Customer Reviews

Schwalbe Marathon Plus HS 348 Road Bike Tire

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Let's face it: until drunks stop tossing their empties in the street and druggies stop punching out car windows to steal wallets, bicyclists will be running over glass, and tires will be going flat. This is enough of an annoyance when you're off to Quickie Mart to buy a loaf of bread, but it's positively vexatious when you are a commuter, when a flat tire often means you're late to work. Or late getting home when you're done with work.

Bicycle manufacturers know this. That's why even the entry-level "commuter" or "utility" model bikes often come with puncture-resistant tires, like the Bontragers (quite good tires, by the way) that my Trek hybrid originally had, before they got so bad that even the punctures had punctures. I replaced them with these even though they had some tread left. That's the way it goes with puncture-resistant tires: once they get a few punctures, they become more susceptible to more punctures. A "vicious cycle," if you will.

Anyway, Schwalbe is one of the premier bike tire brands. They're quite well-known in Europe, and less so in the U.S., except among "serious" riders. Cargo haulers swear by them, as do commuters. Reportedly, this is the single most popular commuter-type tire in Europe. Europeans know what's up; this tire is designed for heavy use in all urban conditions, wet and dry. Tread is good for damaged pavement--not too much, not too little--which is good because with the economic situation we're in, there's going to be a whole lotta pavement going bad in the next few years. If your pavement is REALLY bad, as in breaking apart, then I would recommend some tires with a fairly flat middle part and more of a mountain bike tread toward the edges to help with cornering, rather than the Marathons. Another thing these tire have going for them are the reflective sidewalls, which significantly increase your visibility when viewed from the side; this is a major consideration with so many drivers being either drunk or simply "out to lunch."

Of course, the main selling point is the innovative puncture-resistant layer under the tread. Schwalbe is said to be the best in this regard, but I haven't had these tires long enough to comment on that. The shards will assuredly put them to the test in due time. I can say that, unlike some other "ruggedized" tires, their rolling resistance is no higher than the last ones I had, nor did I notice an increase in weight.

All in all, I'm very happy with the Schwalbes. True, they are expensive, but the axiom about getting what you pay for is especially true with bicycle tires, perhaps the single most important component on the bike, and ironically, also the most overlooked. Outfitting your bike with good parts, especially good tires, does pay real dividends in terms of safety, and also in terms of long-term maintenance costs (since they need less frequent replacement.) Cheapo tires, in addition to having a shorter lifespan, often fail completely (and painfully) from incidents that only superficially damage premium tires.

I commute on my bike in an urban setting... busses, trucks, cabs, curbs, potholes, etc... and I am a 250 lb+ guy so I am hard on little skinny road bike tires so I decied to beef up and get some heavier duty tires. These are really nice. They improve my ride quite a bit over the CST tires I had on the bike and I find they handle the curbs and bumps like a champ. My goal is fewer flats... seems like this should work. Only downside I see is that now my fancy bike weighs more... like a less fancy bike.

Do you enjoy getting punctures on a cold, wet dark commute? If you don't mind this tire is not for you. Perhaps, like me, you have an internal gear hub and fixing punctures on the road requires extra tools and is not straightforward. If you can't abide punctures this tyre is for you.

I just fitted my second set. The first set was on a previous bike and was a great experience. I went from regular punctures, so much so that I avoided riding in the wet, to nil.

There are a couple of things to bear in mind. First, they can be hard to fit because they are stiffer than regular tires. The previous tyres were 700x35 and fairly easy to fit on wider hybrid-type rims

The new ones are 700x28 on 14mm rims and were quite hard. In the end I used a cable tie to hold both beads in the rim while I worked the second bead in. I used tyre levers for the last section. This probably wouldn't be a problem should I ever have to remove them (unlikely) as they will wear-in and conform to the rim after a while.

On my first ride with the Schwalbe MPs I didn't notice much difference over the Maxxis 'training' tyres I was using previously. The main difference is with the thicker tread I don't feel every little stone and crack in the road or on the trail. This gives the erroneous impression they are not as `responsive'. This is not the case -- actual riding is little different to conventional tyres. A couple of rides and the `newness' will disappear. It's a comfortable ride for a high-pressure tyre (I run them at 90 psi). They are heavier than conventional tires but this is irrelevant for commuting, touring, pleasure riding, and so on.

