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Why are Schwalbe tires so popular?

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Why are Schwalbe tires so popular?

Old 04-23-19, 08:53 PM
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Why are Schwalbe tires so popular?

I noticed a lot of people running this brand of tire...is it like the ultimate race tire brand?
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Old 04-23-19, 08:54 PM
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by the way, how do you even pronounce this brand? I´ve always called it Swa-bee.
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Old 04-23-19, 09:00 PM
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I don't think anyone considers them "race" tires.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwal...e_manufacturer)
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Old 04-23-19, 09:09 PM
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Schwalbe makes great recreational/long distance/touring tires that are very puncture-resistant. They're not known for making good race tires.
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Old 04-23-19, 09:14 PM
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Originally Posted by Obeast
I noticed a lot of people running this brand of tire...is it like the ultimate race tire brand?
Nope.

Originally Posted by Obeast
by the way, how do you even pronounce this brand? I´ve always called it Swa-bee.
I think maybe shwahl-buh. I'm not German, though, so don't take my word for it.
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Old 04-23-19, 09:16 PM
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Click on the link to get the German speech: https://translate.google.com/#view=h...&text=Schwalbe
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Old 04-23-19, 09:16 PM
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I first tried the Schwalbe Marathons on my tandem. Other tires had failed before the tread was worn down on my tandem. I notice that commuters and people who tour like them also. I really don't know about racing.
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Old 04-23-19, 09:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Obeast
I noticed a lot of people running this brand of tire...is it like the ultimate race tire brand?
They are highly regarded in the MTB world for a wide variety of tires.
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Old 04-23-19, 11:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Obeast
by the way, how do you even pronounce this brand? I´ve always called it Swa-bee.
Sch-Vaal-Buh
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Old 04-24-19, 12:22 AM
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Schwalbe is mostly regarded for its Marathon tires popular for touring bikes, commuters, etc. Folks who use 'em say they're great values, durable, with reasonable rolling resistance and ride quality for puncture resistant tires. I've been satisfied with Michelin Protek and Continental Sport Contact II tires for similar purposes.

Schwalbe One V-Guards were really good, reasonably priced road bike clinchers. A little prone to nicks and cuts, but felt light and smooth rolling, with low rolling resistance. Naturally they discontinued that model. I haven't tried the tubeless version of the Schwalbe Pro One.

I switched to Continental Ultra Sport II, which are good values but not the same as the Schwalbe One V-Guards -- more durable, less prone to nicks and cuts, but a bit harsher at high pressure and a bit mushy at lower pressure. Still the best low price road bike clinchers I've tried.
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Old 04-24-19, 12:36 AM
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Maybe they all are confused with Les Schwab

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Old 04-24-19, 01:23 AM
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The Marathon range are very puncture-proof. They also last long. I wouldn't class them as performance tyres. They are fit and forget high-quality tyres that will lessen the fear of getting a puncture.
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Old 04-24-19, 04:40 AM
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Old 04-24-19, 04:43 AM
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Common, cheap, lightweight, good range, good guard against punctured. Ive been using them a few years now.

But I've had reliability issues. One puncture was from the tyre's steel belt fraying. And I've had the sidewalls split on two. Never had reliability issues with tyres before I switched to this brand, but did have a lot more punctures..
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Old 04-24-19, 06:55 AM
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Originally Posted by Shimagnolo
Click on the link to get the German speech: https://translate.google.com/#view=h...&text=Schwalbe
cool but I've been pronouncing it like the English version
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Old 04-24-19, 06:58 AM
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I've only used their studded winter tires on road bikes, hybrids & mountain bikes. which have strong stiff sidewalls that don't deform much w lower pressure. but they do change shape enough to tweak the stud contact patch (if that's the correct term)
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Old 04-24-19, 07:07 AM
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Why is [blank] so [blank]?

Who thinks [insert premise here] is [insert provocative judgment here]?!

Ugh.

