Schwalbe Marathon Plus

[iandriver]

I've used m plus for the last couple of years. I've always found them low maintenance. Other tyres might feel better at optimum pressures, but the m+ seem more tolerant in fluctuations in pressure over a few weeks. ( this is in the larger sizes). I've got big apple liteskins on for the summer, but will go back to m+ for the winter.

[Brucey]

...Which magazine - have you a link?....

I think it was on the Fietsersbond website, but I'm dashed if I can find it on there right now.

[edit; I see you have found some links I posted before, but there was more, graphs and stuff, which I have not seen since... edit... they are here; http://www.fietsersbond.nl/de-fiets/onderdelen/banden/testresultaten-bandentest#.VdzIFTpwY1g.]

BTW I think that for tyres that have that degree of puncture protection M+ and M have a remarkably low Crr. But they are not as easy rolling as some other tyres and they are certainly nothing like as comfortable if they are inflated enough to roll well.

cheers

[SA_SA_SA]

Agreed. My 700 x 28 Marathon+s are heavy and uncomfortable whereas my 26 x 1.75s are much better. Incidentally I fit lighter, faster tyres on the front and use M+ on the rear , front wheel puncture repairs being far quicker and less mucky.

I do that too

[Brucey]

To save others the bother here is a google translation of the Fietsersbond test summary. I have added comments (which are intended to clarify) in

{brackets thusly}

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Tire test results 2012


Published on 09-01-2013. Last updated on 08-12-2014.

The table below shows the processed results of the tire. The table is adapted from the measurements at Schwalbe, Continental and my own comfort test. At the bottom of the page are links to the test data of Schwalbe and Continental.



Explanation

Rolling resistance

The table at each tire the extra power you need stairs at 20km / h and 4 bar pressure against the fastest tire.

{edit; NB. the Hyper needs ~29W at the test condition used; the additional power required is in the 'extra weerstand' column.}

10 watt difference a bike about 1 km / h slower.

The Vittoria Randonneur Hyper, the Grand Bois and CTS Zeppelin score best in terms of rolling resistance. Of these three bands the Randonneur Hyper is the most puncture resistant.

Remarkable are the relatively low rolling resistance for Marathon Plus and Marathon. These are tires with a thick anti-leakage layer. Many cyclists therefore think that these tires will roll heavily. It is not clear from the test.

The rolling resistance of the Schwalbe Marathon Racer and Kojak is remarkably high. Higher than many cyclists. The hard, thin protection belt thus provides considerably more rolling resistance (these tires). Vredestein tires roll light but have a moderate level of protection. The Continental tires all roles remarkably heavy.

Puncture

For the puncture both the maximum force {prikkracht} and the measured energy {prikarbied} to pierce with a sharp object by the band. In the table, the percentage has been given with respect to the best scoring band. The translation into practice is difficult. Even with a band that regularly from the test comes PNS Vredestein Perfect seems the chances of a puncture small as exemplified by this test report from Eric Schuijt who drove 2500km without leak. Antilekbescherming {puncture protection} comes in two versions: a thin hard layer as in the Marathon Racer or a thick soft rubber-like layer as in the Marathon Plus. What works better in practice it is difficult to determine. The thick soft layer seems to give more guarantee judging from experience of users.

Comfort

The comfort I measured by cycling with 4 bar pressure over a cobbled street with an accelerometer. The tires are compared by comparing the variation in vertical acceleration. The differences seem quite large. But the effect of the pressure is much greater than the effect of an anti-leakage layer thick. At 5 bar is the Vittoria Randonneur Hyper about as comfortable as the Marathon Plus at 4 bar.

Narrow tires are at the same pressure as comfortable as wide tires. With wide tires, bikes can comfortabler because the pressure may be much lower. For 37mm tires, the minimum voltage 3.5 to 4 bar. For 50mm tires, the minimum pressure 2 to 2.5 bar.

Ties with n.v.t I have not tested.

The graph below is the comfort of the Vittoria Randonneur Hyper shown at 2, 4 and 6 bar and Marathon Plus at 4 bar.



Rolling resistance vs. pressure

The rolling resistance is measured at 4 bar. The graph below illustrates the effect of the rolling resistance shown due to the pressure.


3 bar to 4 bar yields a profit of 6Watt. From 4 to 7 bar, but bar and profit of 4 bar. It is clear that the disadvantage of low tire pressure is much greater than the benefit of a high pressure. The measurement is performed by measuring my bike with power meter on a flat floor inside. At a higher pressure is the bike in the usual way vibrate and will benefit from a higher inflation are smaller or even negative at speed. For Dutch roads appears to be a pressure between 3.5 and 5 bar ideal. When measuring I could clearly feel that the bike at 2 bar very poor and at 3 bar sent bad.

Wide balloon tires seem to suffer less from heavier roles with low tire pressure. The balloon tires are also tested Schwalbe and Continental at 2,5bar. The Vittoria Randonneur Hyper rolls at 2.5 bar 13watt heavier. The balloon tires approximately nine watts heavier (I will soon make the measurement for the Big Apple to look at what tire pressure which is much heavier roles.)