Point two. These tires are quite expensive, about four times the price of a basic tire. But how much is your time worth fixing punctures? At my charge-out rate they pay for themselves in under two punctures.

Now I don't need to swerve around shards of glass and broken bottles -- just go straight over the top. I can enjoy my ride in all weather without worrying about invisible bits of wire, small screws and nails. Highly recommended.

I put on about 5k miles/year commuting. I was happy with the stock Kendas that came with my bike. But, when they started to wear down, they became increasingly susceptible to glass cuts.

I did my research and many people were recommending Continental Ultra Gatorskins. I put them on with tire liners for extra protection. Worse than useless. I had at least two flats per week. I didn't get any glass cuts, but the tires and liners wouldn't stop half the thorns. I tossed them out after a couple of months.

Then I picked the Marathon Plus. Total dream. A bit heavy and quite expensive, but well worth those drawbacks. Because of the foam layer, I decided to forgo the tire liners. Five months and 2,000 miles with no sign of wear on the tread and not a single flat. I might as well leave my pump and spare tube at home (but not going to tempt fate). Also the Marathons have a decent tread pattern where the Gatorskins are pretty much slicks - making for treacherous riding in wet or frosty conditions.

They have a decent rolling resistance. I operate at the high end of the pressure rating. My commute times have increased by about 30 seconds to 1 minute over a 19-mile, 1 hour commute. Completely acceptable considering the hours saved by avoiding flats.

Bonus: there is a reflective ring around the sidewall of the tire. They really pop when lit up by headlights from the side.

Exceptional product. 5000 miles and no flats due to punctures. I did get a flat due to a defective tube. Changing the tires is difficult but you won't have to do this very often. I am replacing my rear tire because I have worn the rear tread flat and I am getting fishtailing. I ride with a rear pannier and I am 180 lbs. The front tire will last at least another year. I find this tire to be a bargain because I would have had to replace at least 3 tires in the same time frame due to wear and damage due to punctures. The ride is very good in all conditions in Seattle. If you are an everyday commuter this is your tire. Don't settle for anything else.

My Cross Check came with some fun tires, but they are no match for the Goat Heads in the Denver area. After buying enough tubes to cover the cost of the Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires I decided to try them out for myself. Out on a quick 10 mile ride yesterday, I picked up several goat heads and today I am still at the same tire pressure! I am pretty excited! I would have rated the 5 stars but I don't have enough mileage on them to yet. Also they handle fairly well, I am just not sure how I would feel in a fast tight corner with them yet.

I replaced a 700x28 tire with same and the Schwalbe was that exact size. The old tire was smaller than nominal size. The new Schalbe was about 8 MM taller than the old as I expected given reviews. VERY HARD to get on. Took two people. Also bought and used the liquid stuff Schwalbe sells to help the tire seat. Helped some with mounting. Probably didn't hurt that I set the tire in the hot sun to soften before I started mounting operation. Seated immediately upon instal without fuss as plenty of other tires.

Later: 700x28 a bit out of round. Not enough to feel it riding but about 2MM. I've ordered another just like it and a 700x25 as well. I've put thorn resistant tube in. Probably over kill but I had one on hand.

Later: mounted two more today including a 700x25. These two were both somewhat out of round too. I'm saying I compared three of these tires to all the bike tires in my fleet and all are more round that the Schwalbe. Nevertheless I rode 20 miles on a pair of 28s today and they felt fine. Could detect no greater rolling resistance than the tires that came off.
Intended to order anothe 700x25 today but Amazon no longer stocks that size. It would have to come from Niagra Cycle who will not send to a P.O. Box.

As mentioned, on the heavy side, but great for commuting our hauling the kids around town with a trailer in tow.

We live in Austin Tx and we got punctured tires, sometimes to holes per ride, during the whole summer. A couple of plant species here produce seeds encapsulated in rather mean-looking shells. I would have to fix a flat tire at least one a week. Since I got my Schwalbe, no punctures at all!! This is simply wonderful. They are pricey for our pockets but really worth the investment!

This tyre is great once you succeed in getting it on your rim. Punctured two tubes trying. Got one on but ran out of time with other. My son took it to a shop and listened to the mechanic cussing Schwalbe tyres as he also blew a tube putting it on. That said it is without a doubt the sturdiest tyre you can get. Short of running through a road made of barbed wire this thing is indestructible. I would highly recommend these tyres but take them to a shop and buy the tubes there.