Rubber decomposes after about five years, Paul...time for a change...I had a pair of ski boots for 38 years, and they crumbled on me as I walked to my skis. Rather embarrassing, as I was supposed to have been filmed racing downhill. Blew that role-ha!
in 2018 i cycled from Germany to Luxembourg, France and Switzerland and back. i still have the same tyres today in 2023 and never had a single flat tyre
I have always sworn by Marathon Plus but this weekend I swore at it! After all the hedge cutting locally I had a thorn right through the centre of the tread. My first in about 5 years of UK riding. I'd forgotten how hard they are to put back on! But I love them❤
I'm running the Marathon Plus 700 x 45 on my touring bike. 3000 miles and still look new! I'm also using a very heavy inner tube (Schwalbe SV19). This is my first set of Marathon's and I immedialy noticed the weight difference on my first ride. Took me a while to get used to the additional weight but like you, I prefer not to change flats. Also I am using the Schwalbe G-One all around 700x45 tubeless gravel bike tires on my second bike and they have been outstanding. I did have one puncture when I ran over a nail but it took me about a minute to put a plug in and add some air and off I went and no problems for around 1000 miles, still going great. I do prefer the tubeless setup, I feel it saves a lot of time not having to remove the wheel to fix the flats. You just need to carry a plug kit and a small bottle of sealant. When my Marathon's finally need replacement I will go tubeless on the touring bike. Cheers from California!!
I have the marathon plus tour, definitely more weight and rolling resistance, no punctures in to years a bit skittish on corners at times,but we'll worth it all for no flats.
Schwalbe marathon & marathon plus are strong, but the rolling resistance has to be higher than the tests show... Both feel incredible slow compared to pretty much any decent brand tire.
@@shaman2384 yes they are I think slower, I offset this against the no punctures thing its worth it for me going home late in the dark getting a puncture sux especially in winter.
@@shaman2384 Marathons are not too bad regarding rolling resistance. Marathon plus roll noticeably slower. But I think the main factor is weight. If you have to stop often, or have sharp corners that need you to slow down and accelerate again, then you'll definitely notice that you are slower for the same effort. But once they're up to speed, they're ok-ish. Of course no comparison to a race tyre, but far better than many cheap touring/city bike tyres.
Just replaced my rear Schwalbe Marathon Plus after *12* years. Maybe 5000km, not just road riding, some camping so extra weight, and I am not a lightweight person. Sidewalls started delaminating and cracking, tread mostly gone but no blue showing. Precisely zero punctures during that whole time. Replaced with identical tyre. They’re heavy and don’t grip the corners like softer tyres, but totally win at reliability and endurance. I will *always* use these tyres.
I replaced both tires on my daily bike with marathon plus 3 years ago. I agree with you: never a puncture is great. My repair kit has been useless for 3 years in my bag. Unfortunately, while the front one is still quite intact and in better shape than yours, the rear one showed definite signs of urgent replacement this week with a long blue line. It only has ~3000km. Some sections of tire are in good shape, but around 1/3 of the circonference is slick.
Really helpful video to anyone thinking of using these tyres. I have had a puncture on one, but that still represents a reduction in punctures by about 80%, and I hate dealing with punctures.
The first thing I did when my wife and I got new touring bikes (Marin Four Corners) was put these tyres on them, I really like the peace of mind knowing that we're unlikely to get flats. And that's a great tip about not storing bikes in daylight, I hadn't considered the effects of sunlight on tyres. I guess I should now move all our bikes off our sunny balcony 🤔
I drive 2000 - 3000 km. yearly. and uses the Vittoria Randonneur Double Shield 700x28c. Has not had any punctures for over 10 years. The weight is approx. half of Schwalbe but will think they are not as comfortable as Schwalbe. Also have low rolling resistance if they are pumped to maximum air pressure. Is extremely happy with the Vittoria tires.
Use Marathon Plus on my MTB that I use for commuting. They save my knees and my knuckles!🤣 So much glass and rubbish surfaces on our "cycle" lanes.🇬🇧Use Schwalbe Supreme foldies on my Dawes Horizon tourer, for my day rides👍🙂🇬🇧
Thanks for this video, Mike! I just had these tires installed and am currently on a cross country tour. I'm glad to hear the tires will most likely last!
J'utilise une paire de Marathon plus (700x28) depuis 2011 en parcourant en moyenne 2000 kms par an, surtout à la belle saison avec une remorque mono-roue. Ils commencent à être bien usagés, ce qui a entrainé une crevaison au printemps mais je vais les garder comme pneus d'entraînement pour l'hiver. Ils sont lourds, ce sont des ventouses sur la route mais question fiabilité il me paraît difficile de faire mieux.
You're lucky there in Sweden with the better quality winter gravel. Here in Finland in many cities they use so called "killer gravel" which punctures even the Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires (according to Schwalbe, that doesn't happen anywhere else). I've used mainly Schwalbe Marathon Plus as my tires except for slippery season in the winter. I swap tires once I start to get flats regularly, even though there would still be thread left. Since 2008 I've ridden 82000 km with Marathon Plus as my rear tire, 6 (+1 ongoing now) tires worn out during that, averages at 11800 km per tire. During the same time, I've had Marathon Plus as my front tire for 78000 km, worn out 5 (+1 ongoing now) of them with average of 19400 km per tire.
Good points on those tires. Tried to get some last year but were out of stock for like 6 months so purchased another brand. Definitely on my bike wish list along with a new saddle. Take care, Al
I think they are starting to become more available again. I had no problem finding a tire when I ordered one last week. They are a bit of an investment, they aren't cheap that's for sure. But if you split the cost out on the number of years you're able to use them they are good value for your money.
Nice and informative (as always 🙂). I'm a big fan of Schwalbe tires. On my commuter bike (which is also my 'bad weather' weekend bike) I did ~15.000 km on Schwalbe Big Apple Plus (50mm) tires. When I replaced them with 42mm tires (just for a change) , they were actually still good, with enough profile. And most importantly: also 0 punctures!
