SchwalbeMarathon Plus 700c Tire (HS 440)(Return to Product Page)

The Marathon Plus is noticeably heavier than some other tires, likely due to its thicker tread and I'm hoping it will meet its claims for puncture protection. The local bike path frequently has small bits of glass that would work their way through the tread of my thinner, lighter original tires but so far, I haven't flatted in 800 miles with the Schwalbe. Goat Head season is just around the corner and if I make it through without a puncture, then the tires are well worth the cost.

I've read that some people had difficulty in mounting these, but I found it helpful to frequently pinch the sidewalls together on the opposite side of the tire levers so that the tire bead stays in the drop center. Otherwise, the stiff sidewalls tend to push the bead up onto rim shelf.

Rolling resistance is surprisingly low for a tire with this much rubber, as long as you keep its pressure in the recommended range.

This was my third set of schwalbe marathon 700c hs 440 tires I have 8900 miles on my bike and never had a flat one time I pulled out 7 thorns and no flat another time I had a 18 gauge brad nail in the tire and no flat.

I have ridden thousands of miles with this tire and have had minimal problems. It is the only tire I desire to use. They are hard to put on, but surpass the Specialized Armadillo and others I have used.

This is the fourth set of Marathons I've used on my Surly Disc Trucker in six years. I take long-distance, multi-month self-supported bicycle camping tours totalling over 50,000 miles, and have experienced only three punctures from road debris. You don't want to be in a race riding on these tires, but they'll get you there and back home.

Got these for flat avoidance during winter/rain. Since putting on 2k miles ago I've had zero flats. Now the tires weigh a ton but'..

These tires are a game changer for me. I am a daily rider and had to deal with flats on a pretty regular basis. While that is not a big deal, it can be a problem when you are trying to get in a ride before work, and taking time to fix a flat can be a problem when you don't plan for the additional time. The other problem with getting a flat is that in that short time you might ride before realizing you have a flat, you can break spokes and/or slightly bend a rim, which happened to me. I bought my first set of these Marathon Pluses two years ago and have not had a single flat since.

When I got a new bike, I was afraid of getting a flat and damaging the pristine new rims. I put another set of these on right away to avoid any chance of damage. Its been a few months on the new bike and still no flats!

My original bike tires were completely ruined after riding over a large patch of goat heads. The Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires appeared to be a perfect replacement and that's what they've been so far. I've already ridden several hundred miles on them, and they have performed as described in both dry and wet conditions. Some reviewers had noted that they were difficult to mount on the rims, but I experienced no problems. Even though these tires offer excellent puncture resistance, I would strongly suggest that you don't test them and avoid goat heads all together??. Additionally, I would like to thank Bike Tires Direct for delivering my new tires the following day.

Great winter tire, I live in Toronto and my bicycle is how I get around all year every day. I use the Marathon Plus for the winter, from about December to end of April, every year. My first set lasted about 3 seasons (maybe four?) and I just bought a set to replace those for 2022/2023 season.

I ride a Fuji Feather fixed for winter, 700x25 (n the summer I ride 700x28 gatorskins). A Schwalbe 28 would not fit, so consider clearance when sizing your tire, there is a bit more height on the MP.

Pros

- Great puncture resistance for urban riding (especially in Toronto where most "bike lanes" are especially gutters). Very reliable in the winter for this reason (road salt, generally more debris)

- Great tread for channelling away water (you have a fender right?) and decent traction in rain, slush, and snow

- A reliable winter tire

- Good value for the money (especially with a BTD sale)

Cons

- heavy af, i look forward to taking these off in the spring (but thankful for what they do in the winter)

- A real PITA to wrap on the wheel for the first time. Be patient and use re-usable cable ties to make it easier as you go around

- The integrity of the bead is sus - that's how my last set went... the bead line ripped right off on my rear wheel and the front one was pretty close. thankfully it was end of season but what a way to blow a tire. Literally launch and the torque? was enough to tear apart the tire material which was less than 5 years old (and only ridden for 3-4 months of the year)

all that said, unless i find a better winter tire at this price point I'll keep buying these. Way too heavy to use all year though.

I have these tires on my touring/commuter bike. It's a very large steel bike, used by a very large very heavy rider. And I ride hard and fast. I have had the same pair on my bike for almost 7 years. There's still a lot of life left in them. All of my riding is done in the inner-city and highway touring. I weigh well over 250 pounds. My bike is a double extra large, steel monster that weighs a lot on its own. I have had it loaded up with for panniers, saddle and handlebar bags, and three large water bottles. The bike was carrying well over 300 pounds of weight and I took it on Northern California isingle track. Not only did I not get a flat, my wheels are bang-on true. They have been dead true for almost 7 years with these tires on them. I true my own wheels, but have not had to touch these.

