Schwalbe Marathon Tires

[Raymo853]

I have used Marathon Racers, an old version for years and years with one flat from a piece of wire. The problem with Schwalbe tires is the dizzying number of versions, compounds and names. My suggestion, use their little bar charts to select a tire high in puncture resistance, durability, and winter traction. Don’t over think or analyze the choice

Based on my 3 mins of research, I would choose either of these two and assume I would be happy:
http://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/road_tires/marathon_plus_tour
http://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/road_tires/marathon_mondial

Never think you can get anything puncture proof, the best you can get is very resistant. No tire and tube combo in the World would have saved me from my one flat in the cold and dark alone in Anacostia last year. The wire went through the tire, tube, rim tape and left a scratch on the rim’s interior.

[Rootchopper]

I have Marathons on my Bike Friday and the front of my Tour Easy recumbent (20″ wheels). They last a long time and are very puncture resistant (not wanting to jinx myself here).
I have used 700×35 and 700×32 Marathons on my touring/commuting bike and on the rear of my recumbent. Very reliable. They may be a little heavier than other tires but the time lost to their weight is made up by not having to spend 20 minutes a month fixing flats.
I currently have a 700×35 Marathon Plus on the front of my touring/commuting bike. It’s been on there for nearly a year and probably 4,000 miles. No punctures yet and looks like it has many more miles in it. Unless you are riding through very nasty stuff on a regular basis I’d say the regular Marathons are sufficient for commuting.
I am a snow wimp so I can’t say whether these are good on snow.

[KLizotte]

@wheels&wings 126110 wrote:

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.

Be very careful about letting your tires wear down so much. I almost learned this the hard way a couple of weeks ago when, while waiting for a light to change, I noticed a bulge on the sidewall of my 25mm Armadillo Elite. Turns out the tire was so worn out (between 7-8K miles) that the sidewall was failing and about to burst. It was the front wheel so that would have been a very painful lesson. I never had a flat on that tire so wasn’t paying it any attention; I just noticed the bulge by accident (it looked like a cyst). Opps.

[Rod Smith]

Seems like lots of us have good luck with regular Marathons with regards to flats so maybe not necessary to pay more for the Marathon Plus unless it’s lighter, rolls better or only slightly more expensive. I didn’t know the HS420 came in 26 x 1.25 but I agree that would be wide enough for roads and paved trails including gravel roads and OK for towpath, and the occasional stretch of singletrack. I think I would prefer that width.

[Starduster]

@worktheweb 126115 wrote:

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 …

I have a long-term liking for Continental’s touring tires, going back to the Conti Top Touring from my Bicycle Exchange days (90’s, folks). The Trek currently wears Continental Touring Plus, 700×32. OK, so it’s not light or “fast”, but if I’m leading rides, *I* shouldn’t be the one slowing the ride down with a flat. The Touring Plus is the direct competitor to the Marathon, but at a lower price point. Similar anti-puncture barrier, but the Touring Plus sidewall is notably stiffer. My running joke is that the tire will stand up to everything short of a snapping turtle. My preferred pressures are 75 psi front, 80 rear. If I ran Marathons, I suspect I would be running the same pressures.

I just upgraded Sue’s Breezer EX to Marathons, 26×1.75 (47×559). Will let you know how she likes them.

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