Great video. I've been using Marathons for years on all my bikes. I have had 3 punctures in that time. They are a long lasting tyre as you say in the video, which gives you time to forget just how difficult they are to get on the rims, they really are hard., I've found that using a Bike Tyre Key combined with a Crankbrothers Speedier Lever plus a lot of swearing the only way to get them on! Generally longevity in tyres is also helped by keeping them inflated to the right pressure and it is handy and easier to have a track pump with a gauge to do this.
I specced Modials on my new bike rather than Marathons after much research. Been happy with my choice so far, though I've only done 1000mils or so on them.
I had the marathon plus tyres on an older bike and I pulled a sharp piece of steel out of my tyre that was wedged in. I expected the tyre to go down when I pulled it out but it still kept going!
I also had about 3 punctures over the last 10 years. Most of the time due to riding too old tires. I noted that my tires get as much damage inside then outside. In my case the steel mesh start puncturing the chambers from inside when they are too old. But that also coincide with not much of the threads remains. I have also used the winter Marathon spokes tires in winters. In this case I tend to get spokes piercing through the chambers when they are breaking through the interior after sever breaking.
Thanks again for another informative video. I run Schwalbe Big Ben Plus on my recumbent trike, along with tube liners; redundant and overkill perhaps, but I really don't like fixing flats.
I have done about 10,000 miles on the Marathon plus tour, which is slightly more aggressively treaded than the Marathon plus. For me they last about 5000 miles each on the rear but I change them well before they are worn out. Only a couple of punctures in that time. Most of my riding is off-road on cinders, shale and easy trails. The only drawbacks are that they can sometimes be difficult to fit and are not always totally trustworthy on wet corners so I have learned to enter corners slowly when its damp.
I haven't had a puncture in over 20 years and am now on my third Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires on my everyday bike. For me, the Marathon Plus lasted 10 and 11 years and 25,000 kilometers each and never failed.
In my experience (over the past 20 years of use) the Schwalbe Marathon Plus are NOT the "creme de la creme among touring cyclists". I have used the Vittoria Randonneur Cross (now not on the market) since 2003 and have had ZERO punctures with them. That IS correct, zero, nought, no punctures. The only flats that I've had have come from old patches peeling, tube faults or a rim tape shifting exposing a spoke. I have probably ridden over 120,000 km in that time and each tyre has lasted me for 14,000-15,000 km. These tyres are every bit as tough and puncture-resistant as the Marathon Plus AND they are half the weight and half the price. Since they have gone off the market I have been running through my stock, and now use the Marathon Mondial. THIS tyre is the one used by more people who are world travelling cyclists, as it is lighter, more supple and has excellent puncture protection still. The Marathon Plus is really more suited to E-bikes and to use in urban commuting where the roads are prone to having more glass and other penetrating debris.
Have had a pair for 3 or 4 years and done around 800-900 miles per year. No flats due to normal riding*. The hard compound lasts years, mine are pretty much in tip top shape, although the grip is less than I would like in corners getting a little bit skittery.** Rolling resistance is good for commuting, although I am comparing this to local commuters who are wholly un-aerodynamic whilst I wear tight jackets and bags when cycling. Performance is the wet is fine, the water deflection due to tread doesn’t spray onto your legs too much, grip is adequate. So far I’ve got my moneys worth as they haven’t really worn down or punctured yet, so I suppose they’re a 7/10. *Around two years ago my chain snapped, getting caught in the derailleur locking up the wheel where I then received a massive flat spot which then was later punctured by a nail a few days later. **Sometimes I can’t be bothered to slow down too much so take clear, non - blind roundabouts as fast as possible.
I have had these tires on my bike since 2016 and had my first flat last week when I ran over a thorn in Lewes, DE on the Georgetown - Lewes trail that perfectly punctured the tire and the Schwalbe Air Plus tube. The thorn was stuck in the tire and I actually went a mile or so before investigating the thump noise from the rear which was the thorn head striking the ground. I left it in the tire. I pumped it back up and managed another mile before pumping it again and getting a ride from a good Samaritan for the final mile as the tube I had did not fit because the air valve would not fit in the wheel hole. I ended up replacing the tire and tube since it already had a lot of wear and was about 6 years old.
This is my favorite tire. My first Marathon Plus was a pair of 26x1.75. I regularly switched the front and the rear tire, after every ~5-10 000 kms. They managed to run more than 50 000 kms (believe or not - it is true), before i saw the blue protection belt. This meant a little more than 10 years on that bike. The number of punctures was zero for me, too. Huge performance, simply reliable.
I've just recently replaced my front tyre and I couldn't believe how much the prices have gone up on the Marathon Plus, so I'm giving the 'ordinary' Marathon a try on my front wheel. I'm not sure what the difference is in terms of puncture resistance between the Blue layer and the 'green guard' but its a 30%-ish price difference. Time will tell I guess. I've had a Marathon plus on the back since 2017 and its still going strong. .......anyway, good video Mike. Great to see you back in the saddle after winter.
Over time I have changed my posture when I ride. I have a gravel bike but I ride it with my elbows resting over the shifters. This way I distribute my weight more evenly on both tires and get less wind drag. The effect makes a difference on the wear of the hind tires relative to the front. But I also think it overall reduce negative friction on the pavement considerably. In my opinion, when I do, I estimate a gain of about two gears at the back. Difficult to say in km per h, it depends on the speed, but it is probably around 3. Obviously when I come to intersection, sketchy surrounding or traffic, I get back to a regular stand on the steering. I have tried time trials handle bars but found that those I have gotten were too fragile, of no use in case of crash and put my body higher above the bike then when I just use my elbow. For the extra weight a proper set would put on the bike I decided to not bother and so far everything is fine. I have fallen once in this posture when I have hit a black ice surface in early winter without spokes. But I would have done the same holding the steering.
