I can't see why anyone would run the Marathon Plus or Armadillos unless they had to deal with goatheads or ride through glass strewn minefields... they are expensive and heavy and a tyre like the basic Marathon will stand up to a lot at rolls out much better.

I probably sound like a shill for Schwalbe tyres but over the last 5 years and well over 50,000 km I have tested a lot of tyres and always found myself coming back to Schwalbe.

The new Silentos are making me a pretty happy camper... the more I ride them the more I like them for their smooth sure ride and good handling qualities but have yet to take them off road. For $21.00-$27.00 (reflex) they are a pretty good deal.