I commute daily in all weather and do loaded touring. I am on my second set of these tires. I rode my first set for 9,200 miles with only one flat at 7,900 miles. By the amount of tread wear, I probably could have gotten another 1,000 miles plus out of them. I changed them only because I wanted a fresh set of tires on a 9-day tour. One criticism frequently heard is that these tires are heavy. Heavy compared to what? On tour or commuting in the rain in the dark, reliability and the resultant peace of mind are paramount. Hard to mount? Perhaps, but you only mount them once. Like any new tire, they are stiff. But I was able to mount them with fingers only (patience and easy going is the trick). Rims might make a difference - I use Velocity.
I've been rocking this tire on my back wheel for a couple years, and have yet to get a single flat (knock on wood). This tire rocks!
Looking for a good puncture resistant tire with a good rolling factor this is the tire. Use these tires on all my bikes in the city with great success of no flats.
So far so good. I like the new tread pattern. Works well for my urban commuting needs. Grippy in the wet anf I would say it rolls faster than the older pattern. Some say they're slow but I think you just need to understand that what you may lack in speed you more than make up for in puncture resistance. You know you only get flat tires when you actually have to be somewhere.
Best multipurpose tire I have ever had on ANY bike! Super durable & great performance/handling in both wet and dry conditions. They are a tad bit on the heavy side, but I'll take that in exchange for their toughness.
Would reccoment these tires for any city rider/tourer. Great traction, durable, no flats in hundreds of miles and the reflective sidewall is a nice touch for visability. Can be difficult to mount the first time but worth ever minute.
St Petersburg, Russia to Madrid, Portugal, 5000 miles no flats. Buenos aires, Argentina to Lima Peru also 5000 miles and no flats. No tires better.
I have crossed the country with these tires several times and they are the most puncture resistant available with good mileage as well. The initial installation is difficult as the edges are stiff but if you ever need to change one they will remount much easier.
These are absolutely the best tires I have ever had. I road from San Francisco to Portland, Maine, and never had a flat tire...4,000 plus miles, and continued to ride on them when I got home for another 1,000 or so. I have them on all my bikes and will continue to use them as long as they are available.
Rich from Sacramento, CA
I have used these tires on a vintage Raleigh Touring Bike for the past 2 years. With nearly 1500 miles on them I am yet to have a flat. My most recent purchase will put them on my hybrid bike as I prepare for a trip down the Katy Trail this summer. Best tires I have ever used. Make sure you get the Marathon PLUS tires...not to be confused with just the Marathon version.
I use this tire on my commuting bike. It has been great. 1 year of riding and no flats (most important consideration). There is still plenty of tread. It may be a little less supple than other tires but since I don't want a flat at 4am this is a wonderful tire.
I love that fact that I haven't got one flat since I've got my Scwalbe marathon plus tires.The down fall is that you lose speed ,but I guess ill save the Schwalbe Ultremo DD for the friendly races.
I use this tire on my winter commute bike, 27 miles round trip daily over surface streets littered with glass, sharp objects and crumbling pavement. 7,000 miles over the past 2 years, with only 1 puncture on the rear from a rather large piece of glass. Pretty reliable tire for sure!
Put Marathon Plus tires on my touring bike over 10,000 miles ago with only 2 flats to date. This purchase was for my second set which I plan to mount this spring. Ride rural highways and back roads and these tires just keep on rolling. Stock tires went flat every other ride. Highly recommend these tires to keep you rolling and not on the roadside changing tubes.
This tire works well on my old beat up 7100 trek. I use this bike for errands around town, mostly paved roads and some hard packed dirt. No flats so far. This is a much better tire then what the locale bike shop had to offer (prices about the same).
This tire has that hard rubber feel to it so flat tires are not likely. If you do get a flat it will be by something big and aggressive like a big nail of large cactus thorn (I live in a desert). Tire also has some kind of built in liner so no need to add that liner strip you can buy at the bike shop.
My first impression is 'awesome'. I use these on my 'city' bike, which is also my 'beater' road bike. I get a smooth ride with the 28s and great handling, especially cornering. I don't worry about all the small roadway debris and patches of sand that I might with my 23s.
Bought these tires to replace tires that had over 4,000 miles n them and seemed to keep getting flats!
I love these tires, they were easy to put on. Inflated them and they hold air forever and (knock on wood) I haven't had any problems.
Best commuter tire I've ever used. Zero flats in almost 2 years of daily loaded commuting.
Switched the front and back when rear showed wear.
Hard to mount first time. Use zip ties to temporarily hold tire.
These tires will not get you on the podium
I am a 4-season bike commuter (37 mile round trip), and have switched to a set of Marathons for the winter cycling season in Seattle. One thing I need in my daily commute is a sure-footed tire that is not prone to flatting. The Marathon comes through nicely in both counts. They are significantly heavier than the gatorskins I use during the spring and summer, but well worth it for the winter riding security I need. I recommend these tires.
I have ridden these for thousands of miles on city streets and they have been almost puncture free. They are heavy and very difficult to mount when new, but if reliability is the priority as it is for me, they are outstanding.
Hi,
Thanks for the review! We don't actually recommend swapping your front and back tires—instead, we suggest moving your front tire to the back and purchasing a new front tire. The rear tire does wear faster, but it's important for your front tire to have a good tread, since the majority of your traction will come from the front tire.
Thanks, Stacia