Marathon Plus HS 348

A friend sold me some lightly used 700x28 (300 mi) ones for $20 ea because they were too heavy for him. One blew off the rim and damaged the tire & bead after I re-inflated it; I think it was probably user error on the install. They were very difficult to install the first time, but once you get the hang of it not an issue even on the road.

I mounted the tires once on my bike, and I've ridden it just over 2500 mi. I ride a fixie, but I don't skid stop. Even so, the rear tire underwent heavy wear, given all the braking and accelerating was on that tire, not to mention with the rack and bag attached there is a heavy rear bias for weight distribution. I'm a little disappointed in the wear and tear on the tire; I switched from Gatorskins to these, so I was hoping for equivalent wear when the tire weighs so much, but they didn't last nearly as long.

Not once has it flatted over the horrible Seattle streets, despite hitting glass, thorns and staples. For a rear tire on a bike with horizontal dropouts, this is a big win. I bought another one because of it, and they truly do live up to their puncture-less reputation.

Downsides? They're heavy. Slight hit to speed over Gatorskin slicks (-0.5 mph). Difficult to mount. Minor, but they have a minimum inflation pressure, which might have been an issue if I wanted to run my tires soft.
Pro's? They never flat.
Would buy again? Already did.

I have had these tires (32mm) mounted on my LHT for 4 years (front tire) without one issue. The concern about changing a flat may seem valid, but in practice it's moot, since it won't flat. I have 6000 miles on the front tire and have ridden through all seasons (and we have seasons in Madison, WI) with no issues. I wholly endorse. Someone mentioned the tire being heavy...maybe, but steel touring bikes are heavy anyway, and I regularly travel at 20mph, so I wouldn't label them as being difficult to spin up and the rolling resistance is also moderately low while offering fair to excellent grip in most situations. Consider your commutes training rides, and concerns about weight fall away. The rear tire has been replaced due to wear (regularly carry rear panniers), but still made it 4000 miles with no issues. Heat, rain, gravel, no worries. Buy some.

I was on the Sunday afternoon ride with the Salem Bike Club when my odometer rolled past 8,000 miles, all of which are on one set of Marathon Plus tires that have never had a flat. Most of this was on pavement but a significant amount was on gravel and dirt roads. The tread on the rear tire has worn down and I'll probably replace it later this year. The front tire still has good tread wear and will probably go to 10,000 miles before being replaced. Wear on the rear tire is explainable by the fact that I am 6'4" and weigh 225 lbs.

I ride a modified Gary Fisher Super Caliber 29er (handle bars up and back, comfortable saddle, rack, GPS, and front fender and spend most of my time by myself riding the country roads around Salem, OR. A flat tire is something that I want to avoid, so the local bike shop recommended the Marathon Plus. In addition to great wear, the tires give good traction on wet pavement and cornering.

I have replaced my original 700x32 tires with Marathon Plus 700x32 tires as my rear tire was wearing out. I was able to change the front tire without a problem but the rear tire took about 1 1/2 hours to put the tire on as I had to use a tire lever and a Quik Stik to get the rear tire on the rim. Other than having difficulties with my rear tire I do like these tires and I'm riding my bike twice a week to work now.

I guess I should have read the comments here first as I see using velcro cable strips makes the tire easier to put back on the rim.

I ride across some of the worst roads in America...not because they're poorly laid (they are for the most part) but because too many thoughtless people toss their bottles, metallic trash, bolts, screws, fishing tackle, and other garbage onto the shoulder (and bike path). Yesterday, I was putting up my trike and the rear wheel had a tack-nail sticking out...it had penetrated maybe about the thickness of one's little-finger fingernail and bent over; I easily picked it off the tire like a sticker, and could not even find where it had been sticking. Amazing tires; 5 mos. so far and over 500 miles on them without a single problem...when I have no option but to ride through someone's broken bottle-glass, I can hear the tires crush the glass...and keep on going confidently. 1.35 on the front and 1.75 on the rear...they are great!!

What size can I go up to on my Giant Seek 1? I will be putting fenders on. Current tire size is 700x32. What size best for road and rail/trail? Thanks. CVille VA

I did finally get a puncture after three years, but only because I let the tire wear completely through to the blue inner liner and then rode on that for a few weeks.

