SCHWALBE Marathon Plus or Vittoria PAVE for 120KM Sportive?

Soni

I have entered the 120KM V02 Sportive on 28th March 2010.

This will be my first ever sportive, however i've only been back riding for a few weeks as was fed up with getting constant punctures, tried loads of different tires, found the Vittoria PAVE's to be a fantastic smooth running quick tire, however was getting 2 punctures every 30 miles, spent more time at the road side repairing punctures than i did riding.

I therefore changed to the Marathon Plus and these tires are bombproof, have pulled several long thorns and shards of glass from the tire without any penetration into the tube. It is really nice knowing i now have a reliable bike i can actually enjoy riding and training with.

However, i've noticed the tire is a lot slower on the hill climbs, and therefore my question is:-

Would YOU run the Marahon Plus or the Vittoria PAVE'S on a 120KM Sportive?

I am leaning towards the Marathon Plus, as although they will be slower, the time saving gained on the unreliable Vittorias may be spent by the roadside repairing punctures, which may end up costing me more time than the slower running but reliable Marathon Plus?

Although in the Vittorias defence, i do ride through country lanes littered with debris washed out from farmers fields....

Croxted Avenger

These two tyres are at different ends of the performance spectrum really. Marathon Pluses are very heavy tyres, I almost fitted a pair for the Paris-Roubaix sportive 2 years ago but didn't because I thought they'd be overkill - and they would have been. So bear in mind that I thought they'd be overkill for riding over destroyed 17th century cobbled tracks...ergo I woudl definitely rule them out for a 120km sportive on normal roads.

I've had 1 puncture in 500 miles on Vittoria Paves. Not brilliant but pretty good for a really light tyre ridden all winter. I would consider some intermediate options if you've lost confidence in the Paves (and this is all about peace of mind judging the tone of your post, you want to enjoy your ride right?). Take a look at:

Panaracer Pasela - less heavy than Marathon+s but a decent audax tyre with a good rep.
Michelin Krylion - a lightish clincher with a good rep for durability.
Conti 4 Seasons - in 28mm this seems to be the tyre chosen most to do the Paris Roubaix sportive, so its gotta be tough.

cakewalk

Conti GPS 4000s

The marathons are commuter tyres

Seanos

Schwalbe Durano Pluses are my winter/ sportive tyres. Done quite a lot of miles round the lanes of Kent & Surrey this winter and not had a single puncture.

vorsprung

I use marathon plus on my winter commuter bike

On my summer "best" bike that I do events on I have Continental GP 4 Seasons

Both bikes have 28mm wide tyres

The weight of each Marathon plus is 740g. The weight of the GP4 4 Seasons is 285g

So that's a weight difference of 455g, or an imperial pound

That's why you find it more difficult to climb on Marathon plusses, they weigh a pound extra each. They are very puncture resistant though, I've done 10,000km on one with no punctures.

Another lightweight(er) tyre I've had a lot of success with is the Mitchellin Pro Race 3

If you are worried about punctures on an event, use new tyres. Just run them in for 100 miles before hand. New tyres are much more puncture resistant than old ones

Soni

This guy here seems to suffer the same amount of punctures that i suffered:-

http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/reviews/wh ... 23656.html

That is with the Contis as well!

I really can't justify spending another £60.00 on tires that 'might' give me the same problems, as i already have about 8 pairs sitting in my garage that have failed me.....

To be honest i'm pretty paranoid about punctures now, i've had so many and they have annoyed me so so much in the past, that i'll probably just stick with the Marathons - they will certainly build up my fitness if nothing else!

forgotrafe

Sorry for coming into this a bit late, but I can highly recommend the Vittoria Rubino Pro tyres. I too ride on country lanes covered in grit and other crud and they perform superbly.

Bike came with some Conti's and they were terrible - got a puncture everytime I went out.

New bike is going to be fitted with them (when it arrives) no question. Am that pleased with them.

