SchwalbeMarathon 27" Tire(Return to Product Page)

I use this tire on an older 85 Schwinn Le Tour Luxe that I use for touring, since most of my touring weight is on the rear I only use this tire on the rear and use a lighter touring tire for the front. I've only put 250 miles on the tire since I got it this last month but I did learn that for a heavy tire it doesn't feel heavy on the road, it must have less rolling resistance than other tires of this weight class. I also didn't get to test the puncture resistance of the tire and hope I don't have to but I did put in a liner strip for extra precaution since I don't want to be fiddling with taking off the panniers if I were to get a flat. The tire has a built in reflective strip on the sidewall which actually works quite well when I aimed my car's headlights at it.

There is one downfall to this tire, but I didn't fault the tire for it since I was expecting the problem due to thick stiff sidewalls, and that is it's very tough to put on. I made the job a bit easier by placing the tire next to my wood stove for about two hours to get it quite warm but not hot, then with soapy water I tried to put the tire on but it was still quite tough to do the last 6 inches but I do have a couple of tools that made it a lot easier. The first tool is a set of Soma Steel Core Tire Levers, these won't snap in two when the going gets tough like all plastic ones can, the second tool is a VAR tire lever, this tool is what I used to get the last 6 inches on and it does it rather easy...but not really! but easier than using levers only.

I bought this tire based on over a hundred reviews that I read that were all positive, so I don't expect to have any issues with it either in flat protection or long tread life, or traction issues. I do touring on mostly pavement but sometimes I ride on gravel so I needed a tough rear tire. The tire I bought was NOT the Marathon Plus, it was the Original with GreenGuard, the Plus is even more puncture resistant than the one I got but quite frankly I'm not sure why someone would need that sort of the protection the Plus offers unless you were doing some sort of cross touring. My touring tires I had on the bike before the Marathon didn't flat and they were lighter, in fact I'm using the old rear tire as a spare.

Anyway choices for a touring tire for a 27 rim are very limited to just two, the one I had on before was considered a light load bearing touring tire, this Marathon is a heavier load bearing tire.

If by some chance I run into issues as the miles pile on I will report back but I seriously doubt that will happen based on all the positive reviews I've read.

I've been using these for several years for daily commuting and the occasional long road trip. They last and last and flats are truly rare. Excellent traction, too. I wouldn't use anything else.

So, I searched for new tires to out on my Panasonic Sports Deluxe with Araya rims. 27 1 14 size. I primarily commute 2 miles RT per day, with some 5 to 10-mile trips each week. These Schwalbe Marathons have been fantastic. I've had them a month and a half. I've rode over broken glass, annoying pebbles, and sticksleaves with no trouble. No flats so far. I pump up to 80psi with the straight (no bead) Araya rims. Love the reflective strips - they look great on my bike and I feel safer. I highly recommend them.

this tire has a nice smooth, comfortable ride. it was easy to mount on the rim, and i like the reflective strip. i believe it is worth it. i highly recommend this tire & would buy it again.

Cross country touring with no flats and average road handling response.

Excellent all-around and ultra-long-life tire. Superior traction and cornering. Has done especially well over broken glass, potholes, and gnawed macadem of Baltimore City's streets and alleys. Fine for offroad (e.g., C&O canal towpath), too. Don't need to buy again because the tires don't seem to wear.

Retrofitted to a 70's Schwinn Varsity, so even more weight is not an issue.

Bike wheel

A nice tire that is very easy to mount on the rim.

I have been very happy with these tires, using them for daily city commuting all summer. I had multiple flats with my old wheels and havent had any problems since I put these on. My commute route includes a lot of broken glass as I pass a very busy waste transfer point with garbage trucks coming and going (and losing cargo in the process). Didnt have any problem seating them with tire levers.

I've been riding on these tires for 2 years and that is why I re-ordered them for my sister.

I ride 50% bike path and 50% road (20-50 miles a week) and I've never had a flat on these tires. I'll never buy any other bike tire, ever again, but these.

Thanks for a great product at a reasonable price.

Road the Texas hill country,across cattle guards,road construction.dead critters and horse hooie. Great tire! No problem with a comfortable ride.

These tires are a great value, especially at the price, and given the points you can earn towards other purchases via this site. I do a lot of city riding that involves riding through sandy driveways and over terribly uneven and rough pavement or tracks with loaded rear panniers and I have not had one flat in the last 6 or so weeks since purchase, even though I routinely ride through intersections littered with small glass shards (the hazards of living in a college town). The treads are awesome, I always feel secure riding through sand and going around turns quickly. The rotational pattern is easy to spot yourself even without the helpful arrow on the sidewalls, and speaking of sidewalls, the reflective band on each one is a great addition to these tires. I can see it working just sitting in my living room with a light on. I feel very comfortably riding over grass and dirt on these, and I don't notice much added resistance in comparison to smoother, thinner tires. Even better, my old tires were a huge pain to seat and unseat, but these tires were relatively easy for me to get on and off when I was demoing a flat fix to a friend. I only needed one tire lever to unseat and nothing but my two hands to reseat. I am sure these tires will be awesome on my next tour.

After reading other reviews, I thought that I would take a chance with the Schwalbe tires. I have had them for a couple of months now. NO FLATS! This is from someone who commutes EVERY day on his bicycle. Fourteen (14) miles each way, five days a week. So far they have been worth every penny I spent on them!

I use this tire for a back tire because it never goes flat. I ride about 1,500 miles a month and it lasts about 6-9 months, and no flats! I run 90psi in it and have had 95 with no problems. It's a good firm ride and good grip. I'll keep buying this tire as long as they sell it.

Have always had excellent results with the Schwalbe Marathon series tires Very flat proof. A little difficult to mount but it is unlikely you will have to mount it more than once.

I commute on these tires about 10 miles every day and love them. I had some super-cheap tires on my bike and was always getting flat tires. With these, however, I haven't had flat since I installed them (7 weeks, at the time of this writing).

I would definitely recommend these to others.

This is a great touring tire

It has good tread for the occasional gravel

It's a bit heavy

I use this tire on a older 27 ten speed I use it on the back cause it never goes flat. It rides well on streets and semi rough trails. I put 95psi in it and rolls good. Basicly never had a problem and very rarely a flat and I ride 3-400 miles a week.

I use this tire for Puncture protection when commuting, really reliable and still rides nice.

Use this tire for my old 27 10 speed.Very good durability as far as tread wear is concerned!!! Puncture resistance is above average though one time a shard of glass got me after just putting on the brand new tire !!!