Lots of miles with no flats - true. As other posters have mentioned, they are heavy, hard to get on, and they spin out of round. In addition I think they are pretty klunky looking. This isn't a negative review, if you are having a problem with flats or loose rear-end, this tire is a problem solver. However, having a flat with these out on the road would be a nightmare, I can't think of a harder tire to work with on the edge of the road, dismounting and mounting this tire takes real effort and a controlled environment. You'll probably end up up callng for a ride. And, did I say heavy? At speed the rolling resistance is OK, but I the acceleration is definitely affected, slow. So, glad this tire exists but the negatives will probably lead me to replace with a different marathon. To end with a positive, if you have been having reocurring problems with flats and wishy-washy rear end, have to ride terrible roads, want to be as bullet-proof as possible - these get the job done.

I am using the Marathon HS 368 700-32C on our Santana road bike tandem now, but I am thinking that for a cross-country trip I should use Marathon Plus HS 368 for the puncture resistance. Is there much difference in size between the HS-348 700-28C and the 700-32C? I am wondering if the smaller tire would work better (easier to pedal) than the 32C. Or is the larger tire preferable for absorbing bumps with 360 pounds total on our tandem. Any suggestions?

Have had several punctures in a short timeframe and finally parted with my money and bought two Marathon Pluses.

No punctures so far (100 miles). Even more important is the complete confidence that I now have. I can enjoy the ride rather than concentrating on where I ride.

A tad heavy, but I don't notice a significant deterioration in performance vs my previous slicks. Besides, slight reduction in speed equals greater reliability and confidence. No brainer for me.

Spend the money and buy the SMPs - you'll not regret it if you ride regularly or commute daily.

I now run Marathon Plus HS 348 on my Bacchetta Giro 20 - 26x1.35's this is the best tire I have ever used. I ride in the UpState of Greenville,SC. Our roads have trash all over them. I just tried a 700x32c on the back and I can get a lot more out of the bike. So what I need to know is which size is the closest to the x1.35 - 700x32c,35c,38c or45c? My front is a 20" x1.35 and I want to stay with this sizing can anyone help?
Mark

So, the other day I was riding my Trice T home from work, and somebody had weed-whacked an entire traffic strip of goatheads right out into the street. Seriously, my tires picked up so many that they looked half brown while I was rolling fast. I've been on this set of tires for 2500 miles, so I was sure that the smartguard wouldn't be up to that many thorns. I came to a stop, and pulled at least twenty unbroken thorn heads from my front two tires, mostly the right. So many were already broken off, though. I was sure that I should expect my first flat in a year. Amazingly, I made it all the way home, and used pliers to pull at least 20 more broken thorns from the tires. I'm sure that some remained embedded in the tires. Even so, it's been three weeks, and I'm still not losing pressure. (For the record I use innova heavy duty tubes, but no inner liner and no slime). I'm amazed, and absolutely sold on these tires. I do wish they were a little faster, but they get me to work every time.

I've been having trouble with flats lately. Always seem to hit a piece of glass at the worst possible time. Just put a pair of marathon plus tires on my touring bike. While it's too early yet to tell how durable they'll be, they ride wonderfully!

No flats in 1500 miles. Used as a commuter 32 miles a day on roads that have lots of broken glass and debris on them. They replaced the specalized brand armadillo elites that I used to ride with (and like quite a bit for their low weight and handling performance - but their flat protection is no where near as good as the marathons - I was getting a flat per week with the specalized brand tires). Ride speed averages 17.5mph for me, which is lower than what I could get when using the specalized brand, but the flat protection is way better. One commentator below said that the improved flat protection is not worth the drop-off in performance; but not for me during my commutes... I'm ok with my 16 mile commute taking literally two or three minutes longer. I pump them up to their maximum rating of 115psi for lower rolling resistance. I am repacing the rear because the tread has worn through and the blue stuff is starting to show. One thing that I do not like about the tires is that they appear slightly out-of-round and have bulges on them. I can't feel these during my ride but it is disconcerting to me when I maintain the bike.

RoadKill (or JoeSoMD from www.bikeforums.net)

Marathon Plus Tires are are not that hard to mount once you know the proper technique. As another person pointed out earlier (thank goodness), the key is to use velcro cable strips (one or two) and the tires go on snugly, just slightly harder than other typical tires.

