Faster "puncture resistant" tyres than Marathon Plus

accountdeleted

Another "which tyre for commuting" question but with more specifics....

I've been on Marathon Plus 28c for just over 6,000miles (approx. 3 years). Absolutely no puncture since I fitted them. I check the tyres on monthly wash to check the tyre condition and I've removed foreign objects a handful of times which I'm convinced it contributed to such a high puncture-free mileage. No complaint about grip, contrary to some comments seen on online forums.

I don't think I'll be changing the current Marathon Plus for another 18months or so (aiming to get at least 10,000miles out of it). But I'm thinking ahead on what tyre to get next.

Commute route is (according to Strava):
18.5miles a leg;
1,000 - 1,200ft elevation
Average 15 - 17.5mph (summer) and 13.5 - 15.5mph (winter)
Ride time 65min - 90min
Road type 50% built-up area with typical town tarmac and 50% rural farmer country lanes

Generally, road is okay and it's not like streets of London where there're debris everywhere.
I have double pannier with laptop, change of clothes, lunch, etc. which I feel need to be taken into consideration.

I feel Marathon Plus is a bit of an overkill and I wonder if I can sacrifice a degree of puncture resistance for "faster" tyres. Searching around the internet, it seems Durano Plus seems to be a common suggestion. Before considering going tubeless, I want to try "faster" puncture resistant tyres first.

But exactly how much "faster" is Durano Plus (or any similar alternatives) compared to Marathon Plus?

Anyone with hard evidence of "faster" puncture resistant tyres in comparison to Marathon Plus (e.g. 1 - 1.5mph faster)?

Happy cycling.

simon_e

Durano Plus was my first thought if you're on 28mm. I commute on rural lanes with lots of hawthorn hedges and farm traffic. I ran a pair for a while, rolling resistance was better than I expected and they are pretty tough. Will roll quicker than M+ and is about half the weight.

Durano DD (Double Defense) is a bit lighter again and has a thinner puncture belt than the Plus. Apart from the very occasional thorn I've found them durable. Neither tyre is particularly supple but that's a tradeoff I accept for hopefully avoiding a puncture on a cold, dark winter commute.

Spa Cycles have the Durano Plus wired at £26 and DD for £25 each here. The folding versions are a few quid more.

One other fairly tough but faster-rolling option could be the Bontrager R3 Hard Case Lite.

daniel_b

Durano plus was my go to winter tyre when I used 25mm, only suffered one puncture in thousands of miles, and that was the mother of all thorns, that would have gone through anything, I was unable to get it out on the roadside, had to wait until I got home and could use some pliers.
I did manage to keep the tube inflated and get home I should add.

Should also add that I had no issues with grip, they were ridden in the wet a lot, and they seemed to last ages, and I didn't even bother swapping them round at all.

They are not a doddle to put on, but then if you've put marathon pluses on, you'll be able to put anything on.

It does increase the rolling resistance by about 8% in my unscientific tests, ie like for like between that and a bike on GP5000s, similar rate of perceived exertion, and the same route/similar weather.

We had marathons on a cargo bike, now sold, and also on a boardman hybrid town/pub bike.

I've certainly heard of the DD's that @simon_e has used, but never used them myself, sounds like they could be a good balance of speed and resistance.

super_davo

You asked for hard evidence... the always superb Bicyclerollingresitance.com has the answers:

Marathon plus in 37mm 25.5 watts per tyre https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/tour-reviews/schwalbe-marathon-plus-2015
Durano DD in 25mm 19.5 watts per tyre
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews/schwalbe-durano-dd-2020
Bontrager Hard Case in 25mm 14.4 watts per tyre
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews/bontrager-r3-hard-case-lite-tlr
My favourite winter tyre Rubino Pro G2 in 25mm 15.2 watts per tyre
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews/vittoria-rubino-pro-g2
Probably the best "money no object" winter tyre Conti 5000AS 10.9 watts per tyre
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews/continental-grand-prix-5000-as-tr

