Touring - Marathon Supreme Tires ?

Any opinions on the Marathon Supreme ? Its a bit pricey, but is reportedly good in resisting flats, and has good rolling resistance. I realize the marathon plus has better flat resistance, but were looking for something a bit lighter, the supreme seems to be half the weight of the plus. Any thoughts?

I've been running them on my touring bike for two years.
At roughly the 200 mile point, I found a massive slab of glass in some road debris and put a 5/8" slice in the sidewall of front tire.
Booted it, rode it 20 miles home with the boot bulging out the side, then replaced it.
It seems like I had one flat in the rear since then, but don't recall the cause.

I'm impressed with the longevity, considering Kojack tells us the rubber is the same soft variety they use in their racing tires.
The rear tire took on the squared-off profile over a year ago, but I've yet to see cords showing.
I have a new one hanging in the garage for that event.

I just put some on my hybrid (they came with a wheelset I acquired). I can vouch for the low rolling resistance; I went from 25 mm Marathon Pluses to 35 mm Supremes and actually beat my best time riding home Monday night.

EDIT: The Supremes are apparently not as bulletproof as the Pluses. I started to get my bike together for tomorrow and... had a flat. Turned out a tiny little sliver of glass worked its way in and got through the belts to the tube. Kind of disappointing.

I found the tread to be very puncture resistant, the sidewall not as puncture resistant. I'm running the 26 x 1.6 Supremes, they are a good lightweight, easy rolling tire.

Any opinions on the Marathon Supreme ? Its a bit pricey, but is reportedly good in resisting flats, and has good rolling resistance. I realize the marathon plus has better flat resistance, but were looking for something a bit lighter, the supreme seems to be half the weight of the plus. Any thoughts?

Your impressions are accurate. I bought some 20" Supremes that had some dissapointing bumps in the casing that affected ride quality. On the other hand I've got a 700x35mm Supreme that's moved around a couple of bikes from front to rear over the last two years and it along with a 35mm Marathon XR and those two tires are the only ones out of five different brands that have had no flats in two years of nearly daily riding. I've ridden through glass where the Supreme didn't get a flat and a Vittoria Randonneur and Panaracer T-Serv have gotten glass from slivers or metal staples. The rubber sticks well on wet roads. There's places where small small bits of rubber have torn off and it's evident there's a tough casing underneath.
When I've changed the Supreme it's with the idea that I wanted something faster but then I get more flats.
I don't know of other tires that fit the niche for durability, light weight, low rolling resistance and puncture resistance as well as the Supreme. I'd like to know if there are because the Schalbes are stupid expensive.

I don't know of other tires that fit the niche for durability, light weight, low rolling resistance and puncture resistance as well as the Supreme. I'd like to know if there are because the Schalbes are stupid expensive.

In this, I reckon you get what you pay for. Schwalbes - the pluses as well as the supremes - are just better than the competition, imo. And I like their ultremos on my road bike, too, they're ridiculously grippy.

No experience w/t Supremes, but have read they have better grip in wet weather and have less rolling resistance than the SMPs. I've got 3 sets of Marathon Plus on 3 different bikes and have had 1 flat and 1 slow leak in over 15,000 miles of commuting, utility, touring and recreational road cycling in the last 2.5 years. Am planning a tour of several weeks in the next 2 years and my tire of choice will definately be the SMP.

I used 700x35 Supremes on my fully loaded LHT for the Northern Tier this summer. I replaced them with the same thing when I passed through my hometown at about 3500 miles. I had two flats up to that point, and none during the final thousand or so miles.

The two flats I had were both from thin wires that poked through (from radial tires, I suspect). I didn't have any problems with glass or the like.

I'm sure I could have finished the ride without replacing them, but my thinking was that by replacing them with some life left I could use them on my commuter, and "put the LHT away" ready to go for next year.

IMHO, the Supremes are the perfect balance of weight, rolling resistance and puncture protection for road touring / utility cycling. I'd much rather deal with a flat every 2000 miles than deal with the MUCH heavier Marathon Plus. I'm no weight weenie -- they are dramatically heavier.

How do the Marathon Racer 366 tires compare? They seem to be a bit lighter. How about durability and puncture protection?

How do the Marathon Racer 366 tires compare? They seem to be a bit lighter. How about durability and puncture protection?

I found them to be reliable. A lot of toughness simply comes from how much tire is there, all else being equal.
I also found them to have a hard ride.