Four of us just finished a 2000km tour from the prairies to the west coast of BC, with about 1000km of training beforehand. The other three guys had the Marathon HS 368, I opted for these, and I'm glad I did. The other guys had a couple flats each from road debris and I had none. Still lots of life left in these tires.

People would be stupid to take anything else on a long tour.

I was tired of looking for the "perfect" tire ... tough, comfortable, reasonably fast, and narrow enough to fit my fork. After several tries and plenty of frustration, I gave in and ordered a set of Marathon Plus 700x25's. I'd thought about it many times, but opted against them because of the many stated complaints in the weight, slow feel, and difficulty in mounting. I should have ignored all of that and listened to my gut, which told me they might be just what I need.

First ... they were NOT difficult to mount at all on my Velocity Fusion rims. Yes, the bead wants to pop back out at first, but a couple of velcro cable ties make it very simple and quick. No need for tire levers ... they went on easier at the end than most of the other folding bead tires I've tried. No special liquid or soap necessary ... they went right on without issue.

Second ... yes, they're heavier, but they certainly don't feel "slow" to me. Let's face it, if top speed is your goal, then you shouldn't be looking at a touring tire in the first place.

Third ... while it's hard to call ANY 700x25 high pressure tire "comfortable", I actually find the ride to be quite nice. I'm guessing the SmartGuard layer adds a bit of cushion and soaks up some of the road vibration. To me, it feels smoother than the so-called "supple" tires running at the same psi.

Finally, while I haven't used them long enough to speak for their puncture resistance, I now have a certain confidence that flats will be few ... that's worth a lot to me.

Thanks for a great tire!! Now I just need some of your tubes ... any thoughts on which valve length is best for the Velocity Fusion rim? It seems the 40mm might be too short, but the 60mm is awfully long.

I just finished a 3500 mile self-contained tour with these tires, no flats and the tires look like I just put them on. I was pretty consistent about keeping the pressure in them each morning but have nothing but praise for them.

I have a set of 26x1.75 marathon Pluses fitted to my steel hardtail (recently retired to commuting and touring duties after 5 years of XC). They fit and roll very well, especially for quite a heavy tyre. Wet traction is excellent and no flats to speak of, which is great because my commute is thru dodgy areas often beyond daylight hours. I have noticed a slight bulge in the sidewall of the rear tyre. They have been inflated to 80psi and ridden conservatively, not yet fully loaded for extended touring. Is there a known issue with bulges in this tyre, as with another type of Schwalbe?

I just finished the Seattle to Portland (STP) bicycle classic last weekend. I had a tire blow out on glass 1 day before the event. I quickly purchased 2 Marathon Plus tires because the last thing I wanted was to have lots of flats on a 202 mile ride. They rode smooth and worked great (my other team mates had 4 flats). I highly recommend this tire for long rides!

I just fitted my second set -- I can't stand punctures especially when it's dark, cold, and wet. The first set was on a previous bike and was a great experience.

The previous tyres were 700x32 and fairly easy to fit. The new ones are 700x28 on 14mm rims and were quite hard. In the end I used a cable tie to hold both beads in the rim while I worked the second bead in. I used tyre levers for the last section. This probably wouldn't be a problem should I ever have to remove them (unlikely) as they will wear-in and conform to the rim after a while.

On my first ride this morning I didn't notice much difference over the Maxxis tyres I was using the day before. The main difference is with the thick tread I don't feel every little stone and crack in the road or on the trail. This gives the erroneous impression they are not as 'responsive'. This is not the case -- actual riding is little different to conventional tyres. A couple of rides and the 'newness' will disappear. It's a comfortable ride for a high-pressure tyre (I run them at 90 psi).

And the best thing: complete peace of mind as I ride over shards of glass. These are expensive tyres but how much is your time worth fixing punctures? At my rate they pay for themselves in under two punctures.

Walter Plinge
Melbourne, Australia

My daily commute is 15+15 miles 5 days a week. I used to get flats weekly; my route is that heavily strewn with an incredible variety of industrial debris. Did this tire, did that tire. Finally, with the Marathon Plus, no more flats, and a plushier ride. Wow, that was different.

After a few months with no flats I switched to Marathion Racers because I got fast-tire-envy. Nice! A fast, sweet ride. Perfect!...but then the flats came back. I had to accept the treachery of my particular route and went back to the Marathon Plus. Heavy? So what. Slower? A tiny bit but who cares? I'm commuting not racing. I've had no puncture flats at all, at least not after about 4,000 miles, never been late for work or other appointments.

