# Schwalbe Marathon Plus it's not you... it's me



## Opus51569 (Jul 21, 2009)

I have a set of Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires (700X28). I want to like them. I really do. They seem to be all but puncture proof. They have a very useful reflective sidewall. I bought them because I thought they would make the perfect commuter tire.

When I ordered them, I didn't bother to look at the weight. Why would I? They're tires for my commuter bike, and at 240 I'm certainly no weight weenie. I just wanted a tough tire. What's a few extra grams, right?

As it turns out, for me at least, the extra grams mean quite a bit. No matter how much I experiment with different pressures, every ride on these tires feels like I'm pedaling through wet sand. At nearly 500g / tire, I suspect the culprit is simply rotational weight, but I'm not sure.

Swapping them out with a more typical road tire (an old set of 25c Michelin Krylions in my case) felt like I had gained an extra gear on the bike.

I don't doubt the Marathon Plus is a bomb-proof tire, and if you're certain that rotational weight is no issue for you, I have no qualms about recommending them. It's not you, Schwalbe... it's me.

I've learned to pay closer attention to weight the next time I order a set of tires, and I'll probably sacrifice a little durability for something a little bit lighter...

That is... until I start flatting on a regular basis. Then maybe I'll just HTFU and go back to pedaling through the wet sand.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

Opus51569 said:


> As it turns out, for me at least, the extra grams mean quite a bit. No matter how much I experiment with different pressures, every ride on these tires feels like I'm pedaling through wet sand. At nearly 500g / tire, I suspect the culprit is simply rotational weight, but I'm not sure.
> 
> Swapping them out with a more typical road tire (an old set of 25c Michelin Krylions in my case) felt like I had gained an extra gear on the bike.


You use the word "feels" several times. The problem with "feels" is that it often does not correlate well with what a stop watch will tell us. I'm not defending these tires and they may well be pigs but too often people go by feel and their feelings do not reflect actual performance.


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## Opus51569 (Jul 21, 2009)

Kerry Irons said:


> You use the word "feels" several times. The problem with "feels" is that it often does not correlate well with what a stop watch will tell us. I'm not defending these tires and they may well be pigs but too often people go by feel and their feelings do not reflect actual performance.


Point taken. The tires may, in fact, not be any slower. It's possible that what I perceive as slow may just be the way I interpret the feedback (or lack thereof) I get from the road via the tires.


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

At 500 grms with reflective sidewalls I suspect that those tires are about as supple as a garden hose.


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## Opus51569 (Jul 21, 2009)

Yep. Off the bike, you can set them on the ground and they hold their shape perfectly without the benefit of a rim.


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

It could be the weight, but is more likely the rubber compound and flat resistance ... creating higher rolling resistance. On the flats the weight shouldn't matter much other than acceleration, when up to speed, they should roll just as well if everything else is equal aside from weight.

I recently switched to some 25c Panaracer Ribmo tires ... and they roll horribly bad, but are pretty flat resistant compared to 28c Gatorskins I was running. The weight isn't hugely different (about 40-50 grams per tire), but they roll much, much slower.

How do I know they roll slower? Using a Powermeter and measuring time during my regular, daily commute as well as riding normal routes.

My commute on average is 5 minutes longer (20.6 mile commute with around 1150 feet of climbing each way) ... while I'm actually putting out a little more power (my TSS score each direction is around 10 points higher).

Basically the difference between Gatorskins and the Ribmo is about 1 mph on average ... with about 95% of the difference coming from rolling resistance. With that said ... not having to change a flat will always be faster ... and 4 flats in 2 months on the Gatorskins was enough for me to make the change


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## fn1889m (Feb 27, 2011)

I have the same tires. I think they are optimum for the packed trial. But if you are mostly on pavement, you pay a price. I like them, but mostly just because they are tough.


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## crank1979 (Sep 9, 2007)

For the roads/highway on my commute they are a great tyre. I'm running the 35C version, so even heavier. Once up to speed they are fine, but combined with a heavy wheelset quick steering is not really an option. I can feel the gyroscopic effect when leaning into turns. I have managed to puncture them once, which is significantly better than any other set up I've tried on the same commute.

I'm trying Durano Plus tyres on the new commuter in 28C, so I'll see how they go.


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## Bog (Feb 2, 2005)

I ride 25mm on my steel singlespeeder and find the flywheel effect of the heavier wheels just great and helps the bike just roll along when up to speed. It's become my main training bike this Winter and the extra resistance just make you stronger.

When I get back on my Scott CR1 in the Spring I will really fly and probably miss the SS!


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## demonrider (Jul 18, 2012)

Where did you get that weight? If you are indeed talking about the "Plus" in 28mm size, then they weigh over 800g on avg. I weighed them at my LBS. The regular marathons are almost 600g at 28c. 

After looking far and wide I came right back to plain ol' Gatorskins... 350g avg, good all around protection, good supple ride at the right pressure and no freakin' flywheel effect! They really are the perfect compromise for my training/commuting uses.


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