Obviously the 37mm don't translate that well to a 25mm at a significantly higher pressure, but the best tyres have less than half the rolling resistance, so it will be a noticeable difference. Don't believe the wattage figures directly, it is unlikely you will save the exact number of watts they quote, but they are a usefull comparison figure vs other tyres. It is difficult to say how much speed that will gain you as that depends on loads of other things but the 1-1.5mph you quoted is well within the range of possibility.

mrb123

Specialized Roubaix Pro have worked well for me on the winter bike.

seanoconn

I would definitely sacrifice a bit of puncture protection and switch to something else. Marathon plus are utterly joyless to ride.

pblakeney

super_davo said:

You asked for hard evidence... the always superb Bicyclerollingresitance.com has the answers:
...

Gotta say Bontrager Hard Case were the worst feeling tyres I've tried in the past 15 years. Not used Marathons in 20 years mind.

accountdeleted

Wow, thanks very much everyone. very informative with real-life experience and factual information on rolling resistance.

I compared Bontrager Hard Case, Durano DD and Durano Plus on the rolling resistance website:

https://bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews/compare/bontrager-r3-hard-case-lite-tlr-vs-schwalbe-durano-dd-2020-vs-schwalbe-durano-plus-2020

Surprisingly, Durano DD has more resistance than Durano Plus? I'm assuming 3 - 4 Watts difference is probably negligible, especially on a commute with full load pannier.

Eagle eyes, @super_davo, I didn't realise Marathon Plus on the website was tested on 37mm, which is hard to compare like for like with the three tyres above. Just out of curiosity, I had a look at Gatorskin (also a common "bombproof" commuter tyres) as a comparison:

https://bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews/compare/bontrager-r3-hard-case-lite-tlr-vs-continental-gator-hardshell-vs-schwalbe-durano-plus-2020

Gatorskin and Durano DD seems to have very similar rolling resistance. So I'm now wondering, assuming that Marathon Plus has similar rolling resistance as Gatorskin at 25mm, does Durano Plus make as much difference in speed as 1-1.5mph?

I haven't looked into other brands such as Bontrager, Vittoria and Specialised (all seems to have lower rolling resistance) so that widens my research. The key is how "puncture resistant" are these tyres and how much will I be convinced to reduce the puncture protection for "faster" speed.

Thanks very much everyone.

pblakeney

accountdeleted said:

...The key is how "puncture resistant" are these tyres and how much will I be convinced to reduce the puncture protection for "faster" speed.

Thanks very much everyone.

Not scientific, and I don't commute but I do ride a lot on B-roads which will compare with your rural farmer country lanes. I average one P-visit a year on Vittorias.

alwaystimetotorque

My first tyre for commuting years ago were Marathon plus - they offer great puncture protection but the ride quality is simply horrid compared to other more supple tyres which offer slightly less puncture protection but you already know that.

There are plenty of places to check lab based rolling resistance to compare a shortlist but my recommendations for decent commuting tyres based on my own experience on what sound like similar roads to yours are as follows - I typically commute four times a week all year round covering 130 miles plus a week commuting:

Durano Plus - slightly better than marathon plus but not a patch on other tyres. Don't bother.

Continental GP 4000 - used these for two winters with sporadic punctures which I got fed up of repairing on cold and dark country lanes. Great tyre with generally good protection and grip but there is better out there.

Conti GP Race - road these with tubes for one winter with one or two punctures before I switched to tubeless.

Hutchinson Fusion 5 tubeless - great tyre with decent puncture protection. Road as tubeless for two winters and never had to stop to repair a puncture. Great tyre but succumbed to the same blistering I experienced with Mavic tyres so ditched them. Plus I had one tyre fail on the bead which made for an interesting limp home following a stop to jam a tyre boot and tube in.

Pirelli Cinturato Tubeless - Seem a good tyre and would use them again. Used for one winter.

Having switched to Challenge Strada Handmade TLR for my summer tyres and the Criterium RS for racing I also switched to the Challenge Strada TLR for winter tyres after picking some up on a decent offer.

