
I bought this as a commuter tire as I can't afford to spend time changing tires during my commute. I was surprised on how comfortable these tires are. Definitely better than the Conti's / tire liner combo. I have full confidence in these. Weight-wise, I don't care and unless you are planning to race, neither should you. I'll put another set in my touring bike.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
I use these on my commute to work. Not any flats yet. Thought they would be tough to install, but they were as easy as any other tire, just view the you-tube video.
Good stuff, best tires I own.
These are the most puncture and wear resistant tires I've ever ridden. There is a weight and liveliness penalty, but that's not why you buy them. Owned three different sizes on different bikes, never a puncture in many thousands of miles. Rear tires last a few thousand miles before wearing through to the blue layer. They handle fire roads and limestone trails well. Very round and they mount well, too.
In the past three years, I've put 4,000 miles on a set of these tires, riding roads and trails on my touring bike loaded with 220 pounds (gear and rider). I've had only six flats, all on the rear tire, each flat caused by a metal nail or screw that would have flattened an automobile tire. I think that's a pretty good track record - good enough for me to stick with this make and model for my next set of tires, and good enough for me to recommend this make and model to others.
Another feature I like about these tires is the reflective stripe on the sidewall. I think this feature improves my visibility to drivers when I'm cycling roads during twilight hours.
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