So anyway, don’t know that they are or are not, but I have a pair of Schwalbe Durano Plus 28s at the moment on my vintage Cannondale and I like them. Light enough, soft-feeling rubber, but stiff and durable sidewall yet not too hard to get on/off... no complaints.
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Old 04-24-19, 07:10 AM
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"Schvalb". It means "Swallow", which is why their logo is a bird.

As others have said they're great puncture-resistant tyres. Here is, for example, a review of their popular Marathon Plus model: https://www.bicyclerollingresistance...thon-plus-2015

I don't know if their road bike tyres are good for racing, but I've seen a few commuter-type road bikes with them online. There's some reviews here but I've yet to piece through them: https://www.bicyclerollingresistance...&min=7&minpr=7

I do know - anecdotally - that Continental seems to get plugged more than Schwalbe on some other bike communities when the question of road tyres comes up.

M.
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Old 04-24-19, 07:24 AM
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Originally Posted by canklecat
Schwalbe One V-Guards were really good, reasonably priced road bike clinchers. A little prone to nicks and cuts, but felt light and smooth rolling, with low rolling resistance. Naturally they discontinued that model. I haven't tried the tubeless version of the Schwalbe Pro One.

I switched to Continental Ultra Sport II, which are good values but not the same as the Schwalbe One V-Guards -- more durable, less prone to nicks and cuts, but a bit harsher at high pressure and a bit mushy at lower pressure. Still the best low price road bike clinchers I've tried.
Are you talking about the HS448?
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Old 04-24-19, 07:35 AM
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In an American bike store, my experience is they're always called "shwall-bee". If you used the correct German pronunciation "Shvalbuh", you would just get blank stares.

Marathon Plus is a good combination of puncture resistance and speed--obviously there are faster tires out there, but none of them would be as puncture resistant. Plus, I like the reflective stripe on the side! I run 36s on my cyclo bike to make it a long-distance road bike/light touring. Works very well for that--I can ride for hundreds of miles without thinking about my tires once, which is my goal for that kind of duty.
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Old 04-24-19, 07:47 AM
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Schwalbe G-One Allaround are definitely a gravel racing tire.

They are light, supple, grip like chrome stuck to a bumper in the dry and wear out in <1200 miles.


-Tim-
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Old 04-24-19, 07:48 AM
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I really don’t think you can make many generalizations about Schwalbe tires.

They make some highly rated studded tires. Most top lists consist of them and Nokian.

They make many very highly rated mtb tires that you will find being used for XC, Enduro, and DH racing. Nobby Nic, Racing Ralph, Hans Dampf, Muddy Mary are a few.

Some Swalbe tires are heavy and bomb-proof, some light and more delicate. Some cheap, some very expensive. Some have hard, long lasting compounds, some soft and sticky.
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Old 04-24-19, 08:04 AM
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I've been wanting to try a set of Schwalbe tires named after that '80s band. You know, Durano Durano?
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Old 04-24-19, 09:21 AM
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They pioneered tubeless tires for bikes and were the first manufacturer to consistently produce lightweight tires that work well tubeless, for example that have consistently tight tire beads that don't leak sealant.

Bear in mind that tubeless high pressure road tires are still in development and I wouldn't completely trust them. Tires need to be fairly low pressure to work well tubeless, for example 40mm gravel tires running about 45psi are good candidates for tubeless, but 25mm at 105psi not so much. Much of the push for fatter road tires and rims comes from a desire to run tubeless on the road. Eventually we'll have reliable tubeless road tires. They'll be fatter but about the same weight as skinny + tube, or about 330gm. The answer to deteriorating roads and crappy chip-seal caused by national debt and endless warfare are tubeless tires.

Last edited by Clem von Jones; 04-24-19 at 09:40 AM.
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Old 04-24-19, 09:36 AM
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I had a set of the Race One tubulars. Pretty good. Not as good as Vittoria, but pretty good. They seem to be better known for commuting/touring tires. I put a set of the reflective Marathons on my kid's school commute bike. Heavy but bombproof. Would recommend.


Last edited by caloso; 04-24-19 at 01:03 PM.
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