Anonymous

Vittoria Paves are my fave tyres...

And I've tried quite a few!

I use them on my Winter/Training bike, they've seen some right messy/potholed roads and hedge cutting etc.

Had a couple of punctures in about 1800miles.

Just replaced them with the new 320TPI ones...

galaxyboy

I run the marathon plus's on my galaxy and have had no trouble at all in over 2500 miles but they are slow - I'm thinking of changing them to 25's from 32's but they just won't wear out!
I run vitoria rubinos on my ribble sportive and have also not had any trouble in 1200 mile, all winter and bad country back roads.

sloxam

i did the mad march hare sportive on sunday on 3000 miles old krylion carbons. no probs. good time for me, 122km distance, a couple of killer hills which the krylions helped with their low weight.
people harped on about how good these tyres were last year when they were unavailable. i'm so glad i waited and got some. best tyres for grip, puncture resistance and weight i've used.*


*compared to marathons, maxiss refuse, specialised mondo and armadillo, vittoria rubino

Soni

Hi Guys, i'm torn between the decision of changing these tires for the Sportive i'm doing, for one, i expect to get punctures during the Sportive if i change these tires, trust me, with my reputation of punctures, my weight of 17stone might not help matters either...

Also, if i change these tires, i will have a nightmare getting them back on, as they are the worst tires i have ever tried to get on a rim, although it only took me about half hour, and the cost of a tube in the process, as pinched the tube with a tire lever whilst trying to get the thing on, as its impossible to get these tires on a rim without using levers! Although it only took me 1/2 hour, i was reading the review on Bike Radar of these tires and a guy was pulling his hair out as he had been at it for 7 hours and still hadn't got it on!!!

I think what i need to do is invest in another set of wheels. I can then keep the Marathon's on the wheels for winter/training rides, and have a lighter tire on another set of wheels for Sportives, that would be the perfect solution me thinks! (But at a Cost....)

redddraggon

The punctures sound like an issues with you not the tyres..

Do you pump them up as hard they go and then ride in the gutter?

Soni

redddraggon wrote:

The punctures sound like an issues with you not the tyres..

Do you pump them up as hard they go and then ride in the gutter?

Don't ride in the gutter, but at the same time don't ride in the middle of the road when there is traffic coming from behind me, as don't fancy a rear end shunt...

Regarding tire pressures, i have tried everything, i believe from memory that the PSI on the Vitorrias were around the 140psi mark, i had the fronts on about 110, and the rear on about 120..

I tried increasing the pressures, and also decreasing the pressures, and nothing was helping.

However, so that you are aware, i was riding on the types of country lanes as shown in the following link, and these guys were also having a nightmare with punctures.....maybe your roads are a little better looked after in your neck of the woods....

http://www.vc10.org.uk/vc10/?p=1136

sloxam

Soni wrote:

Hi Guys, i'm torn between the decision of changing these tires for the Sportive i'm doing, for one, i expect to get punctures during the Sportive if i change these tires, trust me, with my reputation of punctures, my weight of 17stone might not help matters either...

Also, if i change these tires, i will have a nightmare getting them back on, as they are the worst tires i have ever tried to get on a rim, although it only took me about half hour, and the cost of a tube in the process, as pinched the tube with a tire lever whilst trying to get the thing on, as its impossible to get these tires on a rim without using levers! Although it only took me 1/2 hour, i was reading the review on Bike Radar of these tires and a guy was pulling his hair out as he had been at it for 7 hours and still hadn't got it on!!!

I think what i need to do is invest in another set of wheels. I can then keep the Marathon's on the wheels for winter/training rides, and have a lighter tire on another set of wheels for Sportives, that would be the perfect solution me thinks! (But at a Cost....)

i'm 17 stone too. krylions + 120psi = no probs

Buckled_Rims

It also depends on how fast you want to do the sportive in. The Marathon plus tyres will slow you down and you'll exert a bit more energy, but will probably do the distance without a puncture.