Wow, it’s so good and I watched lots of reviews online saying it lasts forever. I just bought 700x25c for my road bike, can’t wait to try them out. I know they will probably be more heavier and have higher rolling resistance compared to my current road bike tyre, but I will have the peace in my mind for not getting a puncture. I’m traveling 41km return from work, 3 times a week. I guess I can deal with some extra resistance if it is puncture proofing.😂
Thanks, have had a pair of Mondials that came stock on my Kona Sutra 2019 have over 600 miles on them. I rotates front to back so have more even wear, the one on the rear is showing more wear now but still going to run it a bit more. The picture you showed comparing the old/new tires was very helpful.
Tack för info! Jag undrade just om detta och sen gör du en video om det. Tack för alla dina fina videos som inspirerat mig till att börja cykla och starta youtubekanal.
I think it depends on the total weight of the bike and stuffs you carry, and how abrasive the road surface is. I can easily get 20,000km - 25,000km out of a set of Marathon Plus for city commuting.
@@doublewhopper67 I used two sets of Marathorn Plus. They did ~25,000Km each for daily commute. If someone carries a lot of extra weight for bike touring. They won't last as long. But it is an educated guess. You have any problem with that?
Schwalbe Marathon plus... definitely best touring tires. Also the Continental Ride tour tire great for on and off road touring. Hadn't had a flat since 2017 so far on both brands.
Marathon Plus may be bomb proof but they’re also slow as hell. I had a noticeable difference in speed after swapping to Marathon Supreme and still no punctures in about 3500 km. But of course now I have written that I am going to get one on this weekend’s bike trip! 😂
Excellent video, amazing how durable these tyres are. Thank you for the advice and all the time and effort you put into making them. It’s really appreciated and enjoyable to watch.
I have found the rolling resistance of the Marathon Plus to be lower than any other tyre I've used. I consider the rolling resistance to be low - definitely noticeably so .
I'm just about to replace my tires, so nice coincidence to see you posting this. Current tires where old version of Continental Contact Plus, which are continental equivalent of schwalbe marathon plus. When looking I've noticed Schwalbe do an ebike version of the marathon plus, which I initially thought might be just a way to profit from adding the word "ebike", but it appears they are a bit superier. They appear to be also available in slightly larger sizes, and have slightly better grip, handle grearter max load, and an extra puncture proof fabric. This comes with a greater price, but only trivial weight increase and I assume rolling drag from better grip. Might be worth considering for some if your touring routinely involves poor or soft surfaces.
Thanks. I have those tires and wondered about this. So far, they have 3300 miles on them and I had them rotated. No flats and I live in an area with a nasty plant called puncture vine or goathead thorns. I have a Gazelle Ebike with a rear wheel that is very complicated to remove. The bike shops won't show me how to do it, so I must never get a flat out where I ride as there is usually no phone service. I would have to hitch a ride back to town! Best to you...
You can get inner tubes that are split in the middle specifically for ebikes where it's hard to remove the rear wheel. Kinda shitty of your bike shop to not show you though. They're hard, but not impossible.
goat heads absolutely suck. I put marathon pluses on my bike and none of the thorns, stickers, burrs, goat heads, glass, wire, and other road debris that west texas roads are full of have managed to flat me yet.
I just bought a set today after last weekends ride where I had two flats within an hour. Spare tubes are pretty useless when it's so wet and dark that you can't find the object sticking in your Tyre. 😂 Really curious how the Marathon + will do.
Had 5000 km and 2 flats but I have them on e bike and I'm going 35 km on the side of the highway so more risk but before I switch to marathon plus I was get flats like every week
@Invicta View Hahahaha...... I've been cycletouring for more than 25 years, so yes I have fixed my fair share of punctures. But as you say, Schwalbe makes life easier, and I'm all for that ;-)
I've been riding a new pair of 2018 Racing Ralphs, mostly on the road, for over 5 years, about 18,000 kilometers. The axle pins have worn off by about half. The number of punctures over the entire period was 6-7 times, the internal chambers were changed 1 time (2 pieces). I wonder how many kilometers Schwalbe gives on Racing Ralph?
Land cruiser is an excellent tyre at half the price especially if you are gearing up for mud season on your commute, they don't wear as well but are amazing value and still fast in the skinny sizes. Looking for a lightweight tyre for a dedicated lightweight tourer im building over winter, grateful for any suggestions.
I didn’t read all the comments so somebody may have mentioned it - these tires are great but I have to run them at the low end of the pressure range because otherwise they make your teeth rattle - they are not supple, at all!
im sure after mountain bike tyres i wont feel any rolling resistance using these lol ...do you run tubes or tubless . in the UK we have lots of hedges and thorns even be tube or tubless i still get problems recently i had a thorn hole ( i assume right up near the rim the sealant failed )
On my rear tyre the Schwalbe Marathon Plus had nothing left no tread nothing but the protective layer was not visible at all. I still used the tyre until I replaced the rear by mistake with a Schwalbe Marathon Orginal tyre which has a 3mm protection layer as opposed to a 5mm protection layer on the Plus. This was a disaster. I suffered scores of flat tyres. I have this week replaced the Original tyre with a Plus version.
Hey Bike Touring Mike, thanks for your videos…very informative and entertaining! In your tire wear video, you show examples of the new tires vs the worn tire…the worn tire seems to have a different tread pattern than the new tire…was the old tire a Marathon Plus “Tour” tire??
Just can’t give up a nice riding bike for fear of a few flats. Marathon like riding on a 2x4. Seattle to SanFrancisco on GravelKing slicks tubeless. 2 flats but never had to pull wheel off bike.
I totally agree with you, Schwalbe Marathon Plus are super good tires, since I ride with them I had not punctures at all. They are more expensive that normal tires but they last longer and you have no punctures. So I will continue riding with my Marathon Plus tires.
Man, I must've had some pretty bad luck. Seems like everyone hardly gets a flat with these tires yet I got two within the first 100 miles of it's life lol.
