Schwalbe Marathon vs Marathon Plus

[johnmillward74]

Hi

I have a Dawes Galaxy Plus with Schwalbe Marathon tyres. I did a tour of the south coast of England last year from Margate to Land's End and had four punctures. I am looking to minimise this possibility on my next trip from Calais to Montpellier. I was wondering if anyone has any views on whether it would be beneficial to upgrade these tyres - perhaps to the Marathon Plus Tour? or any other recommendations?

Many thanks

[pwa]

That sounds like a really nice trip. Personally, I think there is a problem with very puncture resistant tyres. They can be less flexible and therefore harsher and with higher rolling resistance, and they can be heavier and therefore more tiring. It is a matter of finding the right balance. I have not tested Marathon Supremes, but I put a pair on my wife's bike recently and they look and feel like very well made tyres for swift touring. They have tread extending part way up the side of the tyre, which promises resistance to sidewall damage, and they have a reasonable but not excessive depth of tread. The weight is reasonably low, and they feel flexible. I imagine (but do not know) that they are good at resisting punctures. Oh, and they are expensive. They may be the best you can get for your tour.

[jamesgilbert]

What tyre pressure do you use? And what kind of terrain, mostly roads? I'm also not sure whether inner tube quality makes a difference but I tend to use proper brands rather than the cheap Decathlon-style ones.

My girlfriend & I did 4000km around Europe a couple of years ago with the basic Marathon tyres and had zero punctures but I guess a lot is down to luck!

[pjclinch]

I use Marathons on several bikes and really like them. I reckon on about one puncture per year through defeated tyre (I run them at or close to 100 psi), but once they're at a certain wear point they get pretty easy to hole, and then it's time for a new one.

I've not really ever seen the point of the Plus for my own riding (general urban and tour, including simple off-road).

Pete.

[pwa]

It's also worth checking tyres each morning for embedded fragments working their way in through the tread.

[johnmillward74]

To be fair One of the punctures was entirely my own fault as I left the pin which had caused the previous puncture, in the tyre and didn't get more than 3 miles down the road ....rookie mistake, but then I am a rookie

Sounds like I need to pay more attention to the correct pressure to minimise the risk? I confess to not knowing a lot about bikes.

[khain]

From my experience there is no comparison between the two. The standard Marathons I've used have only managed to keep their puncture resistance for about 500-1000 miles, then it just went quite suddenly and the tyres got punctures so frequently as to be almost unusable. The weird thing was that the tread looked fine and not particularly worn.

The Marathon Plus tyres I've used have lasted many thousands of miles and kept their puncture resistance well. They're a heavier tyre but considerably more durable and puncture resistant. If the tyre is well fitted it's very rare indeed to get a puncture, though they do happen. That's my experience anyway.

[andy_l]

I've been using ordinary Marathons for at least 5 years and had one puncture. I try to keep them up to pressure, and every now and then check them for embedded sharp bits. They're cheaper and lighter than the Plus versions, so I'm happy to stick with them - including for a LEJOG later this summer.

[pwa]

A puncture (in daylight) is a minor inconvenience and a delay of 15 minutes unless some physical weakness such as arthritis gets in the way. To me it is not worth riding draggy, heavy tyres just to avoid the odd puncture. I would look for some puncture resistance, of course, but I wouldn't want to pay for that with every pedal stroke from Calais to Montpellier.

[LeBrignall]

I have one of each on my commuter - used every day 6miles in each direction. Fitted them 2/3 years ago and not had a single puncture on either - although I do check pressure (60psi) most weeks. The Plus is much heavier, and I think the basic Marathon is perfectly good. I hate punctures and really recommend these tyres. I have basic Marathons on my tourer and did 10 days in Morocco in Feb - again no punctures.
If that's any help...

[mcallaghan]

I run Marathon Plus tires on my Surly Disc Trucker. Around 80 - 90 PSI. I did my tour in Ireland on them (lots of chip-seal and very rough roads there) and also ride comfortably on gravel with them. I don't have many miles on them - somewhere just over 1000 or so - and while they are a bit heavier with more rolling resistance, I was glad for the extra traction as it rained every day I rode in Ireland. Punctures with a fully loaded tourer are a PITA, so the less chance I run of getting a puncture the happier I am.

[foxyrider]

Sounds like you are a victim of inexperience and low tyre pressures rather than wrong tyres!

Stick to your Marathons, check the tyres for damage, keep the air topped up and you will decrease your likelihood of punctures many times over. I ran a pair of skinny 25c Marathons to destruction only picking up one puncture when the rear was down almost to canvass! Marathon Plus have been designed for commuting use primarily where weight etc are not really an issue but a puncture could be. There is no extra traction, in fact the Racer would be better for that so for touring you are already running the right rubber.

In the last 20,000km (@ 3 years riding) I've had precisely 3 punctures, I bit of glass, 1 pinch after hitting a hidden pot hole at speed - both of these front wheel on a fully loaded tour on 25c Paselas and the only other deflation, a slow during a very wet sportive caused by another bit of glass on a 23c GP4000s race tyre, front again. It might be luck or it might be good tyre husbandry!

[ferdinand]

Hi

I have a Dawes Galaxy Plus with Schwalbe Marathon tyres. I did a tour of the south coast of England last year from Margate to Land's End and had four punctures. I am looking to minimise this possibility on my next trip from Calais to Montpellier. I was wondering if anyone has any views on whether it would be beneficial to upgrade these tyres - perhaps to the Marathon Plus Tour? or any other recommendations?

Many thanks

You haven't mentioned your tyre pressure or width, so it is difficult to comment - unless I missed it.

I tend to run at around 80% of the recommended max, or a bit lower for trails. But i run widish (1.4in) Marathon Supremes.

Ferdinand

[robing]

I've been very happy with the basic Marathons. Just replaced them after 5000 miles. The originals were Kevlarguard as are the new ones, but they don't make them any more. The new ones are Greenguard which is just thicker rubber. I don't know how they compare.

[Merry_Wanderer]

I've got ordinary Marathons on my Brompton which have been on since 1 Jan 2013 with no problems in over 2,500 miles. I fitted these as I really didn't fancy the thought of a rear wheel puncture at night on my daily commute. These are at 80psi and I check the tyre pressure and condition each week.

I also have ordinary Marathons (26 x 2") on my other commuting bike. Only done 250 miles on these so not enough to judge anything. I run these at 55 psi.

Finally, I have a Surly Disc Trucker as my current Audax & Touring bike. For Touring it wears Marathons in 26 x 1.75" and has done over 1,000 miles on and off-road with no problems on those tyres at 50 - 55psi. I wouldn't bother with M+, I would just try adjusting the pressure to suit