I am riding Vittoria Rando Hyper 32c at the moment, it's similar. They accelerate better, the toughness is similar and they handle a little better in corners.
I like them a little better. They are easily the fastest large tire I've seen. But I'd suggest trying the 35c to get a slightly nicer ride from them.

They aren't a touring tire, neither is the Racer. But both are a good compromise if you want a tough tire that isn't horribly slow.

Supremes ride very well - good grip in wet and smooth rolling. But they get more flats and wear out faster than the discontinued Marathon XR. (~3500 versus ~7500 miles rear)

If money is no object, you don't mind a flat every couple of hundred miles, and you put on fresh rubber before every (month plus) tour anyway, the Supremes are your tire. If you prefer (many) fewer flats and want the tires to last for the longest time possible (and you can't score an XR) then you're stuck with the very heavy (but much cheaper) Marathon Plus.

Recentlly, however, I've been changing my mind about the Plus. Over the past two months I have been husbanding my stock of 37-622 XR's by using 28-622 Pluses while unloaded. I haven't noticed their heavier weight and the blue foam barrier has prevented flats as they absorb the many thorns I seem to collect in the tread while riding here in Southern California.

I dunno. Maybe in light of the comparably poor durability and comparably poor flat resistance of the Supreme / Extreme / Dureme compound, as well as their over-the-top expense, the Marathon Plus deserves another hard look as a better replacement for the XR. They are certainly heavier, but maybe they negate the need to carry a spare. Or maybe Schwalbe will reintroduce what we all really want - the Marathon XR!

How do the Marathon Racer 366 tires compare? They seem to be a bit lighter. How about durability and puncture protection?

The 30-622 Marathon Racer runs very smoothly, but it wears out and flats pretty quickly and often (versus the XR), respectively. The 37-622 Supreme "feels better" and has noticeably better grip in the wet, but it is also much more expensive than the Racer. The Racer is another great tire from Schwalbe, but if you want meaningfully better durability and puncture resistance (and can't get an XR) you might have to consider the Plus. Maybe, you can buck conventional wisdom (as I am considering) and discount the weight disadvantage.

I mean, is acceleration really important in loaded touring?

I mean, is acceleration really important in loaded touring?

I really like the feel of a lively tire. While I balk at the Marathon Plus on the basis of weight, I think that maybe the stiff sidewall bothers me even more. I am not sure how much the SmartGuard layer affects the ride, but that may be a factor as well.

To me fixing a flat once in a while is a fair enough price to pay for the pleasure of a lively feeling ride. For those who are more put out by the occasional flat or those who don't care much about ride feel the Plus may be the right choice.

How do the Marathon Racer 366 tires compare? They seem to be a bit lighter. How about durability and puncture protection?

not enough puncture resistance for touring. Very fast riding tire in the 26"x1.5" size I tried but I got a few flats over 1/2 yr of riding. I could see using it as a front tire for touring if fast riding was important.

i taught i found the perfect tire when i came across the supream's but the first bit of rough ground i went over and the front tire sidewall split making the tire completely useless.i now carry the other as a spare.

My buddy and I both rode Supremes on our trip up the Atlantic Coast route this summer. 700x50 and 700x40, respectively. We both were very pleased with them. Fast and comfortable while riding, and neither of us had a flat in 2,800 miles.

Thanks for the info. I've decided to give the supreme a try. I liked the reports stating it's grip on wet roads, that is likely what clinched the decision.

I had a pair of Marathon Supremes and I loved the ride but they were the most flat-prone tires I've ever owned. That includes lightweight racing tires I've used on the same routes.

The flats started at around 1,000 miles of use and got to be every frequent at around 2,000 miles of use.

I contacted Marathon because I thought they might be faulty, and after sending digital images, etc., they told me that at 2,000 miles I had gotten most of the useful life out of the tires in any case and that I should either get new tires or switch to something like Marathon XR's.

2,000 miles seems like an unreasonably short lifespan for touring/commuting tires to me.

I switched to Continental Top Contacts instead.

Well, went out to ride my bike this morning and the front tire (28-622 Marathon Plus) was flat due to a thorn that penetrated the Smartguard. Sheet! 800 miles old.

I have Marathon pluses on a fixed gear commuter and supremes on my tourer. Love the supremes so much that if I can EVER wear out the pluses I'
ll reach deep into my wallet for supremes there too. Apparently not as flatproof but I've never had a flat on mine through some pretty pockmarked, glass covered pavement (watch that put the curse on those tires). Worth the $$$, and I'm a cheapskate.

2,000 miles seems like an unreasonably short lifespan for touring/commuting tires to me.

