Marathon Plus owners please help
 

Love the tires, but I can't go through wrestling with them to get them on and off any longer. Could you please tell me if there are any tire levers that work best with these tires? (I finally got them off using steel levers from Canadian Tire but in the process poked a hole in the tube). Sigh. I use 26 x 1.75. Thanks.

I just drop off the bike at the LBS and pick it up a few hours later.

Paul

I had heard that they were supposed to be hard to mount and dismount. I was very pleasantly surprised, I didn't have any issues at all getting them off to put on my Nokian Mount and Ground studded tires.

I have broken two sets of plastic levers working on some older bikes, so I had the LBS order me some plastic coated steel core tire levers.
These are them: http://store.somafab.com/stcotile.html
I have been very happy with them.

The Kool Stop bead jack worked well for me for initial mounting of a pair of Marathon Plus tires.

http://www.amazon.com/Kool-Stop-Tire...0326749&sr=1-2

I have not needed to remove them yet as no punctures but may do so tomorrow as we just had a big snow storm hit the area. I need to get my studded tires mounted.

I use the Lezyne Alloy Tire Levers from VeloOrange. They are small enough to take in my ride along tool kit but very strong and I can bear down on them as much as I like with no fear of bending or breaking them.
I've switched out my Marathon Winters with Marathon pluses and back again with them on both Sun CR18 and Rhynolite rims with no problems whatsoever.

Thanks for your reply. That's just what I'm doing - putting on my M&Gs for the winter. I'll check the levers out.

Thanks. Well, that's the thing. At first I wondered if I was just out of practice because I've had no punctures either. Just putting on the Nokians. I really like the Schwalbe's - it's just frustrating (although the back tire was switched out in less than five minutes for some reason - the front one - my goodness, I nearly started using my teeth).

Thanks Randomgear. I appreciate the help. I'll google those levers and see where I can get them.

Marathons consistently rate as one of the more problematic tyres to mount... sometimes you get lucky and they go on without issue but they tend to be a pretty tight fit on that initial install.

I always powder tyres prior to installing them and this helps the bead slide over the rim's edge and helps the tyre seat properly and prevent pinch flats... I have simple Schwalbe levers and if I do need to use them, they have worked well. I rarely need to resort to the shop grade steel levers for anything and with these you need to use caution as they can damage your rims.

After they have been installed removal and re-installation is much easier as the bead stretches just a tiny bit once the tyre has been mounted and inflated.

I put mine on with Pedro's plastic levers. The first time I did it, it seemed absolutely horrible. However, since that time, I've done this many times:

1. After you ride them a bit, they are easy to mount and unmount.
2. When you have new ones, it helps to kind of let the air almost completely out of the tube (after you have have it positioned correctly...). It might help if the tire wasn't cold. And you kind of have to ease it on, without trying to risk breaking the lever.

However, a factor in this is the rim you are mounting the tire on. Some are easier than others.

I second the Kool Stop jack. I've heard nothing but good reviews for them over the years.

Among different tires, I also have Marathon Plus and I do not recall particular difficulties with those. I generally insist on using plastic levers because they can serve as a gauge for correct procedures in mounting or dismounting the tires.

There are of course some tire-rim combinations that are tougher, but, most often, the difficulties with tire mounting reveal inexperience on the part of the cyclist. The cyclist may do a poor job in mounting or dismounting the tire, but, as long as the tire is forgiving, it may not matter.

One place where good advice is given on tire handling is the site of Sheldon Brown. The essential issue is that of handling the bead when attempting to get the tire on or off. At some stages, the bead needs to be in the valley of the rim and at other close to the edge. A plastic lever being at the verge of breaking is an indicator that the cyclist is off-track in his procedure.

P.S. A good occasional exercise, maybe not possible with every tire-rim combination, but possible with many, giving an insight into the process, is that of dismounting and mounting the tire with bare hands only.

I give an A+++++ to the A-Plus as mentioned above by "Tatfiend"!!!!

I only need it for new tires...I also use a little bit of liquid soap on the bead....

Once the tire has a few miles on it, if I get a flat, I can always take off and put back on by hand. I am running 700 x 28's

LOL, me too, just took them off Sunday to put the studs on, I don't find them easier to take off once they are on the first time. I hope with all my heart that I never flat while out riding when those tires is mounted. Bead jack will work to get them on, but you just need multiple levers (more than 2, 4 is better) to get them off, making sure all are in position before you pop the first one, and then hope you have enough strength to keep going and enough hands or parts to keep all of them simultaneously engaged !

Agree that they are hard to mount. Last time I was putting one on, when I got to the last (almost impossible) bit, I used some lube that is intended for pulling cables through conduits - the stuff that I used was the thick yellow stuff, I just put a little on the rim and got the tire on with a plastic lever, then cleaned off the rim. I rotate my tires front to rear, so when the rear wears out, I get a new one to put on the front, and put the partially worn front tire on the rear - I find myself replacing the rear after about 6000 miles (12,000 miles per tire total), so I don't replace the tires that often. I have yet to have to remove a SMP on the road as a result of a flat. Currently using the SMP 700C25s, was using the SMP700C28s.

If you are doing this at home, a little soapy water on the bead will work wonders, and save the ears of the impressionable people who may be in your general vicinity. We also sell mounting fluid, but it's kinda spendy considering that soapy suds work pretty much just as well.

http://www.schwalbetires.com/accesso...mounting_fluid

I have not used the Kool Stop tire Jack, or the Lezyne tire tools, but I know both companies make very nice products. I use the Pedros tire levers, and have been very satisfied with them.

I share your frustrations in putting these tires on. I needed multiple tire levers and wondered if these were even possible for one person to put on. I managed eventually but for a while I thought I’d have to get my neighbor to come over and hold two or three of the tire levers while I worked the others.

I second the advice about a lubricant. The Schwalbe mounting fluid looks perfect. I didn’t have that but sprayed my rims pretty thoroughly with WD-40. This helped a lot. Of course I had to clean my rims pretty thoroughly after that but there were no long term bad effects.

Good luck, they are great tires once they are on.

Use zip ties!

When you have a section with both beads within the rim run a zip tie around to hold it in place and move onto the next section, then repeat the procedure until done, you won't have to go back because it's like have many arms to hold it together, when it's done, make sure it's all good then partially inflate the tire and check it.

I believe it. Even so, my experience with tires is that certain rim+tire combinations don't work. Of course that won't help OP; but it explains why some of us have more trouble with these tires than others. I have a Marathon Plus on the rear wheel (Sun CR-18 700c) of my tandem, and it's not particularly difficult to manage it. I have a regular Marathon on the rear wheel of my folding bike (Alex 16 x 1.5) and it's so loose I don't even need levers (but seating it can be tricky).

Would it be okay to toss these in the clothes dryer for a minute a la the recommendation made in the latest Bicycling mag so that the tires soften up and are easier to stretch?

My experience differs from some as I have worked as a mechanic and have my own little shop... I change and install a great number of tyres from many makers and have sold a lot of Schwalbes of many flavours.

I always tell people that if they are going to be self installing the Marathons that they can be problematic and most folks will opt to have me do it... it's a matter of using perfect technique and tools and saying the right prayers to the bike gods.

The smaller sizes seem to be more problematic... the 20 by 1.5's on my folder were a pita to install initially while the 26 by 1.5's on my longbike and touring bike were not nearly as problematic.

I can hand set just about any tyre but if there is a consistent exception it is Marathons.