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Re my earlier comment; vs the Hyper @ 4bar, it seems that you would need to lower the M+ to about 2.5bar in order to get the same level of comfort. This is likely to increase the required power to drive the M+ tyre by at least 11W ( which is the amount extra that a Hyper takes). The M+ already takes 11W more than the hyper at 4bar so the total for the M+ is likely to be at least 51W vs 29W for the hyper at the test conditions used. Thus when set to give similar comfort to a hyper @ 4 bar, the M+ is almost twice as hard to pedal.

I have often 'discovered' that marathons are underinflated because they feel OK to ride on comfort-wise, but it just feels like the brakes are dragging....

cheers

[danfoto]

I fitted a pair to each of our Thorn Sherpas two or three weeks ago (26 x 1.75) and so far we're very happy with them at the recommended max pressures. Fitting wasn't the trial I was expecting simply because I watched the YouTube video beforehand, and I'm not overly impressed by Schwalbe's quality control, but otherwise we're happy

Needless to say, this was the last of thefour and I didn't spot it until I'd got the wheel back on ...

[reohn2]

I wouldn't worry too much,I'd say that fault is cosmetic and only the reflective strip misaligned on the carcass.

[iandriver]

I have often 'discovered' that marathons are underinflated because they feel OK to ride on comfort-wise, but it just feels like the brakes are dragging....

cheers

That sounds like the life of my commuting bike, the purists would shudder, but it a case of pump them up hard at the start of the month and forget about it until the next bill paying day of the next month. My "fun" bikes I check every ride, but the commuter needs to be a beast.

By the time I've got through all the stop starts in commuting 15 miles each way across the city, I don't notice a difference in average speed over the month. Really seems unnecessarily complicated

[bikes4two]

Did LeJog with M+ as I didn't have any experience of other touring tyres. Since then I've used different sorts and my current favourites are Marathon Supreme. In comparison to the M+ give a harsher, more daggy ride, no doubt.

I recently changed a pair of old M+ for new ones on a mate's bike and they were SO tight to fit that I've thrown my own M+ in the bin, vowing never to get involved with them again!!!

[iandriver]

Did LeJog with M+ as I didn't have any experience of other touring tyres. Since then I've used different sorts and my current favourites are Marathon Supreme. In comparison to the M+ give a harsher, more daggy ride, no doubt.

That sound's like the sort of ride where you do feel a difference. For Audax where I can go 20 miles without putting a foot down, it's Voyager Hypers every time, pumped up perfectly. Might have to give Supremes a go (hypers don't come in 26*2.0 )

[coffeedrinkerUK]

Iv done 6,000 miles on a pair of 32 x 700 Schwalbe Marathon Plus's. I swapped the back tyre to the front at about 5,000 just to even them out. Iv have had one puncture in each, I keep them on about full pressure and they roll well, there would be more comfort with less pressure and more drag but im happy with the way they are. I recon I could get at least another couple of thousand miles out of them easily. If you get some go careful for the first 70 to 100, but they roughen up a bit and are then pretty good road holders. Iv been over some pretty rouged terrain and carried some quite heavy loads with them as well.

[samsbike]

Iv done 6,000 miles on a pair of 32 x 700 Schwalbe Marathon Plus's. I swapped the back tyre to the front at about 5,000 just to even them out. Iv have had one puncture in each, I keep them on about full pressure and they roll well, there would be more comfort with less pressure and more drag but im happy with the way they are. I recon I could get at least another couple of thousand miles out of them easily. If you get some go careful for the first 70 to 100, but they roughen up a bit and are then pretty good road holders. Iv been over some pretty rouged terrain and carried some quite heavy loads with them as well.

When you say full pressure, do you mean that they were at max psi which is something like 90psi? I ask because I am running the same but do about 50/80 F/R and am now wondering whether its worth running the back up at max as they do feel draggy.

[coffeedrinkerUK]

Iv done 6,000 miles on a pair of 32 x 700 Schwalbe Marathon Plus's. I swapped the back tyre to the front at about 5,000 just to even them out. Iv have had one puncture in each, I keep them on about full pressure and they roll well, there would be more comfort with less pressure and more drag but im happy with the way they are. I recon I could get at least another couple of thousand miles out of them easily. If you get some go careful for the first 70 to 100, but they roughen up a bit and are then pretty good road holders. Iv been over some pretty rouged terrain and carried some quite heavy loads with them as well.

When you say full pressure, do you mean that they were at max psi which is something like 90psi? I ask because I am running the same but do about 50/80 F/R and am now wondering whether its worth running the back up at max as they do feel draggy.

Yes pretty well 90 - 95 rear and 85 - 90 front, they have shradar valves on the tubes so I check them out fairly often particularly before a long ride.

[Douggie954]

I recently did LeJoG on my VSF Fahrrad TX400 with M+ on. My brother had different tyres on his bike and had four punctures, I had none. I do think they drag a little but I was happy not to get any punctures.

[Brucey]

that is interesting. What were your brother's tyres?

Were there any other factors that might have made a difference, like the load or his skill at spotting crud in the road, or anything?

Like the Dutch tester said, real life isn't that easy to relate to test data, and a side-by side ride with different tyres on the same roads is a pretty good real world test.

cheers

[Douggie954]

They were Schwalbe but not marathons. They probably should have been changed before we started.