Your tire did very well. May I ask how much you weigh? Does your commute have weight on the bike such as luggage? Do you need to adjust the true-ness of your wheels? Or ever break a spoke? Thank you for your videos.
The types of roads you ride on matters too. On the east coast the roads are often blacktop, relatively smooth, and the fines aren't terribly sharp. When I rode in CO, WY, MT, ID and WA I found that a lot of roads were oil and chip and the fines were quite sharp. Out west I shredded the stock tires on my Trek 520 and my son's were very worn. Not finding a suitable Schwalbe for my bike in Hamilton, MT I put a set on my 15 year old son's bike and put his tires on mine... Between the extra gear I carried and myself I had at least a 100 lbs more weight on my tires than my son did so I wanted a wider tire while he did fine with 700X28 tires. We successfully completed the trip with the tire swap. I've got a couple pairs of Schwalbe tires for my bike now. 700x40 for rail trail and canalway touring and 700X35 for road touring. Both sets have a lot of life left in them.
I've had my schwalbe 50 energized plus 700x32c for 5 years since 2017. I covered about 75 000 km and had 2 punctures rather at the end of 2022 when the green protection was visable. Now I bought marathon plus and I wonder how many km will be done with this
I was thinking some time back you should have switched tires to let the back grind the meat off the front tire. Then you could have changed tires with both old tires dead.
The Marathon XR was the last great Schwalbe tire. Since then they simply do not last anymore. It's absolutely stupid that Schwalbe killed the best tire they ever made. I tried most of Its successors, but while they are okay, they do only get to about 70% of the performance and durability the Marathon XR had.
I have never had a puncture with marathon plus in almost 5 years. But i have had two flats recently. Holes in the side of the tube on the rear. I think the tube may be worn out?
Hello.I have used this tyres a lot and they are awsome. I made a pant belt from my used tyre using bike chain and a spoke as buckle. If you decide to do the same please make a vid and show us.
That's crazy! Was it on the outside or inside of the inner tube. I've had flats after just a couple of miles with some tires when the inner is rubbing against some sharp edge of the wheel or a spoke. Might be the reason.
If I was to consider going tubeless I would try it on my MTB that I go bikepacking with once in a while. Even though I haven't gotten a flat on it yet I feel like there is a greater chance of getting one on that setup. On my touring bike I don't really see a reason for going tubeless, since I mainly ride on paved roads and haven't had a flat yet. But the schwalbe Marathon Mondials that I use on my touring bike are tubeless ready, so I do have that option.
I ride tubeless SPecialized Sawtooth tires on my touring bike, so far with zero flats. The thing to consider though, is what to do if you do get a flat. Fix it and somehow try to re-seat the tire? How? Or just bring an inner tube along just in case. But then, a tire that has been ridden tubeless for a long time might be full of sharp objects that would immediately puncture an inner tube, so the tire will need to be thoroughly inspected before an inner tube is put in.
Your comment about lack of tread being dangerous in the wet is incorrect. A slick tyre has more grip in the wet not less. You are thinking of car tyres which can aqua-plane. A bike tyre can't suffer from that until hitting +70mph speeds. On gravel yes less tread = less grip, but not on tarmac.
The profile of Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires does not last long enough, in my opinion. The puncture protection is good. I have better experience with Continental Pluses. High pressure is also important.
What about the non-Plus Schwalbe Marathon? I ask because the Plus version is not available right now in my country. Are the non-Plus resistant enough? Tack!
Absolutely. Changed mine after 15000 kms at the back, 20000 kms at the front. Mostly to be secure, I think they still had about 5000 kms useful life. Only 1 flat...
@Septic Whelk They are great tyres where puncture resistance is the biggest concern and they are comfy on smooth surfaces. Punctures can be a real pain to deal with especially in the rain, if you have rear hub gears, or an e-bike. Sometimes its worth putting up with a little discomfort just to avoid punctures. I've never had a puncture with Marathon Plus, but I don't like long rides on rough roads with them.
dreaming; I run an ebike with following spec; max motor power 800W and 110Nm, usually set to 600W and 80% of max Nm with reduction in gears ranging from 1:1.11 up to 1:4.6 plus rider input anywhere from 150W to 350W with circa 50Nm to 80Nm, and back tire is done after just over 6000km.., have no idea how people achieve these kind of distances..
I still have my first Schwalbe Marathon on the front, 13 years with around 25,000km
Wow, you got me beat there. 13 years!
@@BikeTouringMike I had maybe 3-4 years where the bike wasn't used so much.
Rubber decomposes after about five years, Paul...time for a change...I had a pair of ski boots for 38 years, and they crumbled on me as I walked to my skis. Rather embarrassing, as I was supposed to have been filmed racing downhill. Blew that role-ha!
I ride everyday
500+ miles it’s done no more
@@Leavemykindalone1154 500 miles for a tire?
Sounds like something's going wrong.
To get more mileage you also can change the front with the rear tire when the rear start to show some wear but is still ok.
in 2018 i cycled from Germany to Luxembourg, France and Switzerland and back. i still have the same tyres today in 2023 and never had a single flat tyre
I have always sworn by Marathon Plus but this weekend I swore at it! After all the hedge cutting locally I had a thorn right through the centre of the tread. My first in about 5 years of UK riding. I'd forgotten how hard they are to put back on! But I love them❤
I'm running the Marathon Plus 700 x 45 on my touring bike. 3000 miles and still look new! I'm also using a very heavy inner tube (Schwalbe SV19). This is my first set of Marathon's and I immedialy noticed the weight difference on my first ride. Took me a while to get used to the additional weight but like you, I prefer not to change flats. Also I am using the Schwalbe G-One all around 700x45 tubeless gravel bike tires on my second bike and they have been outstanding. I did have one puncture when I ran over a nail but it took me about a minute to put a plug in and add some air and off I went and no problems for around 1000 miles, still going great. I do prefer the tubeless setup, I feel it saves a lot of time not having to remove the wheel to fix the flats. You just need to carry a plug kit and a small bottle of sealant. When my Marathon's finally need replacement I will go tubeless on the touring bike. Cheers from California!!
