Schwalbe Marathon Plus

Mac9

I'm 26 and haven't cycled since I was about 13! But I decided to get back into it and bought myself a Specialized Sirrus Sport 2011 and have been riding to and from work each day.

However, today I got my first puncture! Disater!

I'm considering getting tyre protection to reduce the likelyhood of it happening again and just have a couple of questions...

1) Will Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres fit by wheels?
2) Or will I be better buying tyre liners??

Thanks in advance!

sketchley

Doesn't Sirrius have Armadillos on it? If so you already have pretty good protection.

essex-commuter

They will fit and I would recommend them for commuting. Heavy but bombproof. Also consider Durano Plus, 80% of the protection but a lot lighter, I run Marathon rear, Durano front.

I've never had success with liners, I even found they caused punctures, even if I feathered down the edges with sandpaper and put electrical tape over the join. And they are a pain to put in and get seated properly.

kelsen

1) Yes
2) No

With decent tyres, punctures are just a minor annoyance we all have to deal with now and then. Just carry some spare inner tubes.

Mac9

Yes the Armadillos are ok but I've already got a puncture! So I want better protection.

Cheers everyone!

BiggerBoat

Have been using Schwalbe Marathon Plus with smart guard for nealy 2 years. Still no p********. Used to get 1 month. If you want puncture protection over speed.

Camion

I can fully recommend Marathon Plus, real pain to fit and a bit heavier than other clinchers but I haven't had a puncture in years with these bad boys on my wheels.

I even have them on my Brompton which, with such small wheels makes for an interesting ride at speed round corners but knowing I won't puncture doesnt matter.

Even Conti Gatorskins and all the others I tried puncture at some stage.

Its a choice over speed or protection and on the mean streets of any City, I'd go for protection. Changing a tube in the rain, dark and traffic is no fun at all.

ride_whenever

The only liners that are any good are the panaracer ones, which are a kevlar fluff so no sharp edges to puncture tubes.

Marathon pluses are superior though.

CarlosDSanchez

+1 for marathon plus. 8k miles on my current rear tyre with no punctures over the last 2 years. Not much tread left mind...

Headhuunter

M+ are good but I'm not really sure you would notice much improvement on Armadillos. Perhaps you need to improve your road placement technique as well. Try not to ride in the gutter where all the small sharp stones and bits of glass are, give yourself a metre from the kerb at least and if there are no cars around, ride where the cars tyres would as this part of the road is the clearest. Also improve your puncture repair technique, carry a puncture kit and spare tube or 2 as well as a decent portable pump like a Topeak Road Morph and get used to swapping tubes.

Puntures are a pain but you can avoid them with good road placement and you can make them less of a pain if you carry the right gear. However, punctures will happen, especially if you ride on side or quiet country roads, you just have to get used to them. Personally I would stick with the Amadillos until they're worn out...

Hoopdriver

Yup - marathon-plus. I have used them for years on my expedition tourer and pretty much forget about flats. A bit fiddly to put on, but whatever the bother you can rest fairly well assured that you are unlikely to have to take them off again for a long, long time, until they wear out. And they roll quite well. If you don't want to bother with flats - get these.

keyser__soze

Any recommendations on where to get a 700-23/25 Marathon Plus or Durano Plus. SWMBO is getting a puncture a week on her Spec Allez Sport

Camion

Headhunter, do you really cycle in London?

I can't quite imagine asking a cabbie politely to give me a little more space so I can avoid sharp debris scattered all around the streets of London.

I stupidly commuted on my road bike one summer and went through 3 £50 tubs in one week and that was mid summer where there is noticably less cr&p on the roads.

I'm afraid unless you cycle at a snails pace staring a metre in front of you, you will not avoid punctures.

Unfortunately good road placement has already been consumed by taxis, buses and motorbikes with none available for the vulnerable cyclist, we are left with the gutter.

sketchley

Headhuunter wrote:

M+ are good but I'm not really sure you would notice much improvement on Armadillos. Perhaps you need to improve your road placement technique as well. Try not to ride in the gutter where all the small sharp stones and bits of glass are, give yourself a metre from the kerb at least and if there are no cars around, ride where the cars tyres would as this part of the road is the clearest. Also improve your puncture repair technique, carry a puncture kit and spare tube or 2 as well as a decent portable pump like a Topeak Road Morph and get used to swapping tubes.

