Marathon Plus disappointment

From all the favourable comments here and elsewhere, I had been lulled into thinking that Marathon Plus tyres were just about impregnable. Imagine my frustration, then, to lift my bike from the car boot in a place 80 miles from home to discover a completely flat front tyre. The odd thing is that I had done a 17-mile trip the day before without noticing any ominous signs of impending deflation, and I could not find anything obvious sticking into (or out of) the rubber.

 

So blasé had I become that I had got out of the habit of carrying any puncture repair tools, but fortunately, I spotted a branch of Halfords nearby, and they did the repair very promptly, and I was soon on my way again.

 

This was only about 400 miles after fitting these tyres. Is this a record?

At any rate, I've learned a lesson.

This was only about 400 miles after fitting these tyres. Is this a record?

At any rate, I've learned a lesson.

 

And the lesson is....

 

....Sod's Law is always waiting to bite your bum!

 

Rog.

Bad luck Bode, but you aren't alone. JohninStockie fitted Marathon Plus tyres and then suffered a whole series of punctures on his commute. They turned out to caused by strands of stiff wire which had somehow been scattered on that road, possibly from cut-offs of wire rope. If spikes are long enough they can't resist that.

 

I've used MPs for over five years now and have only ever had one puncture, caused by a very long blackthorn spike, so with luck this one will be your quota for at least five years.

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My 2 cents

I was tempted to get some marathon plus tyres after getting 3 punctures last winter. After looking at the specs i decided to get plain marathons with the kevlar strip protection instead. My thinking was, (knowing my luck) a thorn or spike could be longer than the silicon gel area offered by the marathon plus tyres and you would still get a puncture. The kevlar strip would be tougher for the spike to penetrate and they were doing a good deal at £16 each.

Tempting fate here, but, so far so good.......

Ive just been riding for a whole 364 days on mine without any problems.

Ive just hexed them now!

I have just replaced my rear one, front still ok about 18 months old and still no punctures. He says as he touches wood (head)

I have 408 miles with my new Torq 2, and no flats.

 

So maybe I'm due.

 

Heck, though, I've used plain old tires and tubes here, and lucky to get a week on them. So, there's that.

I have fitted Marathon+ to several bikes and only had one puncture. That was a drawing pin outside a supermarket and I suspect that might have been foul play. My Agattu used by my son has covered over 3000 miles on them without a puncture.

On the other hand, my Pro Connect S managed only 24 miles on Continental Top Contacts before getting a puncture, as a result I have no confidence in the puncture resistance of these tyres.

 

They have one year warranty against punctures but I have been waiting a month for a replacement tyre from 50Cycles.

 

In the meantime I have fitted a Continental Touring Plus which is very similar in construction to the M+.

 

J:) hn

I have managed over 3000 miles / 11 Months on the standard Marathon Racers as fitted to the Pro Connect without a puncture. This is probably due to a combination of good luck and only riding on roads. But having said that, I think they have a Kevlar strip built into them, which probably helps.

 

Looking at the construction of the Marathon Plus, it certainly looks as though they should offer better puncture resistance.

I think 3000 miles without a puncture (even if you only ride on roads) is outstanding.

I think 3000 miles without a puncture (even if you only ride on roads) is outstanding.

 

My five years worth of Marathon Plus on three bikes represents just over 10,000 miles with a single puncture when I stupidly ran over fresh cuttings of blackthorn on a country cyclepath. I think that's as good a recommendation as one could want for these tyres since nearly all those miles were on-road without a single puncture.

 

Over the same period I had more punctures than I care to remember on my two trailer tyres, two in a 3 mile trip once.

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I did recommend Marathon Plus to someone who had a puncture earlier this year. Sods law he had another puncture a few weeks after fitting them.:o There's just some things in the road that no inflatable tyre is going to survive. Looks like Marathon Plus are your best chance though.

I have never had a punture with the Marathon + having ridden with them for over 4000 miles. I was getting a puncture a week before swapping them. I wouldn't be complacent though as you do need to keep checking them for embedded glass/nails etc. I have picked out countless bits that I am sure would eventually work their way through the smartguard layer.

I have picked out countless bits that I am sure would eventually work their way through the smartguard layer.

 

Totally agree, its my sunday morning ritual!