The really neat thing is that when I go back to the Marathon Racers (for a non work commute route) or my other bike with a fast set-up, I then really fly down the road.

Also, on a shortish 500 mile tour, my well mapped route suddenly became a dirt road with ever changing proportions of sand, gravel and washboard. Glad to have these 1.75" tires.

A final comment: I dread tire changing as I'm not the best tire/tube changer. But these gave me no trouble, in fact, I do not need tire levers to reinstall. But that is me, with my specific equipment.

I ride fixed gear mashing and thrashing the sin out of my wheels. Laying down skids at 30 in traffic and trick nights (aka what can I jump my fix off/on) are both very common. The blue foam skids great! I killed my first marathon in 2 months, but I was working 4 days a week at a ski hill. I did not get a single flat in that time though. I did botch a bunny hop at speed, it was a 4 step, taking the roundness out of my deep v but not getting a flat. The complaint I have is... When the foam on a vittoria is skidded off the tire still has the inner carcass to go through. You know for sure to get a new tire. I though these would be the same way, nope! Once the blue foam is gone there is nothing left as a warning. So with blue showing all the way around I still expected to skid it till there was... nope flat time! So I am wondering how long this one, my second will last. Maybe 6 weeks? Guess it depends on how much I go climbing...

The grooves in the tire should be .5mm wider. Small rocks tend to stick in there instead of releasing. The sidewalls should be made stiffer for better handling. Also consider changing the compound for easier rolling and dry performance, it's too far towards wet performance.

This is all compared to the original tires with it's thick block treads (26x1-3/8") that has lasted, believe it or not since the late 60's and thousands of miles with no flats. Expected modern tire technology to match or exceed the old stuff.

As far as mounting, I had no problems. Pretty typical install. But the tires seemed a bit deformed which made seating the bead on the rim (and keeping it there inside the rim) and inflating the tires quite an experience. Probably due to the tires hanging on a hook for a period of time before it was sold. Lost/blew up a few tubes too because of the seating problem. The original tires had a deeper overall rim bead and better hooked rim section. As it is, going over 60-65psi with the Marathon Plus is not an option or wise choice with my tire size. Maybe after a few hundred miles and the summer heat the tire will return to their original shape and allow higher air pressures without blowing off the rim.

My surly long haul trucker currently has a pair of worn out 26 X 1.5 tires. I am leaving for a xc trip in a few weeks and want to get a pair of marathon pluses, but they aren't sold in the 1.5 inch size. If I get the 26 X 1.35 size will that tire fit on the current rims that I have? Or should I start looking around for a different tire. I've heard good things about the marathon plus so I'm hoping it will fit but I just don't have a lot of experience in this area and don't want to spend all that money for a tire that won't fit. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

My wife and I spent 3 weeks in January on a bike tour of southern India. We choose the Marathon Plus 348 - 26 x 1.75 tires based on reviews regarding puncture resistance and rolling resistance. These were mounted on our hard tail mountain bikes outfitted with pannier bags as we were carrying our own gear. The tires performed flawlessly. Rolling resistance was minimal and we felt confident when moving from pavement to soft shoulder to get out of the way of speeding trucks. We had no flats despite having rolled over stuff that would have punctured other tires. On a trip to Burma a few years ago, where we used another type of tire, I ran out of inner tubes and nearly out of patches with all of punctures we received, which is why we invested in the Marathon tires. They are a bit heavy, however we carried no spare tire and could have saved weight on fewer inner tubes. I would also recommend the tire lube Schwabe sells as it helps with centering the tire on the rim.

Norm

I need to put a pair of the Marathon Plus tires on a Look 555 with an HSC4 fork (HORRIBLE roads!!), and would like to know how the sizing plays out for actual inflated width/height. In the past, some 700x28 tires fit, and others don't. For example, a T-Serv 700x28 fits in the fork, but just a hair too tight for practical safety. The same tire in the rear is fine. The fork issue is not width, but height.

I'd like to run with the largest size that will fit, so any input on sizing is welcome. I would be using the tires on Sun CR-18 rims, if that makes any difference. Also ... how would the Durano Plus 700x25 compare in terms of flat protection? If only a 700x25 tire will fit, it may be another option.