Puntures are a pain but you can avoid them with good road placement and you can make them less of a pain if you carry the right gear. However, punctures will happen, especially if you ride on side or quiet country roads, you just have to get used to them. Personally I would stick with the Amadillos until they're worn out...

+1. Armadillos are normally pretty good. Appologies for asking a simple question but are your tyres properly inflated? Puncture resistance is greatly improved if tyres are properly inflated. A good pump with a pressure gauge is a good investment, and you'll go faster with less effort.

And if you do go for Marathon Plus watch this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XUFVrl0UT4

Camion

Best priced I've found are from Spa cycles, were £19 each but now a little more with the tax man taking more of our cash.

gbsahne001

I have a pair of Marathon + 700x28, I'm trying to sell, was going to put them on ebay at the weekend but will accept offers for the pair;

virtually brand new, might have done 5miles in total, reflective wall; reason for selling - they were on the wife's BSO but this has since died (only used it to go to the shop and back a couple of times) and she's bought herself an MTB.

windsorwise

Always find it hard to look past wiggle - always fast and reliable for me:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/schwalbe-marath ... city-tyre/

Like others have mentioned the marathon plus worked for me with around 6000 miles so far and switched the front & rear about 2000 miles ago to even the wear. Only issue is they are a pig to fit (but far from impossible) and yes they aren't a slick race tyre but who wants to be changing a puncture on one of these cold wet evenings?


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

sketchley

Camion wrote:

Headhunter, do you really cycle in London?

I can't quite imagine asking a cabbie politely to give me a little more space so I can avoid sharp debris scattered all around the streets of London.

I stupidly commuted on my road bike one summer and went through 3 £50 tubs in one week and that was mid summer where there is noticably less cr&p on the roads.

I'm afraid unless you cycle at a snails pace staring a metre in front of you, you will not avoid punctures.

Unfortunately good road placement has already been consumed by taxis, buses and motorbikes with none available for the vulnerable cyclist, we are left with the gutter.

I cycle in London and out from the gutter to avoid debris. The occasional Taxi / Motorbike / Car might complain about me "not being in the gutter" but that's their problem not mine. You are correct though if I cycled in the gutter and asked the a taxi driver to move over they wouldn't, but if I'm already out from the curb they rarely ask me to move either.

Headhuunter

Camion wrote:

Headhunter, do you really cycle in London?

I can't quite imagine asking a cabbie politely to give me a little more space so I can avoid sharp debris scattered all around the streets of London.

I stupidly commuted on my road bike one summer and went through 3 £50 tubs in one week and that was mid summer where there is noticably less cr&p on the roads.

I'm afraid unless you cycle at a snails pace staring a metre in front of you, you will not avoid punctures.

Unfortunately good road placement has already been consumed by taxis, buses and motorbikes with none available for the vulnerable cyclist, we are left with the gutter.

Yep most of my riding is in London. Obviously you can't stay out of the gutter at all times, especially whilst skirting/filtering round slow and stationary traffic, but I find that I can stay a good metre or so from the kerb without any problems, motorists just have to move round me if they want to pass. To be honest though, the majority of the time in London I find I'm travelling at the same speed or faster than motor traffic. Certainly most journeys across London I make are way faster by bike than car, taxi, bus, train etc etc, I've tried all of the others and bike's definitely fastest...

Wallace1492

The Snickers Plus are pretty good. Best unles you fit the below, and I am considering a set of them (the ones in picture) for Maryhill Road.

Gussio

Sketchley wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

M+ are good but I'm not really sure you would notice much improvement on Armadillos.

+1. Armadillos are normally pretty good.

+ another. Seems like a waste of money to replace the Armadillos with M+'s.

kelsen

Headhuunter wrote:

Camion wrote:

Headhunter, do you really cycle in London?