As you say, a new set of basic "training" wheels shouldn't cost much £70 + £30 for a cassette.

I'm actually going to use my Marathon plus (25mm) on the sportives I'm going on as I wont be breaking records so I might as well not worry about timings or punctures

Soni

Buckled_Rims wrote:

It also depends on how fast you want to do the sportive in. The Marathon plus tyres will slow you down and you'll exert a bit more energy, but will probably do the distance without a puncture.

As you say, a new set of basic "training" wheels shouldn't cost much £70 + £30 for a cassette.

I'm actually going to use my Marathon plus (25mm) on the sportives I'm going on as I wont be breaking records so I might as well not worry about timings or punctures

Hi Buckled Rims, you've made my decision for me with your post.

I won't be breaking records either, as i'm not an elite cyclist, so therefore the Marathon Plus will be fine for the job.

It couldn't be any clearer than that for me, thank you!

Also, could you please point me in the direction that i could get a basic set of training wheels for £70?

This would be an ideal price bracket for me, i was thinking it was going to cost over £200.00!

sturmey

People will shout me down and say they are sh*te in th wet but I have not had a single p******e in 5000 miles training and city riding on Vittoria Rubinos(rigid 23mm tyres). Yes,they are wooden and not as light as some but I am amazed at their performance . I would guess the Pro version (folding) are the same but lighter.
At the same time I have had three punctures in the Michelin tyres on my car.Pity Vittoria don't do a larger version of the Rubino...

redddraggon

Soni wrote:

maybe your roads are a little better looked after in your neck of the woods...

I ride in North Wales, where's not much glass but the roads I ride are really really dirty farm track type roads. I also ride around Manchester, where there's tonnes of glass.

I don't seem to get many punctures.

gabriel959

I can't see the point on riding an sportive with Marathon Plus. I thought the whole point was about having fun!

It's not about going faster, its about enjoying the ride.

Soni

gabriel959 wrote:

I can't see the point on riding an sportive with Marathon Plus. I thought the whole point was about having fun!

It's not about going faster, its about enjoying the ride.

Exactly its about enjoying the ride, and i wouldn't be enjoying it if i spend all day by the road side repairing punctures!

Buckled_Rims

Soni wrote:

Also, could you please point me in the direction that i could get a basic set of training wheels for £70?

This would be an ideal price bracket for me, i was thinking it was going to cost over £200.00!

Ok not the most advanced set of wheels on the market, but decent quality for training and winter riding.

Shimano WH-R500 for £75

http://tinyurl.com/yk3lv6y

fungus_the_muffin_man

I've used Schwalbe Stelvio's since last May they have been superb tyres up to now. Riding in all weathers they have been superb. I've also ride vittoria rubhino slicks with no problems on the "good" bike. Again they have been great through all types of roads including gravelly and icey roads.

richara3

Try these wheels. I know 8 or so people using them as a winter , trainer wheel and they have a decent hub and so far for me have stayed straight and true.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Road-Wheels-Shima ... 3a58393651


As for the punctures. Squeeze the deflated tyre around between your fingertips to open up the cuts and holes. You will be surprised at the debris that can be removed using a penknife blade or other sharp object. Debris that is unseen and stuck in the tyre has been the cause of many reccuring punctures for me!

Andy

daviesee

I am totally happy with my 320 tpi Pave's and will definately be getting them again.
Far more comfortable (therefore enjoyable) than the 24mm and 120psi would indicate.

Only one p in 1500 miles and that includes the Caledonia Etape route in October :shock:

Top tip though:-
They may be difficult to fit/remove (bloody difficult :x ).
Try fitting them without an inner tube - bloody hard, use the strongest tyre levers you can get.
Remove and fit again - hard.
Remove and fit again - relatively easy.