I've been riding these for a few months now and have to say that although they're not quite as nice as the HTLR versions which have a more supple sidewall they feel great with good levels of grip and so far (touch wood) no punctures.

Ultimately going slightly wider and running tubeless at lower pressures has negligible impact on rolling resistance but reduces the likelihood of punctures and gives a better ride feel in general but especially on those rougher roads.

If you don't want to go tubeless just yet then you could still buy tubeless tyres and run with a tube.

My recommendation for commuting though is go tubeless and just remember to top up the sealant every 4-6 weeks as contrary to some beliefs it really isn't fit and forget.

What tyres do you run in the summer or for the non-commute?

exlaser

Durano Plus are always my year round tyre of choice. 😀

accountdeleted

Thanks everyone for the additional comments.

@alwaystimetotorque - thanks in particular for the detailed thoughts on all the tyres you mentioned.

I only cycle to commute; never participated in (or have time for) races, group rides, etc. Marathon Plus is the only set I have on my bike.

Prior to the current 28c Marathon Plus (since 2020), I had 25c Marathon Plus for ~5,500miles (also puncture free miles, 2018-2020), before that 28c Clement Strada LGG for ~2,000miles (2017-2018, quickly worn out in 12months, 3 - 4 flats in its lifespan). All on very similar commute route.

Thinking back, I remember the initial weight and sluggishness of Marathon Plus compared to Strada LGG. I also vaguely remember Marathon Plus being ~1mph slower compared to Strada LGG on the exact same commute (based on Strava activities).

The main reason for Marathon Plus was to minimise puncture. I'm actually surprised to realise that I had no puncture for nearly 11,000miles over five year period since riding on Marathon Plus (on 25c and 28c). That's a pretty strong testimony. Perhaps riding Marathon Plus isn't an overkill.

Having thought further, I could try 28c Durano Plus (or the successor One Plus) for a change. Swapping to Durano Plus could potentially reduce 18.5mile commute by max 10min (assuming riding 1~1.5mph faster), but this is not for certain until I try it. I'm just not convinced that I'll shave off 10min with full paniers + rack set-up. Any time saving less than 10min feels negligible for a commute.

So my thought is, with thanks to everyone's comments and having considered "faster" alternatives, I'll stick to Marathon Plus considering I've just reaffirmed that puncture resistance is paramount for my commute and knowing in confidence that it'll give me the best assurance for puncture-free miles based on my experience.

Happy cycling!

pangolin

It's not the potential 10 saved minutes I'd be focussed on, but how enjoyable the minutes are that you are actually riding.

seanoconn

accountdeleted said:

Thanks everyone for the additional comments.

@alwaystimetotorque - thanks in particular for the detailed thoughts on all the tyres you mentioned.

I only cycle to commute; never participated in (or have time for) races, group rides, etc. Marathon Plus is the only set I have on my bike.

Prior to the current 28c Marathon Plus (since 2020), I had 25c Marathon Plus for ~5,500miles (also puncture free miles, 2018-2020), before that 28c Clement Strada LGG for ~2,000miles (2017-2018, quickly worn out in 12months, 3 - 4 flats in its lifespan). All on very similar commute route.

Thinking back, I remember the initial weight and sluggishness of Marathon Plus compared to Strada LGG. I also vaguely remember Marathon Plus being ~1mph slower compared to Strada LGG on the exact same commute (based on Strava activities).

The main reason for Marathon Plus was to minimise puncture. I'm actually surprised to realise that I had no puncture for nearly 11,000miles over five year period since riding on Marathon Plus (on 25c and 28c). That's a pretty strong testimony. Perhaps riding Marathon Plus isn't an overkill.

Having thought further, I could try 28c Durano Plus (or the successor One Plus) for a change. Swapping to Durano Plus could potentially reduce 18.5mile commute by max 10min (assuming riding 1~1.5mph faster), but this is not for certain until I try it. I'm just not convinced that I'll shave off 10min with full paniers + rack set-up. Any time saving less than 10min feels negligible for a commute.