 

John

I have never had a punture with the Marathon + having ridden with them for over 4000 miles. I was getting a puncture a week before swapping them. I wouldn't be complacent though as you do need to keep checking them for embedded glass/nails etc. I have picked out countless bits that I am sure would eventually work their way through the smartguard layer.

 

I've never done that once despite plenty of broken glass in my area, relying on the inner layer to do its rejection job. It seems to do it ok as I've reported above.

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I've never done that once despite plenty of broken glass in my area, relying on the inner layer to do its rejection job. It seems to do it ok as I've reported above.

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From my experience I left one piece in and by the time I removed it it had made a pretty big tear in the outer casing showing a large chunk of blue smartguard bulging through. Once deflated it superglued up OK and that seemed to hold but I learned my lession.

That was a bad one Harry, I get numerous smaller glass cuts and I suppose there's bits of glass in there sometimes, but I've never had a tear that large in my years with them. I'll just continue with my lazy way which has paid off to date.

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Oh no, it's happened again!

 

I can't believe it! My Marathon Plus tyres picked up another puncture today, only about 3 months since the last one.

I saw what did it this time; a thorn in the side wall. Obviously their Achilles' heel. Wish it were possible to have a puncture resistant layer there too!

The Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres on my Brompton (16" wheels) get used on smooth tarmac, rough surfaces, and bumpy forest tracks covered in old brambles...without any issues. I am very, very impressed by the reliability so far.

marathon plus

 

I should have read this thread BEFORE the weekend, and I may have been a bit sharper about remembering to pack my tools and puncture kit...but I didnt!

 

with my wife on her new Nano Brompton, we set of on a 34 mile Herts trip, and all went well with her grinning from ear to ear, as every hill was pleasantly dispatched...come 15 miles in, and a lunch stop nearing, I hear a loud groan, and lo & behold she has a puncture in her Front wheel (Marathon Plus)...of course there was nothing for it but for me to cycle 'quickly' back and get the car....

interestingly, only 2 weeks ago, on a short break out in Sufflok, she had a rear puncture, which meant taking the derailleur off, before getting the wheel out...but this time, I cant even figure out how to get the 'protective hook' off that holds the folded bike together...it seems to be connected to the mudguard stays, and has to be removed to get to the wheel nuts...

this is the first puncture in 20 years or so, and in puncture 'resistant' tyres too.....what a bummer!

 

barryc.

With an eye on the pleasant scenery who knows what lies in wait. Bad luck. Having had a couple of car tyre punctures this year it seems no matter what (solids excluded) eventually you're going to go down.

 

which meant taking the derailleur off, before getting the wheel out...but this time, I cant even figure out how to get the 'protective hook' off that holds the folded bike together...it seems to be connected to the mudguard stays, and has to be removed to get to the wheel nuts...

 

No need to take the wheel out to repair a puncture Barry. Just release the brake cable to give room alongside the brake pads and remove one side of the tyre (non-chain side with the rear) and you'll find you can take out the tube and feed it around within the frame/fork during a puncture repair operation. As a junior in the trade I had to do all the punctures that came in and only ever removed a wheel if replacing the tube, and not always even then, but that's another story.

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...only ever removed a wheel if replacing the tube, and not always even then, but that's another story.

Go on; do tell!

Go on; do tell!

 

When lightweight steel frames were far more common than now, the springy quality of steel was exploited by using an expander tool in the rear frame. After taking off the left hand wheel nut the expander was used to stretch the frame enough to slip tubes in and out. I've even changed tyres that way, including the thick Marathon Plus on an alloy frame bike without taking out the rear wheel.

 

On the road it can also be done with a shoe against the rear hub centre using arm strength, here's me doing it on a Giant Lafree. Of course you do this at your own risk, I've had loads of experience of what a frame can take:

 

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thanks for the tip Flec

in fact I did try this techn ique this morning, managing to get the tyre out on the one side, but probably managed to puncture it (again) in the process...the bead is just so tight on the American rim that the EWC fitted with the Tongxin, and although the rim has 36 holes to match the motor, it doesnt have a 'well' to allow the bead to stretch down into...

and I am basically just not strong enough in the hand dept even using a Var tyre remover..

bike shop tomorrow!

 

thanks barryc