbe marathon plus tour? or the standard schwalbe racer that comes with the bike by default? I had a pucture a few days before with the racer in a gravel path and I am not happy with them...

[@BromptonTraveler]

In the UK they sell Schwalbe Marathon and Schwalbe Marathon Plus. I use the standard one which is just Schwalbe Marathon. Schwalbe Marathon Racer is a different tyre.

[@gordonmculloch4904]

Good smart tips. 👍

[@BromptonTraveler]

Thanks Gordon. They work.

[@BromptonROK]

Always beautiful & informative content! Perhaps novice question, but wouldn't it be easier on the road to simply replace the entire tube with a fresh one and patch later at home, rather than taking the time to locate the puncture, then patch and wait to dry? I know you're talking about touring tips, but I mean in a general sense. Thank you :)

[@BromptonTraveler]

Thanks Paul! Definitely. That is what I always do as I agree with you 100%. For some people though, maybe used to glue and patches it is an effective way to repair it and not having to remove the wheel on the Brompton for some is a good thing and time saving!

[@TheCybird]

puncture fairy, ha ha....well said fred

[@ninaspalace]

I found this video difficult to hear?

[@BromptonTraveler]

Sorry Nina, you are not the first. I have now slightly better microphones than I used to... Too much echo from the room. Automatic subtitles can help although they are sometimes confused by my Italian accent.

[@Hindukushsailing]

👍👍🤟🤟

[@BromptonTraveler]

thanks!

[@1076monster]

Only Shwalbe marathon plus

[@BromptonTraveler]

Andrea, the 4500 kilometres I talk about here have all been done on the Marathon Standard version. I am sure the Plus is even better but taking care of the tyres and doing those simple things I show is what makes the difference.