So my thought is, with thanks to everyone's comments and having considered "faster" alternatives, I'll stick to Marathon Plus considering I've just reaffirmed that puncture resistance is paramount for my commute and knowing in confidence that it'll give me the best assurance for puncture-free miles based on my experience.

Happy cycling!

No, I’m sorry but after the efforts of the contributors to this thread, you will have to change your tyres to something other than Marathon plus.

accountdeleted

Well, @seanoconn, your wish seems to have come reality.

I did the monthly bike wash over the weekend and suddenly I can see handful of new nicks on the tyres. Common symptom of Marathon Plus wearing down quicker once the top layer of the rubber is worn, apparently.

I went online to order another set of Marathon Plus... HOW MUCH?!. Eventually, I managed to find a pair of Durano Plus for significantly cheaper.

So there you go, forget rolling resistance, grip, comfort, etc. Shamefully, money significantly influenced my choice of tyres.

It doesn't look like I'll hit 10,000miles on Marathon Plus but looking forward to trying out Durano Plus, maybe after winter.

Happy cycling everyone.

joeyhalloran

accountdeleted said:

Well, @seanoconn, your wish seems to have come reality.

I did the monthly bike wash over the weekend and suddenly I can see handful of new nicks on the tyres. Common symptom of Marathon Plus wearing down quicker once the top layer of the rubber is worn, apparently.

I went online to order another set of Marathon Plus... HOW MUCH?!. Eventually, I managed to find a pair of Durano Plus for significantly cheaper.

So there you go, forget rolling resistance, grip, comfort, etc. Shamefully, money significantly influenced my choice of tyres.

It doesn't look like I'll hit 10,000miles on Marathon Plus but looking forward to trying out Durano Plus, maybe after winter.

Happy cycling everyone.

Interesting, the Marathon Greenguard and the Durano plus are both similar prices at Halfords (~£23/tyre) and I'm wondering. I'd like something nicer like GP4seasons or the Cinturato but at almost twice the cost....it's just too much!

mrb123

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Specialized-Roubaix-Pro-700c-Road-Bike-Tyre_45919.htm?sku=411993&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Tyres and Tubes > Road Bike Tyres > Clincher&utm_content=Specialized&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwy4KqBhD0ARIsAEbCt6ja2UtSoACx5U2AFTL8-uCE5vZQi7PyCM0M1n5CrDrBq2jXlPboGJkaAgkuEALw_wcB

joeyhalloran

mrb123 said:

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Specialized-Roubaix-Pro-700c-Road-Bike-Tyre_45919.htm?sku=411993&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Tyres and Tubes > Road Bike Tyres > Clincher&utm_content=Specialized&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwy4KqBhD0ARIsAEbCt6ja2UtSoACx5U2AFTL8-uCE5vZQi7PyCM0M1n5CrDrBq2jXlPboGJkaAgkuEALw_wcB

They were also on my list as they're around the same price but I read some reviews saying the puncture protection was a bit lacking.

mrb123

joeyhalloran said:

mrb123 said:

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Specialized-Roubaix-Pro-700c-Road-Bike-Tyre_45919.htm?sku=411993&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Tyres and Tubes > Road Bike Tyres > Clincher&utm_content=Specialized&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwy4KqBhD0ARIsAEbCt6ja2UtSoACx5U2AFTL8-uCE5vZQi7PyCM0M1n5CrDrBq2jXlPboGJkaAgkuEALw_wcB

They were also on my list as they're around the same price but I read some reviews saying the puncture protection was a bit lacking.

Can't say I ever managed to puncture my set but appreciate that's a small sample size! Don't think they'd be any less puncture resistant than something like a GP4 season.

joeyhalloran

mrb123 said:

Can't say I ever managed to puncture my set but appreciate that's a small sample size! Don't think they'd be any less puncture resistant than something like a GP4 season.

I just ordered some having read a few more reviews, I must have been unlucky looking at the one reviewer who was unlucky with punctures. Lets hope I am lucky.

I will make suitable sacrifices during the installation.