They do get broken in and it's better to go through this pain in the comfort of your home than by the roadside .

blorg

I'm with Gabriel; Marathon Plus are horrendous tyres to do a sportive on, it would be no fun at all. I have used them myself but only when I was going loaded touring with a % off-road component. They were great for that! Having said that your weight IS an issue. I would consider getting something decent like a Schwalbe Durano (the renamed Stelvio) but going up a size- so if your current tyres are 700x25 go to 700x28. I think you would fit Durano/Stelvio in 28 but no bigger. I have 700x28 Stelvios on one bike and they are nice-running tyres. And then make sure you go up to the max PSI as you are heavy. Even at 17 stone though you should be fine on tarmac with 700x28 tyres, many at your weight would ride on less.

As for punctures, I would prefer to suffer one and have nice ride quality than to ride Marathon Plus in a sportive. Carry a couple of spare tubes, patches and CO2 cartridges. The CO2 makes inflation a lot easier. Puncture becomes a nuisance but a 5 minute stop once you are used to them. You have to carry all this anyway as it is still possible to puncture on Marathons as with any tyre (certainly happened to me.)

stokepa31

your weight is NOT an issue. I get really fed up of hearing how you need to ride on tractor tyres when your carrying a bit of extra weight. I ride 25mm tyres (ultra gatorskins). Was 22.5 stone when i started cycling and am now 18.5 stone. no problems with punctures and the ride is comfortable.

i would not use marathons. great as their puncture rating is, you bike will be much more fun ride with something that rolls better. a puncture really is a five minute job so just practice changing tubes over for a day and you will wonder what the fuss is about.

I agree tat a co2 pump is a great tool.

TarmacExpert

richara3 wrote:

As for the punctures. Squeeze the deflated tyre around between your fingertips to open up the cuts and holes. You will be surprised at the debris that can be removed using a penknife blade or other sharp object. Debris that is unseen and stuck in the tyre has been the cause of many reccuring punctures for me!

This is key IMO - preventative maintenance. I go round my tyres at least once a week, sticking tweezers into any cuts to feel if there is anything stuck in there, and extract it if necessary. I superglue any significant cuts. I use Conti GP 4000Ss for training (N.B. not the same tyre as the GP4000), and haven't had a single puncture since I started doing this.

What made me realise the need for this was when I got 2 punctures in the space of a few days, and when I went around my tyre checking it, there were about 10 pieces of debris buried in there, all just waiting for a time in the future to cause a puncture.

blorg

Weight IS an issue; heavier guys need to run higher pressures to avoid pinch flats and may be better served by wider tyres with more air volume. Heavier guys are also more likely to buckle wheels.

I see this with other cyclists I know and have direct experience of it myself when I go loaded touring. More weight is better served with wider tyres. A 28mm Stelvio has a significantly nicer ride quality than a 25mm Gatorskin too; I have used both on my touring bike.

stokepa31

i agree that more air = more comfort but its not just down to the tyre either. I find a carbon frame and post make my road bike as comfortable as my hybrid which is alu and runs 32mm tyres. if you look after your wheels and check spoke tensioning on a regular basis, there should not be a problem. clearly i wouldnt run some of the spoke patterns out there which are very minimal but equally i wouldnt run on tandem wheels which is one of the usual suggestions for big guys.

ADIHEAD

Those Open Pave's are not all they're cracked up to be I'm afraid. I'd previously run Gatorskins - 2 punctures in 3 years. The Open Pave's should be viewed as a race tyre, with a bit more durability than some others, not a winter training tyre as some market it. I fell for the hype and they puntured occasionally when new, regularly after 500miles. Replaced them with Rubino Pro tech's - harder ride but grip seemed comparable (although they seemed much bigger than the 25mm they were supposed to be!) and not one puncture all winter. Try these or the Regular Rubino Pro's if you can't get hold of the Techs. I use GP 4 seasons and they never puncture either. A friend of mine runs Krylions and he's done 1500km without a puncture.

Put the Marathon's back on in the winter hey!

calvjones

+1 for Gatorskins. Couple of thousand miles on road and gravel trails commuting through winters, one puncture.