Schwalbe marathon plus tyres - Dangerous?

splreece

Hi all,

Ive have a cyclocross (boardman comp) and commuted with the standard schwalbe cx tyres 700 35(around 30 miles round trip).

I stopped as i moved work..

I got the same bike serviced and the shop attendant recommended changing tires to marathon plus tyres 700 38s i think... i mentioned i will need to do 40miles min round trip on roads and pavements and cycle routes down quite steep hills..

The shop said there is no issue with grip... however i took the bike out for the first time today and for a ten mile round trip i felt the bike slip front and back and be jittery pretty much constantly, especially if the road angle changes or (who would guess), i reach a corner..

i googled the tyre and loads of people have a real problem with them but live with it due to puncture avoidance.

my query is do i need to relearn how to cycle...as my bike was just simply dangerous, especially if i roll over white lines or markings..... very slippy.

timothyw

So this was your first ride back after quite a long spell off?

I'd probably put it down to that.

Is the tyre higher pressure than you're used to?

Ultimately, assuming the weather there has been as rubbish as it has been here, yes, it is fairly normal that in wet conditions you will need to avoid paint and drain covers.

Presumably you still have the old tyres? If so you could always put them back on.

splreece

thanks for the quick reply.

i rode my old tires the same week at the same pressure but the tires ave a squarer profile so will keep the road better...

it wasnt raining but both on the old and new tyres it was after rain, so the roads were that greasy messy layer, however the other tyres handle them fine so i thought do a comparison, as where i live is generally a wet area anyway so commuting is bound to see rain often.

bit of a pain as if that is normal i don't think i will ever use them again (expensive 10 mile test)..

TimothyW wrote:

So this was your first ride back after quite a long spell off?

I'd probably put it down to that.

Is the tyre higher pressure than you're used to?

Ultimately, assuming the weather there has been as rubbish as it has been here, yes, it is fairly normal that in wet conditions you will need to avoid paint and drain covers.

Presumably you still have the old tyres? If so you could always put them back on.

timothyw

Tyres are always a trade off unfortunately.

The marathon pluses will last for many months of commuting, and will almost never puncture, but they're heavy, don't roll so well and don't grip brilliantly.

Cyclocross tyres will grip well but won't last very long, and are more likely to puncture.

cougie

Think I've put about 7000 miles on my marathon pluses.
No spills at all and i can't even recall any slips ?

Oh and these are on my winter bike so plenty of rain and cold for them.

cookeeemonster

Tyres often need bedding in - do 20 miles or so in the dry and that should do it.

I dont like marathon pluses myself but I dont remember them being slippy like you describe, and I rode a narrower version through a wet winter on bad surfaces too

Cheeseface22

I've been on Marathon Plus 25c for approx 1500miles and never ever had grip issues. Nor puncture.

You might need to finetune your riding if your "old" tyres had square profile. I remember I had to finetune my balance and anticipation when I changed a tyre from 32c to 25c. A week of riding (approx 100miles) should be enough to adjust to it.

Enjoy many miles of puncture free ride on Marathon Plus.

cycleclinic

The might mold release agents on the tyre. Ride them abit that slippness will go away. Marathon plus tyres though are never going to be the grippiest which is fine because you they like being ridden slow so your never going fast enough to loose control.

svetty

They're more hard-wearing than grippy. I'd be wary of them on wet roads.......

cougie

Pfft. I've never had a problem with mine. They are fairly chunky and heavy to get rolling but happy with them for the winter. Years without a single visit from the fairy.

tangled_metal

I thought my 38 pluses were better than the planet x CX tyres the bike came with. Now I'm on hypers and they're a lot worse that pluses IMHO.

Slides in pluses? Twice on ice which would have any tyres slipping. Once on gravel when I turned on a downhill gravel driveway. Stupid manoeuvre got a stupid slide and punishment blooding.

awavey

never felt Marathon plus were particularly slippy tyres, try some vittorias for that kind of experience, they are pretty heavy solid lumps that dont puncture unless under extreme provocation, presumably 38s would be lower pressures than your used to from 35s ?.

though actually fitted a marathon plus to one of my bikes recently only a 28, as a replacement, but I was suprised how different it had made the bike feel, whether its the stronger puncture protection or not Im not sure, but it does make the bike feel quite lifeless in comparison, its like I know what the bike should be doing, but Im not getting the feedback from the wheel its doing what I think it should, which can be disconcerting

amrushton

thecycleclinic wrote:

The might mold release agents on the tyre. Ride them abit that slippness will go away. Marathon plus tyres though are never going to be the grippiest which is fine because you they like being ridden slow so your never going fast enough to loose control.

new tyres do often have a release agent on them which can be removed by wiping the tyre with vinegar.

roger_merriman

Years back had some 25mm, Marthon Plus I’d rate it about the same as Gatorskins this said though if you reduced the pressures as they have very rigid sidewalls you could improve it dramatically.

Had a hybrid with 38mm Marthon pluses again fairly dull ride but grip was fine if not spectacular.

the_cyclist_of_catan

On my winter wheels I use a marathon plus on the back (really don’t want a puncture when the weather's bad), and something known for its grip in the wet on the front.

Not as sure in terms as grip as the front tyre, but still perfectly acceptable.

overlord2

Had some 35c marathons they were awful in every way.

Weight - it felt like 20 Kg had been added to the bike. Any hill involved made it very unpleasant.
Grip - in the dry fine. In winter below 5C they were dangerous. After the 5th off I gave up on them.
I really think these are designed as a e-tyre or Boris bike.

Thing is I have some 25c's and they are fine.

juangoniqb4Ledva

Yeah definitely, bought them to avoid flats in my Tern Verge N8, instantly I felt them sliding over any patch of wet floor. Continue to use them, one "bad" turn, and I ended up with broken shin and fibula bones. Thought It was my fault, a year and a half later fully recovered, went for a "test" ride, being extra careful , I crossed over a painted line in the street with some debris, front wheel instantly lost grip. Looking to replace them with something safer. Don´t ride them over wet or humid conditions. Take care.