I mounted these to my Surley LHT in 700X35. I used them exclusively on that bike for the entire time I owned it. Most importantly, I put 1,000 miles of loaded touring on the bike and had zero flats. Between my weight and the weight of the bikebags, the tires were supporting close to 300 lbs. Not once did I have an issue. I mounted them without tire levers. If you have issues, look on youtube and watch a video on mounting these tires. If you are considering a touring tire, you are probably more concerned with durability and resistance to flatting more so than weight and rolling resistance. When pushing 300 lbs of gear and body, the weight and rolling resistance of my tires is the least of my concerns.
Put a new set of 700x32s on in Maryland and rode them 4200 miles to Oregon with one flat. The one flat was an industrial staple that would have taken out any tire made. Yes, they are a pain to put on, but once they're on, no worries. They work very well on dirt, as the C&O Canal and the Katy Trail were part of the route.
I replaced one tire of another brand with a Schwalbe and liked it so much that I bought a second. When inflated to 90 psi the ride is fast, smooth, quiet and secure. I mostly ride city streets with the usual hazards and I go through some neighborhoods where I'd rather not stop and fix a flat. The Schwalbe gives me a combination of great performance and peace of mind. Well worth the extra dough.
These tires are amazing I have a 20mile round trip commute through a pothole,glass and debris ridden city and was getting a average of 1 or 2 flats a week, and it was seriously killing my drive to even ride my bike.
with these tires ZERO flats since I installed them, yes they are heavy but that is something I care little about since I get ZERO flat, I pretty much ride over anything and can even hop curbs without worrying about flats.
I have had no flats with the Marathon Plus tires from Schwalbe and no delamination that I used to get with the Armadillo tires. These are perfect for bicycle touring but are rather heavy for racing. I still carry a repair kit but I haven't used it for a long time. I'm getting about 6,000 miles out of a tire.
These tire work great for touring. Good resistance to flats. The 700x35 work good on gravel roads.
Quality tire,reasonably priced.great feel on and off the bike.The added reflective band on the tires has made me that much more visible at night.You can't put a price on safety.I have ridden in the rain,snow and patchy spots of black ice,These tires are the best that I've owned yet.I would recommend them to anyone that lives in the northeast or that plans on putting in a lot of miles.Awesome tire!!
It just doesnt get any better. The tires puncture resistance, and tread inspire riding confidence in all road conditions for thousands of miles. Not a single flat from Mexico to Peru... does it get any better? Look no further, this tire will go the distance touring, commuting, or just trying your best to ride hard on gravel or pavement. Im a believer.
I used this tire last year on a 4270 mile cross country tour with only one flat. The rolling and puncture resistance are excellent. Schwalbe's entire line of tires and tubes are first rate. They are a bit pricey but a bargain because they last so long.
I have allways had good sevice out of these tires.
Purchased a set for my commuter in October of 2008. Had my first flat today 12111 as the tire died of natural causes. my commute distance x average amount of days worked a year pencils out to a little over 15,000 miles on these tires through all sorts of conditions and road hazzards. First tire I've ever worn through to the threads! About to purchase 2 more!
I just ordered my second pair of these tires, 700x32, for my touring bike. The pair I ordered last year have taken me over 4000 miles without one single flat. And I rode across the Southern Tier where I encountered glass-filled shoulders, gravel roads, and goathead thorns. My husband had several flats with his Bontragers on the tour, but once he switched to these Schwalbes in Texas, he also had no more flats. I won't use any other tire for touring.
They are difficult to install initially due to their stiffness, I can't say if it's easier once they've been on the wheel for many miles since I have never had to change the tire! They are also heavier than other tires, but for me the extra weight and difficulty installing are worth it.
I commute 13 miles each day to work. These tires pretty much eliminated my worry about flats. I have had them for about 2 months and put on about 1250 miles during that time with no flats and no more worries about flats. With my previous tires I was averaging a flat a day on this route.
As for fitting the tires, watch the How to fit a Marathon Plus tyre on youtube. After you see the video, you discover that installing the Marathon Plus tire really isn't a difficult. I installed my tires without using any tools.
I bought a set of these last May for my daily 30 mile round-trip commute to work. I read a review that mentioned the difficulty of mounting, presumably because of the wire bead, but I actually found them easier to mount than the folding bead tires I originally had on my bike. Plus, I had Mr. Tuffy liners in my original tires and still got multiple flats. I haven't had a flat yet with the Marathon Plus tires and that's without the Mr. Tuffy liners. I would highly recommend these. Maybe you lose some speed but I'm not racing to work and the reliability of the tire is worth the tradeoff.
If you don't like flats this is the tire. I put a pair on my Specialized Tricross Sport that I use for long distance rides. After multiple flats on the 32 x 700c OEM tires that came with the bike the Marathon Plus has been a joy. Holds the road well in the wet and dry, as well as gravel paths in all sorts of weather. Completed a Granfondo a couple of weeks ago in mixed weather didn't have to worry about wet pavement. I paired a 28 x 700c with the Continental Tour 700 tube. This was a bit of a chore as there is not much tire to stuff a tube that is rated up to a 43 x 700, but by using a velcro strap as a 3rd hand, and applying some soap around the valve for lubrication I managed to fit the tube in the tire and the tire to the rim. Another hint - inflate the tube and let out the air, the residual will be just enough to fit the tube without pinching it between the tire bead and the rim.
I put the 700x35 tires on a single speed cycle cross bike it is a flat proff reliable monster.
I literally rode the tread off of a set of Armadillos - the tread separated from the body of the tire. I've got THOUSANDS of flat-free miles on my Marathons. If you're not a weight weinie get 'em!
I commute to work 12km each way 8 months of the year.
I have tried Gatorskins and Armadillo tires on the commute. However I still had a flat tire a month. I switched to the Marathon plus for the rear tire last year in April 2010. I had one flat in the 1st month from a roofing nail. Not one flat since! I highly recommend these tires if you worry about flats.
I installed this tire on my 29er. 700x38. I had no problems mounting them by hand. I use the bike to ride around the chicagoland area. These tires take alot of punishment. They feel smoother but just as quick as the Schwalbe Kojaks they replaced.
PROS Like a tank. Strong, durable, the answer to frequent flats from road debris. They'll last until cockroaches take over the earth.
CONS Heavy, hard to mount on some wheels (e.g. Bontrager Race Lite), a little stiff. Probably not worth it if you aren't having problems with frequent flats on your current tires.
REVIEW My 25-mile commute takes me on a road that has a lot of construction trucks, which means nails and junk litters the lane. After getting fortnightly flats on other tires rated as highly durable (Continental Gatorskin), Schwalbe Marathon Plus is like manna from the gods. Granted, you'll wrestle half an hour trying to put them on, but the glorious thing is that you rarely need to take them on & off.
They are markedly stiff, so you don't have as much swerving play, and you need to pay a little more attention to grooves in the road. Oh, and they're of course heavier and wider than most road tires out there (their 25c is, uh, unlike any other 25c I've seen).
Totally worth it, in my opinion. Over 2 years (75 milesweek), I've had one flat, which happened from an embedded sheet metal screw. I think the tires' stiffness works in their favor in generally deflecting pointy objects otherwise. Love these puppies.