Replacing a broken spoke seems easier on regular tires.
I have the marathon plus tour, definitely more weight and rolling resistance, no punctures in to years a bit skittish on corners at times,but we'll worth it all for no flats.
I agree with you 100%.
Schwalbe marathon & marathon plus are strong, but the rolling resistance has to be higher than the tests show... Both feel incredible slow compared to pretty much any decent brand tire.
@@shaman2384 yes they are I think slower, I offset this against the no punctures thing its worth it for me going home late in the dark getting a puncture sux especially in winter.
@@shaman2384 Marathons are not too bad regarding rolling resistance. Marathon plus roll noticeably slower. But I think the main factor is weight. If you have to stop often, or have sharp corners that need you to slow down and accelerate again, then you'll definitely notice that you are slower for the same effort.
But once they're up to speed, they're ok-ish. Of course no comparison to a race tyre, but far better than many cheap touring/city bike tyres.
@@mysurlytrucker7510 yeah in horrible weather plus tyres are a good idea. Punctures happen far more often in wet conditions.
Just replaced my rear Schwalbe Marathon Plus after *12* years. Maybe 5000km, not just road riding, some camping so extra weight, and I am not a lightweight person. Sidewalls started delaminating and cracking, tread mostly gone but no blue showing. Precisely zero punctures during that whole time. Replaced with identical tyre. They’re heavy and don’t grip the corners like softer tyres, but totally win at reliability and endurance. I will *always* use these tyres.
I replaced both tires on my daily bike with marathon plus 3 years ago. I agree with you: never a puncture is great. My repair kit has been useless for 3 years in my bag. Unfortunately, while the front one is still quite intact and in better shape than yours, the rear one showed definite signs of urgent replacement this week with a long blue line. It only has ~3000km. Some sections of tire are in good shape, but around 1/3 of the circonference is slick.
Interesting! Do you have any thoughts about why your rear tyre wore so quickly?
They should use less puncture protection thickness, but more rubber, IMO. They can't make them last too long, our you'd never have to buy another one!
Really helpful video to anyone thinking of using these tyres. I have had a puncture on one, but that still represents a reduction in punctures by about 80%, and I hate dealing with punctures.
The first thing I did when my wife and I got new touring bikes (Marin Four Corners) was put these tyres on them, I really like the peace of mind knowing that we're unlikely to get flats. And that's a great tip about not storing bikes in daylight, I hadn't considered the effects of sunlight on tyres. I guess I should now move all our bikes off our sunny balcony 🤔
Marathon "green guard" have less rolling resistance than marathon plus. 👍
I drive 2000 - 3000 km. yearly. and uses the Vittoria Randonneur Double Shield 700x28c. Has not had any punctures for over 10 years. The weight is approx. half of Schwalbe but will think they are not as comfortable as Schwalbe. Also have low rolling resistance if they are pumped to maximum air pressure. Is extremely happy with the Vittoria tires.
Love these tires, all that I use on my road bike! The only tire I've found that's truly flat proof!
Use Marathon Plus on my MTB that I use for commuting. They save my knees and my knuckles!🤣 So much glass and rubbish surfaces on our "cycle" lanes.🇬🇧Use Schwalbe Supreme foldies on my Dawes Horizon tourer, for my day rides👍🙂🇬🇧
Thanks for this video, Mike! I just had these tires installed and am currently on a cross country tour. I'm glad to hear the tires will most likely last!
J'utilise une paire de Marathon plus (700x28) depuis 2011 en parcourant en moyenne 2000 kms par an, surtout à la belle saison avec une remorque mono-roue.
Ils commencent à être bien usagés, ce qui a entrainé une crevaison au printemps mais je vais les garder comme pneus d'entraînement pour l'hiver.
Ils sont lourds, ce sont des ventouses sur la route mais question fiabilité il me paraît difficile de faire mieux.
You're lucky there in Sweden with the better quality winter gravel. Here in Finland in many cities they use so called "killer gravel" which punctures even the Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires (according to Schwalbe, that doesn't happen anywhere else).
I've used mainly Schwalbe Marathon Plus as my tires except for slippery season in the winter. I swap tires once I start to get flats regularly, even though there would still be thread left.
Since 2008 I've ridden 82000 km with Marathon Plus as my rear tire, 6 (+1 ongoing now) tires worn out during that, averages at 11800 km per tire. During the same time, I've had Marathon Plus as my front tire for 78000 km, worn out 5 (+1 ongoing now) of them with average of 19400 km per tire.
Good points on those tires. Tried to get some last year but were out of stock for like 6 months so purchased another brand. Definitely on my bike wish list along with a new saddle. Take care, Al
I think they are starting to become more available again. I had no problem finding a tire when I ordered one last week. They are a bit of an investment, they aren't cheap that's for sure. But if you split the cost out on the number of years you're able to use them they are good value for your money.
Nice and informative (as always 🙂).
I'm a big fan of Schwalbe tires. On my commuter bike (which is also my 'bad weather' weekend bike) I did ~15.000 km on Schwalbe Big Apple Plus (50mm) tires. When I replaced them with 42mm tires (just for a change) , they were actually still good, with enough profile. And most importantly: also 0 punctures!
Great video. I've been using Marathons for years on all my bikes. I have had 3 punctures in that time. They are a long lasting tyre as you say in the video, which gives you time to forget just how difficult they are to get on the rims, they really are hard., I've found that using a Bike Tyre Key combined with a Crankbrothers Speedier Lever plus a lot of swearing the only way to get them on! Generally longevity in tyres is also helped by keeping them inflated to the right pressure and it is handy and easier to have a track pump with a gauge to do this.