I can't quite imagine asking a cabbie politely to give me a little more space so I can avoid sharp debris scattered all around the streets of London.

I stupidly commuted on my road bike one summer and went through 3 £50 tubs in one week and that was mid summer where there is noticably less cr&p on the roads.

I'm afraid unless you cycle at a snails pace staring a metre in front of you, you will not avoid punctures.

Unfortunately good road placement has already been consumed by taxis, buses and motorbikes with none available for the vulnerable cyclist, we are left with the gutter.

Yep most of my riding is in London. Obviously you can't stay out of the gutter at all times, especially whilst skirting/filtering round slow and stationary traffic, but I find that I can stay a good metre or so from the kerb without any problems, motorists just have to move round me if they want to pass. To be honest though, the majority of the time in London I find I'm travelling at the same speed or faster than motor traffic. Certainly most journeys across London I make are way faster by bike than car, taxi, bus, train etc etc, I've tried all of the others and bike's definitely fastest...

+1

Sometimes it is counter-productive to sit in the gutter as it encourages cars to pass you with little room because drivers think they can maintain the same road position. Sitting out a bit makes them think a bit more before overtaking because they have to pull out and consider traffic coming up from behind. If you're travelling at or near the speed of traffic, this isn't normally an issue with drivers.

Camion

Dont get me wrong, I learnt not to hug the kerb when I thought I'd try my Langster in 'Fixed' wheel mode.

Speeding between a bus and kerb at speed, I learnt very quickly Fixed wasn't for me when the left pedal planted on the kerb and flipped me about 2 feet into the air where the bike carried on peddling itself!!!!

A very scary experience indeed.

Agreed though, I stay out about a metre and when approaching a central bollard or island a little more as you know approaching cars will try and squeeze between you and the central bollard not knowing how fast youre going.

ndru

Was this puncture caused by and external or internal factor? With armadillos it's super hard to get a puncture. Perhaps there's something wrong with the tape around the rim or you have some debris in the tyre.

Spiffington

My old tyres were fine on the roads, but since moving house my commute is along a foot-/cycle-path and I had 4 punctures in 3 days last week. I wasn't expecting that.

I got fed up and installed Marathon Plusses over the weekend - no problems so far.

Gussio

ndru wrote:

Was this puncture caused by and external or internal factor? With armadillos it's super hard to get a puncture. Perhaps there's something wrong with the tape around the rim or you have some debris in the tyre.

I have only had 2 punctures in c.5yrs of using Armadillos. One was caused by an inch-long shard of ceramic that wouldn't have been stopped by diamond-titanium-kevlar tyres, and the other was bizarre - a single strand of copper electrical flex (i.e. <1mm dia). The latter still puzzles me.

Mac9

Actually, I'm not sure that I do have Armadillos.

According to the spec I have Specialized All Condition Sport, 700x28c, wire bead, 60TPI with Flak Jacket protection.

They're not Armadillos are they?

Headhuunter

Mac9 wrote:

Actually, I'm not sure that I do have Armadillos.

According to the spec I have Specialized All Condition Sport, 700x28c, wire bead, 60TPI with Flak Jacket protection.

They're not Armadillos are they?

No, Armadillos are made by Continental I think... Your tyres sound like a generic Specialized tyre. Still I would have thought they would have been OK if you keep the tyre pressure up to 100-120psi and avoid the gutters... No point splashing out on new tyres when you haven't worn the old ones out!

Mac9

Good point, cheers Headhunter. I'll stick with them for now.

Gussio

Armadillos are made by Specialized...Conti equivalent are Gatorskins, I think.

bumpitybump

Headhuunter wrote:

Mac9 wrote:

Actually, I'm not sure that I do have Armadillos.

According to the spec I have Specialized All Condition Sport, 700x28c, wire bead, 60TPI with Flak Jacket protection.

They're not Armadillos are they?

Had the same tyres on my Sirrus, punctured after 300 miles on some not very sharp gravel. Changed to marathon pluses not had a puncture in over 2000 miles now.