Is Schwalbe Marathon Plus much wider than others?
 

Hi,

I used to use bontrager and armadillo tires in my commute. As its getting dark early, I decided to get schwalbe because it has reflex side wall.

I got a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Plus 700x28c. But they are so wide that they can wrap around my rims.

Vendor told me different manufacturer measure tires differently. Is it true? The size can vary so much? A mechanic told me it must be a mis-print but he did not see a schwalbe before...

Or Schwalbe requires some special skills to install?

My wheels spec below, they have no problem take other 700x28.
Size: 700C X 18MM clincher
Profile: 30mm

Thanks!

Hello...I'm not sure what you mean by "they are so wide they can wrap around my rims"...I have a Marathon Plus in 700 X 25, it seems to be accurate (about an inch wide when looking down on it with a tape measure across it). The Marathon Plus tire is notorious for being hard to mount (do a search and you will get a lot of very helpful tips). My first try at mounting mine (10-20 minutes) was a failure. I got frustrated and had to come back later and got the tire on with a second pair of hands (my wife's). I had to dismount and mount the tire a couple of times by myself (once because the stem was crooked). By the third try I could get the tire on by myself in under 5 minutes. I also read that after the tire is mounted for a few weeks it gets a lot easier to mount/dismount. It takes patience and technique to get the tire mounted the first time. (in one thread the poster wrote about using ties to keep the tire in place as they worked it onto the rim).

This thread mentions zip-ties:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...light=marathon

I recently had a set (marathon 368's, not Pluses) that where built out of spec, they'd fall off the rim once mounted if you set them down. Too wide of a diameter for the bead to seat so they'd blow out once you put any air in them.

If you mean the bead is wide (they flare out to the side) so you need to press it into the rim, that's normal.

Most tire makers label their tires wide, for example Conti 4 Season 28mm are really 26mm on an Open Pro rim. In my experience Schwable tends to give accurate widths for their tires. My 25mm Marathon Pluses are very similar in size to my 28mm Contis.

Thanks Guys for your reply.

Yes, just like what you said, it is just very hard to install. But finally I put it on the wheels.

At first look, I really could not believe the tires are road tires though.

Thanx for the reminder!
 

I have been meaning to lay in a supply of cornstarch especially for mounting new tires. As a dry powder it is very slippery and a great help for that last 1/8 of the circumference of the tire that refuses to go into the rim. I hate when that happens.

If a tire mounts this hard I would think it should not be used with your rims. How will you fix a flat on your way to work? I have shallow rims ( sun-rims cr-18 )that most tires are hard to mount onto them. I have found that Michelin city tires will mount and dismount with my bare hands. Not my fav. tire but I can change a flat with no fuss on the side of the road. I guess it is what I would like to call a good commuting combo.

I have the same tires and easy to change tube in em with just hands. They are ok tires that suck in the wet though..lol know first hand about that.

That's the point with Marathon Pluses. A complete bear to mount but you have to work really, really hard to actually puncture one in use.

I had a similar problem with them falling off the rim when I set the tire/rim on the ground. I held the wheel flat in my lap and rubbed the bead with a little dish soap. They were a PITA the first time, but they mounted much better with the help of the soap and metal tire levers.

Hard as hell to get on the first time, but easy later after you've ridden them a while. I was worried about changing the tire in the case of a flat, but it was a non-issue. Don't worry.

The Kool Stop tire jack can be a big help in mounting Marathon Plus tires the first time. It also helps with the Stelvio Plus tires, the stiffest kevlar bead tires I have ever seen.

Schwalbe's webpage on tire dimensions, which discusses rim sizes.
http://www.schwalbetires.com/tech_in...dimensions#rim

These rims are on my SS in combo w/SMP 25mm tires and have had 1 slow leak(front-from the gravel road portion of my commute) w/them. This bike for is used for commuting, though it's primary purpose is fun/recreational. All my bikes are equipped w/SMPs because I HATE getting flats. Used to use Nu-Tecks, but the rolling resistance got to be a grind. So I went to, arguably the best commuting/touring tire in the market. In over 12,000 miles of muti-purpose cycling on 3 different bikes I've had 2 slow leaks and 1 bonified flat. The 2 slow leaks were pinch flats and the one flat I DID get was from a 2" self-starting screw. It was buried so deep into the tire I had to use my phillips screwdriver attachment on my multi-tool to unscrew it. :p

Would recommend 28 or 32mm SMPs for CR18s if commuting under load as the 25mm are a little 'flat' for carrying weight w/those rims. I wanted the option of running a seatpost rack/trunkbag combo w/my SS, so I chose the CR18s because of their strength/price ratio. Have a 36h 4x on the rear and a 32h 3x on the front. My primary commuter has Alex R500s and I run 28mm SMPs w/them. Were I to go to CR18s I'd probably go to 32mm as I use this bike for alot of utilitarian purposes as well as commuting.

Sorry, thread drift...:o Yes, the SMPs are a little bigger all around than standard because of the extra layer of rubber. This, also creates a little more rolling resistance, but the trade off for a(almost) flat free existance is well worth it.

After using SMP 28's for two years (about 5000 miles), I recently switched to 25's.

I had expected the 25's to be a bit harsher, but I've found just the opposite...they actually seem to ride smoother, even when loaded.

The 25's also weigh a lot less than the 28's, resulting in a livelier and quicker feel.

What is so far unknown, however, is how the 25's will compare in terms of durability.

The 28's were bulletproof - only 1 flat in 5000 miles (due to a big sharp roofing nail that hit it just right). I routinely removed pieces of glass, metal, and thorns that had failed to penetrate (I also run thorn resistant tubes).

FWIW, I ride a Surly LHT, with Mavic A179 touring wheels.

For touring, I'd mount the 28's, but for commuting and around town, the 25's are proving to be (for me) a better choice.

+1 I commute on either 25 or 28mm marathon plusses - they tend to be about the size that they claim, which is bigger than most other 25s or 28s. Separate from that is the fact that they are a PITA to mount. They are very hard to get on the rim. Good news is that once on there, you won't have to take them off until they are worn out. I have a SMP 700C28 on the back of a utility bike which has over 6000 flat free miles on it - this is a rear tire on a bike that is almost always loaded with panniers and is ridden in all sorts of bad weather over bad roads.

Mine fell off once mounted, they where too wide of a diameter at the bead. If you'd set the tire down, the tire would pop out of the rim. Never could get a bead-seat, they where too big. Another set of shwalbe, and every other tire I've used have been at least difficult to get on, these would slip on and off to easily.