Schwalbe Marathon Tires

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October 13, 2015 at 10:35 pm #1039432

sethpo
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@wheels&wings 126059 wrote:

I am looking to buy a pair of Schwalbe Marathon tires. I’ve been studying past Forum threads and the Schwalbe and Peter White websites, but I can’t figure out which ones to buy.
I’ve narrowed it down to four choices (I think):
Schwalbe Marathon
Schwalbe Marathon Plus
Schwalbe Marathon Mondial
Schwalbe Marathon Deluxe
Does anyone have good/bad experiences with any of these? I’ll either get 26×1.75 or 26×2.0. I am eager for your advice on the four options.

I have only one bicycle, an old 30 lb mountain bike with fenders, and I ride it virtually every day, generally 16 to 30 miles, a portion of this on gravel or other off-road surfaces. A lot of my riding is at night, and nearly all of it is for commuting purposes. I stand on my pedals, so I’m not much affected by a “hard” ride. I’m 90 lbs, so I don’t wear things down so quickly. I’ve been riding daily for a decade. (Sometime I will buy a second bicycle, a fast one so I can join some of you on centuries.)

But for now I have two priorities:
1.Puncture-proof tires since I’m often the only one on the trails late at night. I carry mace and a shriek alarm, but I’d feel pretty spooked if I couldn’t keep moving.
2.Good grip on the ice and in the mud, since I ride this bike year-round. I hit the pavement several times last winter.

Suggestions welcome. Thanks!

I have no idea how to answer your actual question, but you are an awesome human being.

October 13, 2015 at 11:16 pm #1039433

hozn
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@wheels&wings 126059 wrote:

2.Good grip on the ice and in the mud, since I ride this bike year-round. I hit the pavement several times last winter.

If you want ice grip you want the “winter” marathons, but they are studded so heavy, slow and not that great when it’s not icy.

October 13, 2015 at 11:46 pm #1039437

DismalScientist
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Have you ever had a flat on your bike? If not, I would just suggest you get slicks if you ride mostly on pavement. Any brand will do.

Run studs with deep tread for ice and snow. The studs are for ice and the tread for snow.

October 14, 2015 at 12:19 am #1039440

Rod Smith
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I’ve used the regular Marathons for many many miles with maybe one puncture and I have them on my trailer too, no flats. Great tires for puncture resistance, a little less grippy on wet roads than most tires though and kinda heavy. My first choice for 26in wheels on pavement. Haven’t tried the other Marathons though. Might try the Marathon Supremes when these wear out, but they are very long lasting.

October 14, 2015 at 12:35 am #1039442

ginacico
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@wheels&wings 126059 wrote:

I’ve narrowed it down to four choices (I think):
Schwalbe Marathon
Schwalbe Marathon Plus
Schwalbe Marathon Mondial
Schwalbe Marathon Deluxe

W&W, I have the Marathon Plus version (because that’s what Vaya came with, so I wasn’t boggled by choices).

I can attest that they are tough and puncture proof, no flats yet. They have a tread that makes them surefooted and confidence-inducing on all kinds of terrain. I find myself leaving the pavement for grass, gravel, dirt, and braving the creek crossings MUCH more often than I used to. Mine are 700x40s that make for a super comfy ride. I appreciate them in places like the C&O Canal.

I haven’t ridden it on ice or snow…. yet!…. so no feedback there.

They are heavy and somewhat chunky. Slicks would feel faster, but that’s a compromise I accept. Even though I’ve got the frame/fork clearance, there’s little forgiveness for installing fenders. As a plus, I prefer tires with reflective sidewalls, which these have.

October 14, 2015 at 1:41 am #1039445

Crickey7
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@wheels&wings 126059 wrote:

I have only one bicycle, an old 30 lb mountain bike with fenders, . . .

There’s your problem. Everyone knows fenders make handling on ice very poor.

October 14, 2015 at 11:53 am #1039455

dplasters
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@wheels&wings 126059 wrote:

I have only one bicycle, an old 30 lb mountain bike with fenders, and I ride it virtually every day, generally 16 to 30 miles……….. I’m 90 lbs, so I don’t wear things down so quickly. I’ve been riding daily for a decade. (Sometime I will buy a second bicycle, a fast one so I can join some of you on centuries.)

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October 14, 2015 at 12:04 pm #1039456

americancyclo
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@wheels&wings 126059 wrote:

Schwalbe Marathon
Does anyone have good/bad experiences with any of these? I’ll either get 26×1.75 or 26×2.0. I am eager for your advice on the four options.

