I bought a couple of marathons a while ago, and after a couple of weekends of trying to get the bloody things mounted I gave up and took them to a bike shop. They got them on somehow, but a few days later the bead in one totally shattered and pierced the tyre, in short it was shot. Then I took it to a reputable bike store and the guy put a replacement on in front of my eyes. He said it was all down to technique, but his technique looked no different to mine. So I wonder if some of them are just tougher than others. I had a tyre jack and everything but it didnt help one bit.

Fortunately I rode all the way across america without a single puncture so I didn't have to worry about fixing a puncture on the road. So while they may be a real pain in the arse to get on, they're definitely worth it once on!