Originally Posted by DeadGrandpa

I used to ride Schwalbe Marathons or Marathon Plus tires. They are very robust in their construction and last many, many miles. Pumped up to a pressure in the middle to upper part of their recommended zone, the ride can be described as "riding on frozen garden hoses". They are simply not very flexible in the sidewalls. The rubber is very hard. The tread lasts for thousands of miles. I don't recommend them. I have changed to using Continental Contact Plus and Continental Contact Urban tires. I can't say how long they last but they are holding up well so far and the riding experience is much more pleasant. I believe the tread is much more grippy than the hard rubber of the Marathons, which is important for maintaining traction. If long tire life is your only criteria, get the Marathons. If the all around tire performance is what you want, the Continental tires are a good compromise with only a little sacrifice in lifetime mileage.