I'm in need of a couple 700/25c puncture resistance tires to replace the old seemingly original gumwalls on my old '84 Motobecane road bike. So, I was shown a pair of Schwalbe Marathon tires that appear to be pretty stoutly made , the sidewalls feel a lot stiffer and they have what looks like an integrated firm blue liner. Although looking through some threads on the forum here I hear Gatorskins mentioned quite a bit. So are they about the same puncture resistance wise? Cost seems about equal. @ about 120.00 a pair. WOW! I Love this bike but that's exponentially more than I paid for it! Can anyone recommend an equally puncture resistant less costly alternative. or is this just the way to go? I've heard a few drawbacks on using tire liners. And would prefer just getting better tires

Specialized Armadillo Elites are also a great option, and they can be found for $90/pair in 700x25c. The Marathons are incredibly heavy (for what they are, relative to other tires), and the Gatorskins can lack traction in the wet. I've tried all 3, still use Gatorskins and Armadillos. The Marathons have an issue that can be avoided with the other mentioned options, and that's a wire bead. There was a run of bad Marathons that had the wire separate from the bead and cause punctures, and I found myself in possession of some of those tires. The Gatorskins and Armadillos can be had with a folding bead, and they tend to be easier to mount and quite a bit more supple/flexible.

I have only used gatorskins, and a short stint of older armadillos. I have seen marathons, but never used them. I think the armadillos ride better too, but I rode them on a different bike so it could be related more to the bike...
I would go armadillos. Mine, even though I got on a used bike have better grip confidence then the gatorskins, while also being a little larger when inflated. I would only do marathons if I lived in the inner city and had lots of flats, on the years I had used gatorskins I can't remember any flats here in suburbia and the bike trail. I rode mostly gatorskins in 700x28 which measured 26-27mm. My armadillos are 700x23 and measure 24mm. All on old rim brake rims.

Schwalbe tires are cheaper in Europe.

Maybe check www.bike24.com and see if it's cheaper to have it shipped from Germany.

It's not just tires. Many things bike related are cheaper in Europe.

It’s funny that wife and I had the tire discussion for our commuter bikes. We both can’t be more impressed with Schwalbe Marathon + on our touring bikes.
Thousands of miles on both bikes and more fingers than needed on one hand to count the flats.

my700x25 Mplus arrived today. It will replace a Gatorskin that also served me well. Her hardshell Gatorskin is on the way. I think what persuaded her was the difficulty of installing the S.

in my online research, I do not think you can make a mistake. You will read many opinions about ride quality. Perhaps I am not sensitive enough but for getting from home to my pickleball game and other places, I am not concerned about weight or cornering. They both do well on flats. I think Schwalbe Mplus are the better for preventing flats.

I would chose the Marathon for Touring Bikes , I use mine on my hybrid and they are absolutely flawless whether wet road, gravel, mud and rain.

I'm not fond of heavy tires but if I had to, I would recommend either the Schwalbe Marathon + or the Vittoria Randonneur Tech.

My personal choice is Continental tires. Gatorskins are long lasting and seem fairly puncture resistance, however I do believe the Marathon series of tires and the legions of confirmed aficionados may be a real testament to their absolute toughness. My choice for the toughest tire is the Marathon.
I have also used Armadillos, however not in a very long time. The ones I had were right up there with the Gatorskins. Zero flats in 5000 miles on both Conti and Armadillos.

Do the Schwalbe ride like concrete?

Good Info Thanks seriously appreciate it,👍👍

Dried concrete!

I swear by the Gatorskin 700x25's

An analogy that comes to mind is this:
A tank is designed to survive a combat environment through the use of armor that is designed to absorb damage. An old WW1/2 type tank has thick armor plates that keep projectiles from penetrating, but those same armor plates prohibit rapid maneuvers and keep the maximum speed low. Current 21st century tanks have employed the use of much lighter materials in their armor, while also taking advantage of advancements made in the understanding of how armor works by maximizing angles of deflection, thus increasing penetration resistance and also allowing for higher maximum speeds and better maneuverability.
The Marathons are the early tanks in this case, and the Gatorkins and Armadillos are the 21st century tanks in comparison. Not a perfect analogy by any means, but you get the idea.😁

I have used all three and currently have Armadillos on my endurance bike and Marathon Green Guards on my MTB/Hybrid.
Zero flats for all three over several years.
Ride quality is fine but then again I have never raced or care to push my limits where I am descending because I'm already injured.
The Marathons on my hybrid are 45 mm at 1 KG each and acceleration from a stop is slow.
I am satisfied with both because it is about fitness and mitigating risk so being fast and keeping up with a group is not my concern.
I have NOS Marathon Supremes waiting in a 40 mm to replace the Green Guards so I'm hoping the bike with less rotational weight will be more responsive.

Try the Schwalbe Durano. As good as the gators and much lighter.

I've had good luck with my gatorskin 700x25's on an old Trek 1.1 road bike. Gatorskins are made like tanks and could run through molten lava without going flat. I never understood the hate Gatorskins get on this forum. Gatorskins are a good, practical tire for those of us NOT trying out for the '28 Olympics or Tour De France.

I preferred Gatorskins over Marathons based on the GS being lighter and more enjoyable to ride. Puncture-wise, I honestly haven't spent enough time with either because I don't like heavy tires. I really do wonder whether it's better to just run tire liners with a GP5k or something, vs. a Marathon or Gatorskin.

What about the Pirelli Cinturato Velo ? I am considering swapping out my 38 Marathon+ for tuebless 35 Cinturato's and putting the Marathon plus on the wife's hybrid.

https://www.bicyclerollingresistance...rato-velo-2018

If your absolute first priority is durability, get the Marathon Plus. If you’re willing to sacrifice a little durability (and traction) for a little more speed and less weight, get the Gatorskin. In other words, touring = Marathon, road riding = Gatorskin.

No kidding. As of this month my wife has 20,500 miles on her 28mm Marathon Plus tire, still going strong. Granted she's a light rider and it's on the front wheel, however she does have front panniers. We are cycling around the world and she's been using the same tire for 15 months.

I am running the Vittoria Randonneur Techs size 32 on my hybrid for years with no flats, plus they are relatively light, supple, grippy, and durable. I got them from bike24.

I've gone back and forth between Gatorskins and Marathons on my commuter bike as I have pairs of both. Gatorskins by a New York mile. I hated riding the Marathons when I put them on last summer as a touring tire. I commuted for years on Gators in New York City, never once had a flat. For the tour I was planning I'm going to use the Gators if I ever do it.

I like Gatorskin folding for that type of tire. For my use, there's not a huge difference in the ride feel and the weight isn't awful. Note: I'm not saying no difference, but no great difference. They work fine.

another GatorSkins user here

I'm glad I found this thread, I'm fixing to put wider rims on my bike and was wondering the exact same thing. I've been running a set of Gator Hardshell 700x23 for what seems like forever, I've got many thousands of miles on them with only one flat: I was running 120 psi and a very thin needle of spring steel managed to poke its way through. Other than that, I've ridden through a ton of nasty stuff with no problem: actual piles of glass, auto wreck debris, all kinds of things. I can't speak to how they feel in the rain, but man those things are tough.