I recently had my 3 speed Humber outfitted with the Marathon Plus. Rode great first couple of times. A big step up from the 40 year old originals. Love the ride. Pumped them up the other day to 85 and put the bike away. Just went out to take a ride and the front tire bead was dislodged and the tube flat. Strange, since I had more than a few hours of riding over the last couple of weeks with no problem. I am reading about the stiffness of the bead - is it possible it wasn't seated right, and when I pumped it up the bead somehow pinched the tube on its own? That would be a new one on me. Any clues?

I lived in the UK, and there are extensive cycle paths that are far away from the roads. They are often strewn (well, at least in York) with large shards of broken glass, nails and thorns. Think drunk teens and construction sites.

I had my commuter (Gazelle) fitted with them, and found them bullet proof. I inadvertently ran over shards of glass that dug into the tire, but never made it past the blue liner. Tacks, screws and small nails might work their way into the tires and the only sign I had was the ticking sound when the metal of the offending intruder tapped into the pavement.

I have bought many a set of Schwalbes, including their Stelvios and Marathon series. I never needed to replace them and recommend them without question.

As to the issue of dampening the ride, it's a small price to pay. There are costs and benefits to every choice and I prefer safety and reliability over a small penalty in perceived performance. Carry a bit less, lose some weight or whatever and you more than make up for it.

As an aside, I feel that it is to Schwalbe's credit they allow this forum to exist and not censure negative feedback.

I don't have many miles on mine yet, but I wanted to start with this.

I just got these in 700x32 size for my hybrid tourer. My rims are Specialized 622x17. I've changed many tires in my day. These are by far the hardest to install on my rims (which I've had several different tires on over the years). I had to use 5 tie-wraps and 2 stiff levers to get the bead to stay in. This is the very first time I had to resort to the tie-wrap trick to get a tire on. I sure hope they're flat resistant because I'd hate to change one by the side of the road! I better pack some tie-wraps.

I know ease of mounting is a variable that depends on both the tire and the wheel, but I've never - ever had this much trouble with any combination before. I wish you better luck than I had.

26 x 1.5 Please.

I'm replacing 700x38 Infinity armidillos with 700x35 Marathon Plus Tires which seem to be similar. Hope the Marathons are more flat resistant - have had numerous sidewall problems with Infinitys. Also, the Infinitys allow up to 100 psi inflation, vs. 85 max for the Marathons. Wondering why such similar tires have different max inflations? I am a 210lb rider, and my old Trek 750 is fully decked with bags/lights/tools, so I assume I want to max out the inflation for the load? Any experiences comparing these two tires?

After 5 flats during the first 1800km on my Trek Hybrid, I installed the Marathon Pluses. 4000km later, I have only experienced one flat and that was a 3/4" long, #8 wood screw. Despite the screw in the front tire, the blue goo allowed me to continue to ride almost all the way to work before the pressure was so low I had to walk. The blue goo also acts as a passive suspension system, smoothing the ride on my hard-tail bike.

I know I am probably tempting fate, but my confidence in these tires has grown to the point where I removed the pump, spare tube and tire levers from the bike. Initially I was concerned with the weight increase over the original Bontragers, but the difference is not noticeable at all.

I won't look elswhere when its time to replace these. Peace of mind is priceless.

How about giving us this tire in 1.5 x 26 and 1.5 x 20. Your current tire I use Marathon Racer is great on dry pavement or when no sand is around.Would like to see a more aggressive tire like the Marathon Plus. When can we see the marathon Plus offering these sizes soon ? Or is there plan for a new recumbent tire in these sizes?

I have a kmx trike st class. I have had many flats and wearing issues on the Maxxis hook worm tires that came with the bike. Are these Scwalble tires good to replace the ones I have. I am looking for some dependable 16" front tires.

We started tandeming with a bike with stock rims and 700-28 tires. We are tall couple and our team with bike weigh over 425 lbs. We found out the hard way that our stock setup was not up to the task. The front tire flatted from overloading leaving us scraped up in a junkyard parking lot. I did my research-new wider rims, Cross 4 lacing with the biggest SS spoke, and the HS 348 in 700-35. We returned to the road as well as hard-packed trails. Hundreds of miles later, No Flats, No Problems, and Silence from the lady in the back.