marathon plus tyres

[gerryscott]

I know that marathon plus tyres are the best thing since sliced bread for most e-bikers,but I just wonder if there worth the hassle.I've been concerned all along about a puncture on my rear hub bike,the concern being the hub.Last week I had a slow puncture so proceeded to loosen wheel nuts and pull wheel up.this was surprisingly quite easy,but what was not easy was the removal of the marathon plus tyre.After a lot of blood, sweat, and tears I eventually got the tyre off ,luckily this was at home,I'd dread for this to happen miles from home in the rain.So lo and behold went into garage this morning another flat tyre rear wheel.Must of pinched new inner tube when when using plastic tyre levers,so the struggle commenced again.I'm think of going back to run of the mill tyres,likely more puntures bus easier tyre removal.

 

[flecc]

It depends on the rim, the types do vary and some can be difficult. Those with a deep centre well are the easiest, squeezing the tyre into that giving slack for removal. The double wall types with no centre well can be the worst.

Kevlar band protected tyres can be quite puncture proof, so probably your next best move.

 

[WALKERMAN]

I had a blow-out on the rear tyre of my 3 month PC Disc just two weeks ago. The tyre was a 'Hand made in Germany' expensive Continental Top Contact. The front tyre and the replacement for the rear have hairline splits round the whole perimeter both sides So I have replaced them with Marathon Plus which went on quite easily. This wasn't the case with my previous PC so it must be something to do with the rims as Flecc suggests. I thought when I put them on that Scwalbe might have modified them slightly as I didn't have the same hassle as you experienced and which I had been expecting.

 

[Scottyf]

I've never had a problem removing mine or re-installing without any more than using my fingers and sometimes a flat blade screw driver carefully. But my wheel and possibly tolerances have stretched the tires a little bit so its easier... Must be luck of the draw on the tires.

However never had a puncture on them...

 

[Riche]

I have use the marathon plus tyres for a few years and they are the best I have used so far (i do a 14 mile round trip daily), yes you will still get the odd puncture but compared to other makes iv'e tried they are the best. You could try the Specilaized Armadillo's they are supposed to be pretty bullet proof but from my experience they were a very tight fit on the rims YMMV.
Rich

 

[jerrysimon]

I must admit although an initial fan of MP tyres, I am less so these days especially for smaller 16" wheels. It is so easy to damage the wire bead covering when both fitting and removing the tyre. I still use them on my main EBrompton commuter but have also been using Marathon Kojaks which have a Kevlar band and seem quite puncture resistant, on my other smaller wheeled bikes. When the MPs on my EBrompton wear down, I will likely refit Kojaks which of course will reduce the weight quite a bit, very relevant for any portable bike.

I do still like them for larger wheeled bikes and have in fact fitted them on my wifes large wheeled ladies commuter bike. They are MUCH easier to fit on these given the techniques already highlighted.

Regards

Jerry

 

[Mussels]

I have MPs fitted at the moment but I won't buy the same when they wear out, I can't quite put my finger on it but they don't quite feel right. I might find that I'm imagining the problem but I won't know until I go back to my preferred balloon tyres.
On it's own the 'feel' problem is pretty irrelevent but the things are so hard to get off that I'd rather have the odd puncture on an easier tyre.

 

[jerrysimon]

Mussels, we have (balloon) Marathon Big Apples fitted on one of our bikes. Great suspension and the kevlar belt seems to provide adequate punction protection (so far)!

Regards

Jerry

 

[alban]

Understand the concern was with removing M+ tyres in the road but this seemed a good video re putting them on in the first place!
YouTube - ‪How to fit a Marathon Plus Tyre.mp4‬‏

 

[steveindenmark]

It is a Schwalbe tyre so of course it is worth the hassle.

Steve

 

[Oiseaux]

Understand the concern was with removing M+ tyres in the road but this seemed a good video re putting them on in the first place!
YouTube - ‪How to fit a Marathon Plus Tyre.mp4‬‏

Another tip to add to previous comments and this good video, is that when you get to the last section that we all struggle with, as well as making sure both sides of the tyre are in the well, also go to the opposite side of the wheel of that last section and then pinch the tyre between thumb and forefinger and pull / stretch the tyre in six inch sections towards the last section. You obviously need to do this to both halves. This is in addition / substitution to what the demonstrator was also doing as he tried to get more slack up to the last section. Hope that makes sense.

 

[flecc]

As I've pointed out with this before, leave putting the last of the tyre on at the point of the valve. Completing the valve part earlier as shown is wrong since it makes more difficulty, the valve preventing that part being fully pinched in towards the centre.

Complete all the rest first, then finish at the valve. This goes for all bike tyre fitting, not just Marathon Plus, and especially with the fatter Schrader valves. Taking off a tyre, do the reverse, take the valve portion of the side off first.

That's my advice from years of tyre fitting in the trade, and I only rarely use tyre levers to get tyres off or on.

 

[Scimitar]

That's exactly the opposite way to me. I do the valve part first but push the valve into the body of the tyre, ensuring it can't get pinched, then work my way to the other side.

 

[flecc]

Pinching isn't the issue in my advice Dave, it's the width of the valve preventing the tyre being fully squeezed into the rim centre well at the valve point, making less slack for the tyre to go complete going on. Leaving the valve until last gives a little more slack.

Like so many trade and ex trade people, doing it that way I only occasionally need tyre levers to get tyres off or on.

 

[lemmy]

Whatever the other good are bad points of these tyres, on my 2 bikes they made cycling a solidly reliable means of transport for me. From a situation where I would get a puncture on average every two weeks, sometimes every week, I have now not had a puncture at all for 15 months (I know, I know, I shouldn't have said that )

On neither my Brompton with 16" wheels or my 28" Kalkhoff ones did I have any undue trouble fitting them.

As far as I am concerned and given the roads around my part of south east London, they can have no fault that over-rides their central asset - puncture resistance.

 

[flecc]

Likwise Lemmy, one slow puncture in five years which allowed me to ride home, and that was avoidable, caused by me stupidly riding over piles of cut blackthorn on a cyclepath.

During the same period I've lost count of the many punctures in my non-MP trailer tyres and that's only done a fraction of the bike's mileage.

 

[eddieo]

The daahub wheel comes with a "Kenda K1088 700C x 35C puncture resistant e-bike tyre"

How do you think this will compare for resistance against the M+

should I buy one Kenda for rear wheel, or a pair of M+

The KTM bike (on its way) has "Schwalbe Marathon Cross" are these any good?

 

[flecc]

The Kenda puncture resistant ones I had on the Torq and Quando for the best part of a year had no punctures at all, so good for me, but others have posted about a number of punctures with them, so nothing proven.

The Marathon Cross is a dual purpose tyre for on and off road and is said to have puncture protection. It's probably got kevlar in the tread construction. Here's the details

 

[eddieo]

The Kenda puncture resistant ones I had on the Torq and Quando for the best part of a year had no punctures at all, so good for me, but others have posted about a number of punctures with them, so nothing proven.

The Marathon Cross is a dual purpose tyre for on and off road and is said to have puncture protection. It's probably got kevlar in the tread construction. Here's the details

Is there a cross version of M +

dual dont sound as good do they?

what do you think re "Marathon Plus Tour"

WOW! the M + are really heavy tyres!

 

[flecc]

The Marathon Plus Tour are also dual purpose for rough stuff as well.

All the Plus ones are heavy due to that thick puncture prevention inner layer, the cost of high protection.