I have gotten two flats over seven years caused by nails penetrating the tire, which is something that is inevitable if you are riding inner city. I ride 700 x 42. Are they heavy? Heck yeah they're heavy! Heavy and bombproof. Get off that 700/23 fanboy bandwagon. Skinny tires are way overrated. And actually not faster than fat tires. Read up. I average 23 miles an hour across the city on these things, and that is navigating people, dogs, and cars so I think that is reasonably fast. . And yes, I have had extremely light carbon fiber bikes with skinny tires on them. Were they faster? Yes. But also extremely uncomfortable to ride for any length of time. And any blemish on the roadway would give me a flat. I actually attribute the speed to the sub 15 pound bicycle more than a skinny tires.

I heart fat tires!!!

Get you some.

If you don't care about weight, these are great for flat-free rides.

Replaced the stock tire. My rolling resistance was reduced, and I have about 500 miles on these tires without a flat. I would by them again!

I ride a Catrike 700. With the stock skinny tires, I averaged a flat every two weeks. I changed to Schwalbe Marathon Plus 6 months ago. They weigh 2-3 times as much, but they're more surefooted and ride better. Plus...no flats. Often when I get back home, I pull several goat head thorns out of them, but I haven't yet had a flat. That greatly outweighs the added pounds which bring my Catrike 700 up to a manageable 35 lbs. I can't tell you how hard these are to remove because I haven't had to change a flat. I don't think I will, either I'm about to put these on my Catrike 559, too. Highly recommended.

I've used Bike Tires Direct for decades, and I recommend them, too.

Got these for flat avoidance during winter/rain. Since putting on 2k miles ago I've had zero flats. Now the tires weigh a ton but'..

I bought 32 mm Schwalbe Marathon Plus to replace the 28's (a Bontrager and a Continental) on my Trek Pilot. Before the purchase I read many reviews and knew the sobering advice that these were hard to mount, especially on tubeless-ready rims. My Trek has tubeless-ready Ultegra 6700 rims. Before mounting the Schwalbe's, I watched a few YouTube videos of the mounting procedure for that tire. Especially helpful was the strategy of working the second side of the tire halfway onto the rim and then securing it with zip ties at 3 and 9 o'clock. Installation was then easy without use of any other tools. I would not say that the tire is terribly tight. The difficulty is that the sidewalls are so stiff that getting the second side on the rim is like wrestling a live snake. When I worked one section on, the section I let go of hopped off. The zip ties were a terrific solution. There was no problem getting the tube tucked safely inside. I was almost disappointed that I didn't have to puff and strain to complete the installation. The trick is mental, not physical.

I am carrying the zip ties with my spare inner tube. I used to carry 2 spare tubes, so some weight saved there.

On the road, 32 miles, the Marathon Plus handled lighter than I expected, though obviously I am giving up something from the 28's. They didn't wobble at all after going up to full pressure, and rode well on asphalt at 70 PSI. For once I didn't bother to avoid the broken glass that I knew was there.

I probably should wait to review the tire, but I wanted to pass on the mounting information while it was fresh in my mind. I expect thousands of miles with no flats. No worries.

What can I say that hasn't already been said about these very durable tires. I rode across the country (on the ACA TransAm trail) on these tires without a single flat! I use it on all my bikes because they are extremely flat resistant and they last a long time. They do run on the "heavy" side, but the durability and longevity they provide is a tradeoff I can easily live with (I'm obviously a "tourist" and not a "racer"). I much prefer this solution to the mess and hassle of tubeless tires.

I won't buy any other tire for commuting. I have never flatted in these, period. I ride all year long in the Midwest. The tread also lasts a long time. Fantastic tire.

I've been using these tires on my Giant 2 Escape XL for a number of years now. From mid-August to mid-May, I do most of my riding after I get home from work. (Typically, about 10 miles a day, five days a week). In the summer, I still ride about five days a week, 20-30 miles a day on some days and 10 miles a day on the others. (I'm in my late 60's now, so the 50 to 70-mile treks are now in my rear-view mirror!) Anyway, I easily put about 3,000 miles a year on the tires and they last for few years.

By the way, these tires come shipped in such a way that the tires are twisted into a "figure 8" and then folded (top half of the "8" over the bottom half). Don't let that worry you. You can unfold the tire and massage it back into its original shape. Once it's mounted on the rim, it's just as if it were never folded at all.

A pair of the 700x38mm came on my Salsa Marrakesh that I bought in 2016 as an incentive to get back on a bike after a hip replacement at age 75. Now, 3 years later, I just flipped past 13,000 miles and the tires still have some tread depth. I only had one flat, from a piece of wire that entered through the sidewall. I ride mostly in urban Seattle where broken glass sparkles on the streets along with scattered drywall screws, hose clamps and other debris. The Marathons take it all in stride.

I've been riding Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tires for over 20 years. Their claim for puncture resistance is spot on. Our bike lanes are typically littered with all manner of debris including glass shards, sharp sticks, construction debris. I try my best to safely avoid the garbage but frequently ride straight through. I can only recall one puncture flat in 20 years when I rode directly onto a large screw without time to avoid. And they ride well in all weather conditions. The Fort Knox of puncture resistance!

Good robust tires - never had a flat - up until today when they went out with a bang(!) split open 4 inch gap lengthwise down the tread. Cannot explain why it happened.