Schwalbe
I like the feel of these tires - on my second set of 700 x 40s. Most of my riding is on roads, with a little gravel and some single track and these are very comfortable on all these surfaces. They were easy to install with just a regular floor pump and I haven't had any punctures that I was aware of. My only issue is the quick wear, particularly the rear tire. I have put about 1,000 miles on the rear and the center ridge of nubs is noticeably worn down, I will probably need to replace within another 500 miles. Maybe it's not fair to compare to the wear life of a road tire (like a GP 5000), but I would expect at least 2K miles out of them?
Bought these tires to replace my old set of Vittoria Randonneur Cross 26" tires, which I had on my bike for about 5 years. The Schwalbe Marathon Plus 700 tires look very durable, and my bike seems to handle fine with them, for casual recreational rides of about 20 miles distance. My old tires would lose air quickly and need to be "topped off" before every ride, considerably. The Schwalbes lose about a couple pounds of air between rides, about two to three days, so a big improvement. I recommend them.
I ride most of my miles during the week at 4:30AM until 6:30AM. I need to be noticed and the reflective wall of the tire helps me get noticed. The tires a really heavy but I do not mind they are bomb proof and that is a plus a night. I have run over a lot of glass with no issue and and have hit several pot holes as well and the tires are still solid. They do not corner as well as other tires I have ridden in the past so I would advise not hitting the corners too hard. I have over 1400 miles on the tires with a lot of gravel sections and am very pleased with the performance of the tires. I am riding 700x42mm and do recommend them to commuters and those who ride at night as bomb proof tires. I have been pleased with their performance on the gravel as well.
Rode tubular's for years. Been riding Continentals exclusively, since they released the GP-4000S, then the GP-5000. Recently tried this Schwalbe on a new build. Have about 1000K on the Pro One's. Mounted on Campy WTO-45 disc wheel set with Continental "Race Light Tubes". So...GP5000's role a bit faster when they're new, but after the initial rubber scuffs off, both tires role about equal...no real difference. Pro One's are noticeably more comfortable rolling at similar pressures, with same tubes. Side walls seem as durable as the Continentals, I haven't experienced any noticeable side wall cuts, no pinch flats, easy mounting. Rear tire center tread does square off on the rear tire, but so does the GP-5000's. The Pro One's do wear significantly sooner than the GP-5000's, so mileage is not their strong point. Cornering and ride feel are where the Schwalbe excels over the GP-5000. Pro One's are best suited if you ride hard and fast.
