Originally Posted by
ripkin
Ok.
So I’m sorry if I missed like 10,000 discussions of this in the forums already, but I honestly couldn’t find a bunch of posts in one place I could understand about this.
I have tried the Schwalbe website, the “rolling resistance” tire website (which is awesome btw, if the ppl who do that site are on here, kudos)—but I’m still not understanding why this company has made 300 different tires that are all supposed to be puncture resistant for commuting.
Can someone clue me in?
I am a 250-275 lb rider commuting about 80-90 miles each week, and hoping to find a tire that can support my weight, be comfortable for 45 min trips, and not be ridiculously heavy (the commute is hilly and has about 25% gravel). It also needs to be as flat resistant as possible — the city parts of the commute have some debris I can’t easily avoid: I have flatted on a weird industrial staple, shattered safety glass, and what I think was probably a crackpipe or else some kind of little beaker from chemistry class. Each time my tubeless setup (700x40mm gravel tires or 29” 2.0 MTB tires) sealed it enough to get me to the end of the commute, but after that the tires wouldn’t hold air at the pressure appropriate for my weight.
Needless to say, I’m sick of tubeless, so I’d like to just switch to tubes, and would probably swap out to a studded version for winter.
Is anyone willing to share some thoughts on the differences between the Marathon Plus/GT/Tour/Allmotion/Mondial tires?
I haven’t ever commuted on something skinnier than 700x40mm, I suppose I’d be open to trying that, but I guess I just figured since I’m a bigger rider I should stick to the fatter tires.
Thank you in advance for the info!!
Schwalbe Marathon Plus offer fantastic flat protection but do so in the most low tech way. I mean, it's not that much of a stretch to simply add more rubber which is what they've done. Sure, the rubber they add is softer and more flexible to minimize rolling resistance, but the Plus' are pretty damned heavy as a consequence. I prefer a lighter approach and through my own long term research have found two legitimate alternatives.
Specialized Armadillos incorporate a Kevlar layer. Of course they're not the only brand to include a Kevlar reinforcement layer, but what sets them apart is their layer goes bead-to-bead and the Kevlar is woven in a patented way which they claim makes it far more effective against puncture and cuts. I have found their claims to be true. The Armadillos are incredibly flat resistant and at a much lower weight than Marathon Plus'. The Armadillos are also made of a very durable rubber compound while still providing very good grip in the wet. However, it's no secret that Armadillos are a stiff ride. The focus is decidedly on flat protection and durability with comfort an afterthought.
The Continental Top Contact II is another tire offering a fabric flat protection barrier. They use Vectran which they claim is superior to Kevlar for puncture and cut protection. They also use a special weave and claim that Vectran is more flexible than Kevlar. The Top Contact II's are also fantastically flat resistant. However, the Conti's Vectran belt does not extend bead-to-bead and as a result the tire is lighter and the ride is far more supple than the Armadillos at the expense of lesser sidewall protection. The rubber compound is very durable, but in my experience not as durable as the Armadillo. Conti's wet weather grip is superior to Specialized as well. I find the Top Contact II's to be a very comfortable tire offering excellent grip and decent wear.
Schwalbe also makes a Vectran belted tire; the Marathon Supreme (mentioned in a reply). I've no experience with the Supreme but note it's lighter weight and higher price than the tires above. I would expect at the widths you're considering the ride would be plenty supple. It would be reasonable to assume comparable flat protection. Availability is an issue for me so I've never really made the effort to seek them out.
Just a little background - I'm a Clyde regularly commuting through Oakland CA (aka The Broken Glass Capital of the World). Depending on the neighborhood, a flat can be a serious problem. Having used Marathons, Armadillos, and Top Contact II's I can say that flat protection among these three is essentially equal. Considering no pneumatic tire is 100% flat proof, at the level of flat protection these tires provide any difference is mostly hair splitting. I'm certainly no weight weenie, but if the protection is so very similar with all three choices, why would I choose the heaviest of the three? My fleet is a mix of Armadillos and Top Contact II's. I have been moving toward the Conti's for all new purchases. I've come to enjoy the more comfortable ride even if it means a slight reduction in wear (mileage). I realized a long time ago I could get excellent flat protection without the heft of the Marathon Plus so they haven't been in my garage in years.
I hope this helps.
-Kedosto