I switched to Continental Top Contacts instead.

what size were they and how much weight was on them?

Well, went out to ride my bike this morning and the front tire (28-622 Marathon Plus) was flat due to a thorn that penetrated the Smartguard. Sheet! 800 miles old.

I went to grab my folder this afternoon for my daily commute and discovered that my front tire (20 x 135 Marathon Plus) was flat. First puncture in hundreds of miles of riding over glass-strewn streets. Not sure what caused it, but there was a clean cut in the tube about 1/8" long. Did the commute on my mountain bike, which sports Marathon Plus Tours. Only one flat on those after several long tours and lots of riding around town and along country trails.

what size were they and how much weight was on them?

32's

Rider: 200lb, light commuting load most of the time.

I had a pair of Marathon Supremes and I loved the ride but they were the most flat-prone tires I've ever owned. That includes lightweight racing tires I've used on the same routes.

This doesn't seem physically possible unless you had something embedded in the tire causing multiple flats.

I'm on my second pair. (26 x 1.6) The first pair went about 2200 miles with no flats. The current set have about 1700 miles with no flats. I'm not sure how to tell when to replace them though.

Tom

I can't fathom how people are wearing out Supremes at such low mileage.
I would estimate I have ~5000 miles on mine.

I'm on my second pair. (26 x 1.6) The first pair went about 2200 miles with no flats. The current set have about 1700 miles with no flats. I'm not sure how to tell when to replace them though.

Tom
The tread starts delaminating. The sidewalls (where the XR would wear out) continue to look pretty good.

Mileage depends on total load, surfaces, and width of tire. Chipseal that experiences freeze/thaw cycles really seems to wear down the softer Supreme / Extreme / Dureme compound (versus XR).

BTW, Wallbike still shows an inventory of 37-622 XR's.

I can't fathom how people are wearing out Supremes at such low mileage.
I would estimate I have ~5000 miles on mine.

2 things come to mind: rider weight and braking style. Can't do much about the first, but braking slowly makes a huge difference in tire longevity. Also, maintaining proper inflation pressure makes a large difference in tire life.

I can't fathom how people are wearing out Supremes at such low mileage.
I would estimate I have ~5000 miles on mine.

Just to be clear -- the Supremes were the *worst* tires I've owned in the last 20,000 miles of riding in terms of flat protection. Same rider, same weight, same roads. They did not look worn out at all to me when I was running into lots of flats; I didn't think they were worn out until I started discussing it with Schwalbe.

In my email exchanges with them, we discussed 2 issues: life expectancy and flat protection. I told them that the tires had 1 or 2 flats at less than 1,000 miles, but quite a few at 2,000 miles, and continuing until I wrote them (at 3,000 miles). I said they didn't look worn, but asked them whether at that mileage I should expect more flats.

Issue one: life expectancy:

1. Here is what Schwalbe told me in an email: "Also, at +2000 miles, you are certainly already past the halve way point
for the life expectancy of theses tires." (When they wrote "halve" I think they meant "half.").

That suggests to me that they think the life expectancy of the tires is about 3,000 miles.

2. Flat protection. I sent them pictures of pieces of the sidewall that were pulling away from the tire; they said that had nothing to do with flats. They wrote that flats (as we all know) are caused by luck, bad roads, and the belt in the drive. My disappointment was caused by the fact that *on the same roads* I had a lot more flats with the Supremes than my other tires.

In terms of flat protection, Schwalbe said that I should consider using a tire sealant or one of their heavier models. Even though on their website they described the Supreme as "Exceptional. Outstanding. The best. A touring tire that can do everything" ....in their email communication with me they suggested their other models were better at protecting against flats.

So, here was my conclusion:
1. If the manufacturer says the life expectancy is 3,000 miles, that's not enough for a $69.95 tire, IMHO.
2. If the manufacturer recommends against using the tire in situations where I've encountered lots of flats, then I should switch.

I'm happy that everyone else is having good luck with them, I just didn't think I should buy another pair if the manufacturer was essentially recommending that I go elsewhere for tires that fit my needs. I now have Continental Top Contacts on my bike; I don't think they are as good on wet streets as the Marathon Supreme, but so far, no flats. And they are a relatively lightweight, not a super-heavy tire like the very heavy Marathon models.

I'm happy that everyone else is having good luck with them, I just didn't think I should buy another pair if the manufacturer was essentially recommending that I go elsewhere for tires that fit my needs. I now have Continental Top Contacts on my bike; I don't think they are as good on wet streets as the Marathon Supreme, but so far, no flats. And they are a relatively lightweight, not a super-heavy tire like the very heavy Marathon models.