I have the Schwalbe Marathon 26″ GreenGuard Tire HS420 26 x 1.5 with about 3720 miles on them. They are on the beater bike that I rode most of last winter, over ice and snow when I didn’t cave and take metro. It’s also my rain bike, so the tires see the least favorable conditions, I think. Like Rod says, they are heavy, but I ride the heck out of them and use that bike to tow a trail-a-bike as well. I’ve ridden the Fairfax Cross County Trail quite a few times on it, and ridden it back from Burke Lake Park on trails and gravel.

Never had a flat so far.
Handles ok in ice and snow, at least as well as a tire without studs can be expected to handle. Also, handling can be about the rider more than the tire sometimes.

again, I like their hardiness, but they feel a bit slow to me sometimes. might swap out for a Durano or a Kojak when the tires need replacing.

October 14, 2015 at 1:03 pm #1039209

Rod Smith
Participant

That’s what I have HS420 26 x 1.5. I would suggest this width rather than 1.75. You don’t need so wide. GreenGuard, you can ride them until the rubber is gone from the center of the tread. When you see the green protective layer showing though, order new ones. I’ve ridden centuries on mine on a bike that weighs more than 30lb.

October 14, 2015 at 1:23 pm #1039450

Rod Smith
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Trailer tire 16 x 1.75

October 14, 2015 at 3:31 pm #1039468

FFX_Hinterlands
Participant

I have the Marathon Green Guard, which are durable but cheaper than the blue-guard premium never-flat ones. I keep going through cheaper tires on my commuting bike, so I’m hoping the Marathons are durable. I just put them on last week.

I have a (rain/winter/grocery) heavy dutch bike with 26 inch tires and I’ve had pretty good luck with Panaracer Crosstown tires, which were reasonably priced and have not had a flat yet. Check them when you get them though because I had one with sidewall defects/cracks. Looks like they are now double the price I paid (on Amazon)… I wouldn’t pay more than $30/each.

What about Schwalbe Big Apples or Big Bens? You can get them with Green Guard I think. They will probably roll better than the Marathons and/or have better selection for the wider 26-inch sizes.

October 14, 2015 at 3:46 pm #1039469

wheelswings
Participant

Thanks for the tire insights. And thanks for sharing your experiences with the Schwalbe Marathons!

Admittedly a couple of responses caught me off guard, as I was so focused on the technical details. But thank you.

And Dismal, to your question on flats… yes, of course I’ve had them, haven’t you?! Last week. Last month. Admittedly I used to get far more, back when I pulled my girls each day in the double trailer. That was our transportation for 5 or 6 years (I didn’t have a car), and I flatted out quite often… in rainstorms, on trails at night, you name it. Back then I didn’t know there existed different kinds of tires. And I didn’t know any other riders (Bike Arlington and the Forum have turned that around!). About 3.9 years ago I bought my last pair of tires at Spokes in Alexandria and I asked for “the most bullet-proof ones in the shop.” Those lasted me ‘til I wore them down to the liners earlier this month. I was getting only one or two flats per year.

I started researching tires last week when I heard that some can withstand glass shards, metal tacks, etc….holy smokes, that would be amazing!! I’m usually not a brand-conscious person (that is painfully obvious to those who know me ) but I’m determined to make a conscientious choice on these tires.

October 14, 2015 at 3:48 pm #1039470

americancyclo
Participant

@Rod Smith 126094 wrote:

That’s what I have HS420 26 x 1.5. I would suggest this width rather than 1.75. You don’t need so wide.

I was even debating stepping down to the 26 x 1.25 if I stay with the schwalbe. That’s 31mm which I think is plenty for the trails around here.

October 14, 2015 at 4:25 pm #1039473

worktheweb
Participant

I’ve run Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires in the past, they’re heavy but ride pretty well and I never flatted them. Unfortunately, I ran them at a pressure that was a bit much for the rim, which caused the rim to fail, and in the process destroyed the sidewall. If you run them at the right pressure, they’ll serve you well. They’re tanks and slower than other tires, but the flat protection is really hard to beat. They also don’t seem to have the tread peel off like Specialized Armadillos. Right now I’m using a Continental Touring Plus tire which is much cheaper and hasn’t flatted yet. It replaced another CTP that was slashed by some rebar in Anacostia but kept riding until I noticed it at home …

October 14, 2015 at 4:57 pm #1039477

Bruno Moore
Participant

The rear tire on Valentine the Inschwinnerator is a Marathon. I’ve had it for, oh, 3,500 miles or so? Run over beer bottles, off curbs, on dirt, etc. No flats. It’s a bit hard rolling, not as supple or maneuverable as the Vittoria Zaffiro I used to have (and still have on the front…6,000 miles or so after I put it on), but those Vittorias do get flats.

Marathon Pros? I’ve seen half inch shards of glass in those. No flat.
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