I specced Modials on my new bike rather than Marathons after much research. Been happy with my choice so far, though I've only done 1000mils or so on them.
Thanks Mike! I've always worried about the glass on the side of the road. I appreciate your help.
I had the marathon plus tyres on an older bike and I pulled a sharp piece of steel out of my tyre that was wedged in. I expected the tyre to go down when I pulled it out but it still kept going!
I also had about 3 punctures over the last 10 years. Most of the time due to riding too old tires. I noted that my tires get as much damage inside then outside. In my case the steel mesh start puncturing the chambers from inside when they are too old. But that also coincide with not much of the threads remains. I have also used the winter Marathon spokes tires in winters. In this case I tend to get spokes piercing through the chambers when they are breaking through the interior after sever breaking.
This winter I replaced my old tires with Schwallbe. I love the ride and how they feel on the road
Good tips. Thanks. I got my first flat on the Marathon Plus after about two years. Given NYC streets, I guess it's not too bad.
Thanks again for another informative video. I run Schwalbe Big Ben Plus on my recumbent trike, along with tube liners; redundant and overkill perhaps, but I really don't like fixing flats.
I have done about 10,000 miles on the Marathon plus tour, which is slightly more aggressively treaded than the Marathon plus. For me they last about 5000 miles each on the rear but I change them well before they are worn out. Only a couple of punctures in that time. Most of my riding is off-road on cinders, shale and easy trails. The only drawbacks are that they can sometimes be difficult to fit and are not always totally trustworthy on wet corners so I have learned to enter corners slowly when its damp.
I haven't had a puncture in over 20 years and am now on my third Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires on my everyday bike. For me, the Marathon Plus lasted 10 and 11 years and 25,000 kilometers each and never failed.
They're a great tyre. I have upgraded to the Mondials, simply because they're foldable. I also run them with Tannus Armour inserts.
In my experience (over the past 20 years of use) the Schwalbe Marathon Plus are NOT the "creme de la creme among touring cyclists". I have used the Vittoria Randonneur Cross (now not on the market) since 2003 and have had ZERO punctures with them. That IS correct, zero, nought, no punctures. The only flats that I've had have come from old patches peeling, tube faults or a rim tape shifting exposing a spoke. I have probably ridden over 120,000 km in that time and each tyre has lasted me for 14,000-15,000 km. These tyres are every bit as tough and puncture-resistant as the Marathon Plus AND they are half the weight and half the price.
Since they have gone off the market I have been running through my stock, and now use the Marathon Mondial. THIS tyre is the one used by more people who are world travelling cyclists, as it is lighter, more supple and has excellent puncture protection still. The Marathon Plus is really more suited to E-bikes and to use in urban commuting where the roads are prone to having more glass and other penetrating debris.
Have had a pair for 3 or 4 years and done around 800-900 miles per year.
No flats due to normal riding*.
The hard compound lasts years, mine are pretty much in tip top shape, although the grip is less than I would like in corners getting a little bit skittery.**
Rolling resistance is good for commuting, although I am comparing this to local commuters who are wholly un-aerodynamic whilst I wear tight jackets and bags when cycling.
Performance is the wet is fine, the water deflection due to tread doesn’t spray onto your legs too much, grip is adequate.
So far I’ve got my moneys worth as they haven’t really worn down or punctured yet, so I suppose they’re a 7/10.
*Around two years ago my chain snapped, getting caught in the derailleur locking up the wheel where I then received a massive flat spot which then was later punctured by a nail a few days later.
**Sometimes I can’t be bothered to slow down too much so take clear, non - blind roundabouts as fast as possible.
I have had these tires on my bike since 2016 and had my first flat last week when I ran over a thorn in Lewes, DE on the Georgetown - Lewes trail that perfectly punctured the tire and the Schwalbe Air Plus tube. The thorn was stuck in the tire and I actually went a mile or so before investigating the thump noise from the rear which was the thorn head striking the ground. I left it in the tire. I pumped it back up and managed another mile before pumping it again and getting a ride from a good Samaritan for the final mile as the tube I had did not fit because the air valve would not fit in the wheel hole. I ended up replacing the tire and tube since it already had a lot of wear and was about 6 years old.
This is my favorite tire. My first Marathon Plus was a pair of 26x1.75. I regularly switched the front and the rear tire, after every ~5-10 000 kms. They managed to run more than 50 000 kms (believe or not - it is true), before i saw the blue protection belt. This meant a little more than 10 years on that bike. The number of punctures was zero for me, too. Huge performance, simply reliable.
I've just recently replaced my front tyre and I couldn't believe how much the prices have gone up on the Marathon Plus, so I'm giving the 'ordinary' Marathon a
try on my front wheel. I'm not sure what the difference is in terms of puncture resistance between the Blue layer and the 'green guard' but its a 30%-ish price difference. Time will tell I guess. I've had a Marathon plus on the back since 2017 and its still going strong. .......anyway, good video Mike. Great to see you back in the saddle after winter.
Over time I have changed my posture when I ride. I have a gravel bike but I ride it with my elbows resting over the shifters. This way I distribute my weight more evenly on both tires and get less wind drag. The effect makes a difference on the wear of the hind tires relative to the front. But I also think it overall reduce negative friction on the pavement considerably. In my opinion, when I do, I estimate a gain of about two gears at the back. Difficult to say in km per h, it depends on the speed, but it is probably around 3. Obviously when I come to intersection, sketchy surrounding or traffic, I get back to a regular stand on the steering. I have tried time trials handle bars but found that those I have gotten were too fragile, of no use in case of crash and put my body higher above the bike then when I just use my elbow. For the extra weight a proper set would put on the bike I decided to not bother and so far everything is fine. I have fallen once in this posture when I have hit a black ice surface in early winter without spokes. But I would have done the same holding the steering.