What's been your experience with the Continentals? Do you think you'll get more mileage out of them than the Schwalbes?

Keep in mind that statistics will tell you the experience of just *one* person is not very meaningful.
Especially since flats are generally caused by random bits of debris on the road with the emphasis on *random*.

For example I'm pretty sure we all agree that a tire with a thin tread should be more prone to flats than one with a thick tread.
Well, over the first year I ran Gatorskins on my road bike, I had at least one flat every six weeks.
In the second year (same pair of tires) I had one flat early in the spring and *never* had another flat right up to the day late in the fall that I found the cords showing through the rear tread.
Now if I used my single experience, I could conclude that a thin worn tread was most resistant to flats, but I doubt I could convince anyone here.:lol:

Over this same two years I have been running the Supremes on my touring bike which has the lights and fenders, so it gets most of the winter riding, while the road bike gets most of the summer riding.
As I mentioned before, I lost a front tire due to a sidewall being sliced wide open by a large chunk of glass hidden in other road debris, and one flat due to either metal or glass (I've forgotten which), and that is all the flats over two years and ~5000 miles.

As for sidewall problems, are you talking about the reflective strip?
I've noticed that loose in a couple spots, but it is only a cosmetic issue.

It's like trip logs. An accumulation of anecdotes starts to point in the right direction. Sort of "where there is smoke there might be fire"...

What's been your experience with the Continentals? Do you think you'll get more mileage out of them than the Schwalbes?

I only have a few hundred miles on the Continentals.

I have had good luck with the following tires on my commuter bikes: Continental Gatorskins, Bontrager (Racelites? whatever came stock on Trek 520), Pasela TourGuards, Continental Top Contact.
Other tires I've used on these same roads: Continental 4000s, Michelin (forget model number), Vittoria (forget model number)


I agree with a point above. My experience is just an anecdote. I'm not sure it means anything.

The surprising thing to me was when Schwalbe told me that 2,000 miles was well past the half way point of the life expectancy of the tires.

BTW, they did offer me a discount on a future purchase, but all my other bikes have relatively fresh tires so I wasn't able to use it.

2500 miles, mostly loaded touring, on a set Maxxis Overdrives, 38mm. Looks like they'll be good for at least 4000. Light and quick, easy on/off. 3 flats caused by retread wires. I'll take that in a $25 tire. Screw Schwable. Bring back the XR.

I went through a pair touring this summer. The rear lasted about 3500km. My impression was generally positive. On one occasion the Marathon Supreme on my rear wheel came out unscathed after I rolled over a pile of glass, while the Vittoria Randonneur Hyper on my front wheel got two punctures. My only major problem with it is that it has very vulnerable sidewalls. I got a sidewall blowout while riding on a gravel road near the end of the tire's life. I ended up sewing the hole shut and it held until the carcass in the tread failed a few hundred kilometres later.

The 700 SMSs are flat magnets, and oversized. I've switched back to Gatorskins, and looking to dump the 26s too.

My impression was generally positive. On one occasion the Marathon Supreme on my rear wheel came out unscathed after I rolled over a pile of glass, while the Vittoria Randonneur Hyper on my front wheel got two punctures.

that is similar to my experience, Supreme held up fine through glass when a Randonneur Pro, Hyper and Panaracer Protex got flats. Seems to me that putting a Supreme on the front with some kind of heavier sidewall tire on the rear is a reasonable combo for efficiency/durability/ride quality.

So far I've been moving a 35mm Marathon XR , Marathon Supreme and other tires around on my CrossCheck according to conditions and come back to the XR on the rear and Supreme on the front when I don't want to risk flats.

Flats with the Supreme (37-622) on my rear wheel stopped when I started using a Spinskin Duro tire liner. (I've got a 28x622 Marathon Plus on the front; I'm trying to use up my last Supreme - of three I purchased - before I go on tour next year).

I am very happy with my supremes but that's just my opinion.

I've got a 700x35 Supreme on the rear of my LHT with about 1000 miles so far. Nice handling tyre but already showing a fair amount of wear. On my MTB tourer I've got a pair of 26x"" Supremes, again around 1000 miles. Great handling and fast for 26x2" tyres. The rear is shopwing noticeable wear. I've had one puncture on the MTB - a chunk of glass.

I rate them for handling, speed, and puncture resistance. Pricey though, and seem to wear fast. I'll be putting Marathon HS368s on my LHT for my next big tour.