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

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 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 KNEW something was wrong when I ordered the tire according to the specs on my existing tire with a great price and quick shipping. When I finally got around to mounting, I called my local mobile bike shop to do so because ALL the reviews talk about how difficult it was. My FIRST set was simply too big and rubbed the frame even though the specs were correct. BTD was very good about taking them back for 25s instead of 28s, but of course time was lost and the shipping offset my savings. So again, I had them mounted. Clearance was fine, but within ONE mile they blew off one of my rims, so with no choice, I had to re-mount them on the road. Difficult? Absolutely, but since that time, I have come to really respect them for my daily commute, as I live in glasstown. So, a bit heavy, but as they say, bulletproof.

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.

I now have them on my Rivendell Redwood road bike, My Giant Cypress Deluxe Hybrid Bicycle, & my Cannondale 27 inch touring bicycle. On the 23 inch Cypress Deluxe bike, I use the Schwalbe schraeder nickel plated stem. Bullet proof.

On my road bike the largest tire I can use is the 7,00-25 to clear my brakes when removing the rim & tire. I put the 7.00-28's on my Cannondale and and the Rivendell Atlantis & Giant, I put on the 7.00-40 tires. They are a bit heaver than Conti's but I never have any flats. I think the sidewalls are also heaver. Pump up your tires and check them once a month as they

say. I like the reflective stripe on the tires. I think all the tires should have them.

We have hills here and the coast line for scenery

I've had three punctures in 4000 miles riding around Los Angeles on these Schwalbes. The first flat shouldn't even count - it was a snakebite puncture of the rear tire when the wheel sank into a sewer grate at 10mph. The next was a tack that got through the sidewall of the front tire. The third happened last week. My rear tire was old, bald and nearing replacement (kinda like what my wife might say about me) when I ran over a 3 nail that penetrated the bottom and side of the Schwalbe. So it took 4000 miles for anything to get through that blue protective layer inside the tire. Amazing. I have spent so little time fixing flats over the past year that I almost forgot how miserable it used to be.

My secret to mounting the Marathon is hold the wheel horizontally, the far side against a workbench or wall and the near side up against the fronts of my thighs. I then get both beads inserted in a 6 length (lots of squeezing with the fingers) on the opposite edge and use my legs to keep the beads seated by pressing the wheel against the wallbench with my legs. Once you get a small area seated, it's fairly easy to chase the insertion around the rest of the wheel toward you. The thing you really have to be extra careful about is making sure the tube isn't caught between the tire and rim before inflation.

After three hundred miles of riding since I last wrote, I have found these tires to be of excellent quality and durability. I have had no problems with these tires and they roll very well. They are slightly heavier and start a little slower but, these tires instill confidence on the road through their handling, grip, and load capacity. I ride a lot, with a heavy load most of the time, and these tires absorb the bumps well and I have had no pinch flats. The stiff rubber compound was noticeable when installing and I think this is what has contributed to the confidence in the tire under load. I travel at an average of 20mph and the handling at these speeds is quite good and cornering at these speeds is effortless. One note worth mentioning is that in loose gravel handling gets a bit precarious with a wider tire (700x32), but I think you would have this with any tire. This is an excellent tire at any price.

I almost didn't buy these tires because of the repeated comments on how hard they are to mount. This was not the case, they actually mounted easier than my Kenda's.

I think that mounting a tire has a science involved that we don't take into concederation when mounting. Each tire is designed to fit a particular rim - likely a mold designed for that rim - with tolerances that accomidate mounting. However, when we go to mount the tire we get anxious to get back in the saddle and forget the basics. When mounting the tire the process should be get one bead started around the rim, then the tube should be lightly inflated - only enough for it to hold its shape - and insert the valve in the rim perpendicular to the rim, carefully insert the tube into the tire cavity, then starting on the valve side, work the tire's second bead over the rim until you get to the other side. What I think happens is, many forget to work the tire beads into the inner groove of the rim as you go around, which gives you more room at the other end - where it gets tight. This is likely the cause of the problems mentioned above -- failing to work the tire beads deep into the rim as you go around -- I've done it too in my excitement to get rolling.

Verdict still out on the tire's performance - more to follow.

Bought 1 last year for my recumbent, 5000kms later and no flats. Bought 4 more, just last month for our regular touring bikes, not too hard to put on, but try to avoid installation in cold weather. Price was awesome, on the 4 with a discount, I saved about $100.That included shipping to Canada.

With all the sorts of weather we get here, reliable tires have to be the single most crucial piece of kit. I have had a Marathon Plus as my front tire over the past winter and can fully attest that they are unbeatable for 25mm clinchers when it comes to to wet weather riding. Ice, snow, downpours, slick roads, flooded streets this tire has been unflappable. I cannot say for certain, but, the tread pattern does seem to hold the road really well in adverse conditions this was something I was concerned about when comparing with the smoother tread on Specialized Armadilos. I use the bike for my daily commute the extra weight, higher rolling resistance and lower comfort have not been an issue. I did feel the extra drag initially when I swapped out summer racing tires but the improved conditioning from using this tire has been well worth it. I have had the Panaracer T-serv on my rear wheel for a year longer, that's still going strong but is not in the same class as Marathon plus for wet weather grip. An all around performer and a well-made product.

I have used Continental Gatorskins and Armadillos in the past. They did provide some puncture protection but I still would have a flat every month or so on my commute to work. So far so good on 400km. The tires were not to difficult to put on the bike and the level of puncture protection built in the tire is quite noticeable upon inspection.

I purchased these for my Trek 04 2300 road bike specifically for the winter season. Yeah they added weight compared to slicks but the traction was fantastic in heavy or even light snow. Ice conditions not so much but what do you expect? It's ICE. Anyway commuted five days a week 3miles to and 3miles back from work. The ride back was at night 7pm so visibility was limited but I just hauled ass right through the stuff. Sometimes 3-4 inches of snow. white knuckle sometimes but that's the fun of it. Only crashed 2times this year all on sheets of ice that froze as the temp dropped at night. Otherwise NO flats. No issues installing. Tight yes, but no need to bitch and moan about it.

I have a set of these tires on my commuting bike, my touring bike, my dad's hybrid, and even a set of the narrow 25s on my road bike. I went cross-country on a set of these and still use that set on my commuter bike for at least 8,000 miles of flat free bliss. I talked 6 of my friends into buying these for their commuter bikes and we've had ZERO flats out of thousands and thousands of miles. One of my friends was in the Netherlands this past summer and saw a guy get a flat with some other tire. Some Dutch guy went up to fellow with a flat and told him he needed to buy some Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires-- the exact tires I had convinced my friend to buy over here.

I slapped the 25s on my road bike and put up a great time in a triathlon last summer-- yeah, they weigh a little bit but I don't care that much about a few grams. I haven't brought a tube or pump on a road ride in months-- that should make up for the few grams in extra tire weight.

They are definitely hard to get on the rim the first time, but in my experience that is the last time you need to put them on.

Great traction, great safety with the reflective sidewalls, the absolute best flat protection, and outstanding durability this tire is the best tire made. Buy 6, get the quantity discount, and put them on all your bikes. BikeTiresDirect has the best prices around.

bought these for my Trek 2300 road bike great for winter riding. No problem with clearence. Dificulty getting on the first time but just takes technique and practice.