Great Video and information, as always
Wow, it’s so good and I watched lots of reviews online saying it lasts forever. I just bought 700x25c for my road bike, can’t wait to try them out. I know they will probably be more heavier and have higher rolling resistance compared to my current road bike tyre, but I will have the peace in my mind for not getting a puncture. I’m traveling 41km return from work, 3 times a week. I guess I can deal with some extra resistance if it is puncture proofing.😂
I love your videos Mike! Thanks for putting this together!
Thanks, have had a pair of Mondials that came stock on my Kona Sutra 2019 have over 600 miles on them. I rotates front to back so have more even wear, the one on the rear is showing more wear now but still going to run it a bit more. The picture you showed comparing the old/new tires was very helpful.
6000 miles, not 600
Tack för info! Jag undrade just om detta och sen gör du en video om det. Tack för alla dina fina videos som inspirerat mig till att börja cykla och starta youtubekanal.
So I just finished installing Marathon Mondial on my bike , and this is on my CZcams feed. I'm not kidding like 2 hours ago.. ?!
I think it depends on the total weight of the bike and stuffs you carry, and how abrasive the road surface is. I can easily get 20,000km - 25,000km out of a set of Marathon Plus for city commuting.
@@doublewhopper67 I used two sets of Marathorn Plus. They did ~25,000Km each for daily commute. If someone carries a lot of extra weight for bike touring. They won't last as long. But it is an educated guess. You have any problem with that?
Schwalbe Marathon plus... definitely best touring tires. Also the Continental Ride tour tire great for on and off road touring. Hadn't had a flat since 2017 so far on both brands.
Marathon Plus may be bomb proof but they’re also slow as hell. I had a noticeable difference in speed after swapping to Marathon Supreme and still no punctures in about 3500 km. But of course now I have written that I am going to get one on this weekend’s bike trip! 😂
Excellent video, amazing how durable these tyres are. Thank you for the advice and all the time and effort you put into making them. It’s really appreciated and enjoyable to watch.
I do about 2000 miles a month on my Marathon Pluses and change the rear one every 3 months or so. The front one every 6 months
I have found the rolling resistance of the Marathon Plus to be lower than any other tyre I've used. I consider the rolling resistance to be low - definitely noticeably so .
I'm just about to replace my tires, so nice coincidence to see you posting this. Current tires where old version of Continental Contact Plus, which are continental equivalent of schwalbe marathon plus.
When looking I've noticed Schwalbe do an ebike version of the marathon plus, which I initially thought might be just a way to profit from adding the word "ebike", but it appears they are a bit superier. They appear to be also available in slightly larger sizes, and have slightly better grip, handle grearter max load, and an extra puncture proof fabric. This comes with a greater price, but only trivial weight increase and I assume rolling drag from better grip. Might be worth considering for some if your touring routinely involves poor or soft surfaces.
Thanks. I have those tires and wondered about this. So far, they have 3300 miles on them and I had them rotated. No flats and I live in an area with a nasty plant called puncture vine or goathead thorns. I have a Gazelle Ebike with a rear wheel that is very complicated to remove. The bike shops won't show me how to do it, so I must never get a flat out where I ride as there is usually no phone service. I would have to hitch a ride back to town! Best to you...
You can get inner tubes that are split in the middle specifically for ebikes where it's hard to remove the rear wheel.
Kinda shitty of your bike shop to not show you though. They're hard, but not impossible.
goat heads absolutely suck. I put marathon pluses on my bike and none of the thorns, stickers, burrs, goat heads, glass, wire, and other road debris that west texas roads are full of have managed to flat me yet.
Very helpful, thank you from Wales UK
I just bought a set today after last weekends ride where I had two flats within an hour. Spare tubes are pretty useless when it's so wet and dark that you can't find the object sticking in your Tyre. 😂 Really curious how the Marathon + will do.
Had 5000 km and 2 flats but I have them on e bike and I'm going 35 km on the side of the highway so more risk but before I switch to marathon plus I was get flats like every week
To me, there really is just two options.
1) I go with Shwalbe Marathon Plus.
2) I don't go.
😀
@Invicta View Hahahaha...... I've been cycletouring for more than 25 years, so yes I have fixed my fair share of punctures. But as you say, Schwalbe makes life easier, and I'm all for that ;-)
I've been riding a new pair of 2018 Racing Ralphs, mostly on the road, for over 5 years, about 18,000 kilometers. The axle pins have worn off by about half. The number of punctures over the entire period was 6-7 times, the internal chambers were changed 1 time (2 pieces).
I wonder how many kilometers Schwalbe gives on Racing Ralph?
Yes they are a great tyre but I get about 4/6 punctures a year, glass and wire are the main culprits
Land cruiser is an excellent tyre at half the price especially if you are gearing up for mud season on your commute, they don't wear as well but are amazing value and still fast in the skinny sizes.
Looking for a lightweight tyre for a dedicated lightweight tourer im building over winter, grateful for any suggestions.
I didn’t read all the comments so somebody may have mentioned it - these tires are great but I have to run them at the low end of the pressure range because otherwise they make your teeth rattle - they are not supple, at all!
im sure after mountain bike tyres i wont feel any rolling resistance using these lol ...do you run tubes or tubless . in the UK we have lots of hedges and thorns even be tube or tubless i still get problems
recently i had a thorn hole ( i assume right up near the rim the sealant failed )
If you swap your front tyre with the rear tyre for example every year you will get more milage out of the both of them
i get approximately
5,000 miles on mine, but i swap em out before they get worn too bad.
And yes i haven't hadda flat (yet 🙏😇🙏)..
On my rear tyre the Schwalbe Marathon Plus had nothing left no tread nothing but the protective layer was not visible at all. I still used the tyre until I replaced the rear by mistake with a Schwalbe Marathon Orginal tyre which has a 3mm protection layer as opposed to a 5mm protection layer on the Plus. This was a disaster. I suffered scores of flat tyres. I have this week replaced the Original tyre with a Plus version.
Hey Bike Touring Mike, thanks for your videos…very informative and entertaining!
