Tires why i chose the Schwalbe Marathon

[augidog]

Schwalbe Marathon seems my best bet

yaknow when you go shopping for a new component? when you have about 8 browsers open & you can't remember what's what? boy, do you ever learn a lot during those nights, eh?

EDIT: yes i surely did "read read read" this (relatively quiet) tire section & found some helpful tidbits, thank you to the posters.

my rear-tire "assembly" is a tire-in-tire w/thorn-resistant tube, outside tire is 2.1...this is a heavy arrangement & has a lot of draw on efficiency. besides, if i ever experience a failure, no way i can replicate this setup on the road. so i want a suitable tire i can use both front & rear and hopefully with only a tube, this is my first try...

ok, i shopped continental big-time, looked close at michelin, saw some neat wtb's, hutchinsons, panaracers...compared & compared again. i can't say the tire's better than any other candidate, but the marathon offered every spec i wanted, and excels at a few*...i may be wrong but i don't think i'll be disappointed in the experience. i'll upgrade if i have to.

why i chose the marathon:
-3-ply carcass (very high total-epi)*
-kevlar puncture protection
-high-mileage compound
-hybrid atb tread
-wire bead
-available in 50-559...the most volume i can get on my frame*
-70 psi max*
-relective sidewall strip
-reputation
-price $35 ea shipped

another reason i decided to give schwalbe my first "high-end" tire purchase is because they taught me more than the other guys...here's a link to their german website (link is english) and the "technical" section...i think it might be interesting reading for some folks: http://www.schwalbe.de/gbl/en/technik_info/

they're ordered...i'll post what happens.

 

[augidog]

i have them. visually, out of the box, they are impressive. a close inspection didn't reveal any constructive flaws, and boy is the tire detailed inside-to-out.

remember, i can't know how they compare to any of the other high-mileage tires i looked at. for a while i wanted a "contact"-series tire, then i really wanted the "traffic", then i really wanted the "town & country", & i also ruled out a lot of good candidates because of price. only by reading every relevant word here and dissecting tire-makers' sites (schwalbe excelled at consumer-education, imo) could i even pretend to know anything about bicycle tires & make an informed choice.

but compared to what i've owned and seen, and knowing what's "inside", i'm very pleased with my choice for the money spent.

not only did i have a budget now, but i need something that i can afford to replace in whole while on the road. a tire/tube combo clocks in at around $50.

on my (1.75-2.25) clincher rims, the tire is actually 48.5/559 and i consider that pretty precise. the center tread-line is 3mm thick. set up with "avenir" thorn-resistant tubes & o-ring caps, double-rimstrips, and holding 70psi...they roll i tellyawut. by switching to a smaller diameter tire, i was able to gear-up to the 14T (GEBE), go rich, and get another 2mph overall. i expect good things under a full travel load too.

i'm going to spend most of my miles on pavement but need to be able to make it to my campsite, too, so a "slick" of any kind was out of the question.

the tread profile has a bit of an elliptical crown that lays the center strip out there by itself, & on the straight and level it's as good as a slick. i know about the myth of "siping" with a bicycle tire, but this "diamondy" tread pattern, while directional for less rolling resistance, gives bi-directional grab for braking, too...and the accent on lateral grooving, so far perfect "in the rough", already has me all too confident in my corners.

it's just like knowing i can jump higher in new converse high-tops, i'll slow down when the newness wears off

the only way i can know about the durability & puncture-protection claims is to go find out...i'll update this topic whenever there's something else worth saying.

i didn't find a single sales pic of the regular marathon that did it justice. my camera's not very good, but these are more representative than the stock images.



bonus pic:

 

[AndyT]

Nice looking tire. I wonder how well the tread will wear on the street.

I went with the Serfas Drifters, and at 26.00 each locally, it wasn't too painful. I'm using standard tubes (not heavy duty), and so far I have about 100 miles on them and no flats. The tread still has some flash on it, so no real wear either. The roll well and handle nicely.

Good luck with the tires!

 

[augidog]

Nice looking tire. I wonder how well the tread will wear on the street.

schwalbe says:

The tires of the Marathon family usually last between 6000 and 12000 km.

(3728 - 7456 mi)

considering the extra weight & speed involved, if i get 3000 (puncture-free) miles out of a rear tire, i'll be more than satisfied. if i can "rotate" the tires & get another 2000 miles out of the set, i'll be estatic!.

lofty goals...we shall see.

 

[AndyT]

I put about 350 miles on my GEBE in 6 months of warmer weather. At that rate it may take me 7 years to hit 3k! How many miles did you put on your bike in the last year?

 

[augidog]

the MB is my only transpo', i ride full-time year-'round, 1000 miles is a good guess...300 of it was a 3-day trip to mount st helens & back...i have no idea what to expect once i'm travelling.

 

[az cra-z]

The way to get a tire's maximum inflation rating is usually to inflate a tire until it blows off the rim, then cut that value in half (if it blows off at 200 psi, its maximum recommended pressure is 100 psi). I think Schwalbe rates them at a third of blow-off pressure. Best tires I've ever used.

 

[AndyT]

The way to get a tire's maximum inflation rating is usually to inflate a tire until it blows off the rim, then cut that value in half (if it blows off at 200 psi, its maximum recommended pressure is 100 psi). I think Schwalbe rates them at a third of blow-off pressure. Best tires I've ever used.

I'll pass on that test!

 

[augidog]

az cra-z: well, you must have been reading my mind, because i sorta needed/wanted to hear that...candidly, i'd have liked to confirm that online somewhere, but it is the answer i want to hear.

see, i was having trouble getting the wire bead to fully seat. i knew from experience that overpressurizing a car or motorcycle tire (when needed) to seat the bead was standard practice, but wasn't sure about bicycle tires.

i sprayed the assembly down with soapy water, and slowly brought the pressure up until i got a good seat. 110psi! then i brought it back down to 70psi...all good now

 

[augidog]

holy moly!

it's raining sideways here tonite, 40mph from the south.

the classic rock is womping my butt, & i had a hankering for some "strawberry hill"...

so i suit up, meaning i AM waterproof. it's about a mile.5 into the wind to the closest wine, & the rain hurts when it hits my face...a straight & level with one fun s-curve. pitch black except for my lighting. ever been in it, the wind-gusts telling the bike which way to go, instant lane-changes?

dang if this tire don't hold fast...the wind would toss me right & left and the tires wouldn't give an inch, so now i can attest to schwalbes "grip" claims...wow. going home with the wind? WOW!

btw-no need for 70psi, at 35mph the ***-end was getting air over the slightest ding in the road.

i'm all safe at home now, and a bit exhilarated for the experience. sometimes ya gotta fight for yer right to party, eh?