Commuting - How does Vittoria Randonneur Cross compare to Schwalbe Marathon & Marathon + ?

The Vittoria Randonneur Cross or the Cross Hybrid 700 x 35c tires are at a 15% discount compared to the Schwalbe Marathon with the kevlar belt. 40% less than the Marathon Plus.

I do about 3,000 miles a year, mostly on a carpet of broken glass on city roads, some hardpack paths of rock, gravel and dirt. No snow or ice.

With two anti-puncture belts the Vittoria Randonneur range look interesting. But will they last the distance?

Your experiences most welcome.

I haven't used the Vittoria, but have heard good things.

I've used the Schwalbe Marathon Plus on a touring bike. It lasted 3500 miles on the rear wheel of a loaded touring bike with no flats while on tour. After the tour it's seen another 200-300 miles, still without incident. It has a noticeable flat spot in the center of the tread, so it's getting time to replace it. They're heavy as can be, but tough and long lasting.

The regular Marathon is pretty tough too. It probably rides a little nicer, but doesn't have the same puncture resistance or life span.

That's very interesting. I've had a Marathon Plus 700x35 on the rear for 2,800 miles city riding at 70-85 PSI with about 70Kgs weight on it - and to date only one very slow flat. No noticeable signs of wear at all.

I had 5,000 miles from a Marathon which I just took off the front after it wore down to the soft under compound. I plan to put the new Vittoria on the rear and move the Mararthon Plus to the front to give it an easier ride to maximize its lifespan.

The Schwalbe people told me when you start getting lots of nicks, cuts and pebbles/glass fragments embedded in the rubber that's the end of its working life. Or in the case of the Marathon Plus when you 'see the blue' under layer. So unless you start getting flats don't toss the Marathon Plus until you literally see the blue. There may be 500 or more miles left in it yet.

The Schwalbe people told me when you start getting lots of nicks, cuts and pebbles/glass fragments embedded in the rubber that's the end of its working life. Or in the case of the Marathon Plus when you 'see the blue' under layer. So unless you start getting flats don't toss the Marathon Plus until you literally see the blue. There may be 500 or more miles left in it yet.


Good to know how far I can push my tire that far. I've been so happy with the Plus that I plan to get a new set after this one's done.

In that case I would definately swap front and rear tires right now, and look forward to get at least another 1000 miles from the original set maybe two. The key signs of nearing the end will be when the hard wearing outer compound has worn down and you start to see signs of abrasion and embedded particles.

They are (comparatively) heavy but nearing the 'fix & forget' tire which you never change until they're through. For commuter reliability (which could save your job) and touring comfort they are winners - on anything but snow and ice, when they're effectively as bald as slicks.

I've taken a set of Randonneur Cross tires for a few hundred miles of city riding, including rolling over broken glass and taking detours through alleys, and I haven't had a problem.

The Randonneur Cross is a great tire & will go the distance. Never got a puncture in my set.
The only thing bad about them is that they don't fit on Shimano rims very well.... lots & lots of cursing needed to get them on & off.

I just got back from a fully loaded midwest tour with my Randonneur 700x35s, they were excellent. Ive also ridden singletrack with them, still good, mushy in the corners (as to be expected) I had a set of Randonneur 700x28s on my fixed bike as well as on a trainer/roadie when i lived in the mountains - i am sold on them. and at 490g/700x28, they roll pretty fast for how tough they are. snow and ice? eh... gravel, potholes, muck, glass, metal, etc? oh yeah!

I've been riding the Vittoria Rando's for 2 years. The first set was the touring (smooth) 700x35 and this summer put on a set of the cross. The touring are good. I only had i flat which was my fault, a pinch flat the first month I owned the bike and didn't check the pressure. The Cross (700x35) are great. No flats in 1000+ miles, smooth rolling with lower resistance than the touring tire. They aren't the fastest if compared to a street tire, but I'm not really looking for fastest. My riding is a mix between road, gravel paths and a little dirt. I highly recommend them.

Steve

I can't speak for the Schwalbes, but I've had great luck with the Randonneurs. I've been using a set for over 3,000 miles. The rear tire is considerably squared off and the front is a bit, but judging by the picture above, I have hundreds of miles before threads start showing.

In 3,000 miles on terrible, crap-strewn roads, I've gotten one flat, and I don't think any tire could have avoided it:

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/8776/zingwn5.jpg

Patched that up, and they've been good for another two thousand miles or so.

Also no experience with Schwalbe, but plan to try them on my geared rig when the Bontrager knock offs I'm running give out and they have held up well. On the other hand I run Randonneurs on my fixed gear, great tire and I ride through alot of glass and road debris not had a problem. Not ran them terribly long though, ran michelin for years before this, don't get them for free anymore.

I've only heard good things about both tire though.

I've only got 200km on the Randonneur so I can't comment on longevity or puncture resistance (except to say, 'none so far'). What I do like about them is how sure footed they are on dry roads, wet roads and gravel. My average speed has increased of late too so while I'm not going to blame the tyre for that, I can say that they don't slow you down. I like them.

Richard