In your tire wear video, you show examples of the new tires vs the worn tire…the worn tire seems to have a different tread pattern than the new tire…was the old tire a Marathon Plus “Tour” tire??
Just can’t give up a nice riding bike for fear of a few flats. Marathon like riding on a 2x4.
Seattle to SanFrancisco on GravelKing slicks tubeless. 2 flats but never had to pull wheel off bike.
I totally agree with you, Schwalbe Marathon Plus are super good tires, since I ride with them I had not punctures at all. They are more expensive that normal tires but they last longer and you have no punctures. So I will continue riding with my Marathon Plus tires.
Seems right since I ride them 5 days a week 30km a day and I change them about every 2 years or so.
Man, I must've had some pretty bad luck. Seems like everyone hardly gets a flat with these tires yet I got two within the first 100 miles of it's life lol.
Your tire did very well. May I ask how much you weigh? Does your commute have weight on the bike such as luggage?
Do you need to adjust the true-ness of your wheels? Or ever break a spoke?
Thank you for your videos.
The types of roads you ride on matters too. On the east coast the roads are often blacktop, relatively smooth, and the fines aren't terribly sharp. When I rode in CO, WY, MT, ID and WA I found that a lot of roads were oil and chip and the fines were quite sharp. Out west I shredded the stock tires on my Trek 520 and my son's were very worn. Not finding a suitable Schwalbe for my bike in Hamilton, MT I put a set on my 15 year old son's bike and put his tires on mine... Between the extra gear I carried and myself I had at least a 100 lbs more weight on my tires than my son did so I wanted a wider tire while he did fine with 700X28 tires. We successfully completed the trip with the tire swap.
I've got a couple pairs of Schwalbe tires for my bike now. 700x40 for rail trail and canalway touring and 700X35 for road touring. Both sets have a lot of life left in them.
I've had my schwalbe 50 energized plus 700x32c for 5 years since 2017. I covered about 75 000 km and had 2 punctures rather at the end of 2022 when the green protection was visable. Now I bought marathon plus and I wonder how many km will be done with this
I was thinking some time back you should have switched tires to let the back grind the meat off the front tire. Then you could have changed tires with both old tires dead.
Just theoretically couldn't you use this tyre with tannus armour and use slime for inner tube?
The Marathon XR was the last great Schwalbe tire. Since then they simply do not last anymore. It's absolutely stupid that Schwalbe killed the best tire they ever made. I tried most of Its successors, but while they are okay, they do only get to about 70% of the performance and durability the Marathon XR had.
I have never had a puncture with marathon plus in almost 5 years. But i have had two flats recently. Holes in the side of the tube on the rear. I think the tube may be worn out?
Why don't the make inner tubes stronger?
Hello.I have used this tyres a lot and they are awsome.
I made a pant belt from my used tyre using bike chain and a spoke as buckle.
If you decide to do the same please make a vid and show us.
Haha, I'm definitely not that crafty.
My girlfriend got a puncture after 50 miles on these. Mad.
That's crazy! Was it on the outside or inside of the inner tube. I've had flats after just a couple of miles with some tires when the inner is rubbing against some sharp edge of the wheel or a spoke. Might be the reason.
Have you ever considered tubeless for your touring? Debating it now whether it's worth any extra hassle over just running tubes
If I was to consider going tubeless I would try it on my MTB that I go bikepacking with once in a while. Even though I haven't gotten a flat on it yet I feel like there is a greater chance of getting one on that setup. On my touring bike I don't really see a reason for going tubeless, since I mainly ride on paved roads and haven't had a flat yet. But the schwalbe Marathon Mondials that I use on my touring bike are tubeless ready, so I do have that option.
I should have read the comments first. Just asked the same question. I have your answer here. Thanks.
I ride tubeless SPecialized Sawtooth tires on my touring bike, so far with zero flats. The thing to consider though, is what to do if you do get a flat. Fix it and somehow try to re-seat the tire? How? Or just bring an inner tube along just in case. But then, a tire that has been ridden tubeless for a long time might be full of sharp objects that would immediately puncture an inner tube, so the tire will need to be thoroughly inspected before an inner tube is put in.
Your comment about lack of tread being dangerous in the wet is incorrect. A slick tyre has more grip in the wet not less. You are thinking of car tyres which can aqua-plane. A bike tyre can't suffer from that until hitting +70mph speeds. On gravel yes less tread = less grip, but not on tarmac.
Hi Mike. Have you tried tubeless?
wow
no punctures
The profile of Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires does not last long enough, in my opinion. The puncture protection is good. I have better experience with Continental Pluses. High pressure is also important.
What about the non-Plus Schwalbe Marathon? I ask because the Plus version is not available right now in my country. Are the non-Plus resistant enough? Tack!
Absolutely. Changed mine after 15000 kms at the back, 20000 kms at the front. Mostly to be secure, I think they still had about 5000 kms useful life. Only 1 flat...
Brilliant tyres except for comfort on poor quality roads ... you feel every bump!
@Septic Whelk They are great tyres where puncture resistance is the biggest concern and they are comfy on smooth surfaces. Punctures can be a real pain to deal with especially in the rain, if you have rear hub gears, or an e-bike. Sometimes its worth putting up with a little discomfort just to avoid punctures. I've never had a puncture with Marathon Plus, but I don't like long rides on rough roads with them.
My schwalbe marathon plus died catching a X-ACTO blade on the road. 😭😭😭
Haha!
dreaming; I run an ebike with following spec; max motor power 800W and 110Nm, usually set to 600W and 80% of max Nm with reduction in gears ranging from 1:1.11 up to 1:4.6 plus rider input anywhere from 150W to 350W with circa 50Nm to 80Nm, and back tire is done after just over 6000km.., have no idea how people achieve these kind of distances..
100 days is 3 months.
⚔️💪😎🏴👍(stroke)
🥱🥱🥱
Heavy. Inefficient rolling. Rigid ride...and still get flats. Don't like them.