Mickey2

I like Marathon pluss, it is my favorite flatless type, (it actually works !) Non of the other brands I have tried come close t o the puncture resistance of this tire. I go for the regular Marathon Plus because I like the easy roll threading in the tire. I rearly have the need for optimal grip on dirt roand or off road, if that is the case, the threading of the Touring version have an advantage. I find Marathon Pluss quite comfortable, haven't had any trouble with fitting it on the rim on several types of wheels. Another great thing about Marathon Pluss is they come in (almost?) any size possible, for old type rims and new, large and small. The only draw back is the weight, but for city / touring purposes it is often not a big issue. There is a new one, Marathon Delux, with a new type anti-puncture layer, but I haven't even seen this one yet. It is half the weight though.

xuwol7

I run a pair of Marathon Plus tires and they are bullet proof, I love them.
They take a bit of getting used to and they are heavy and have a somewhat harsh ride but you get used to that.
I have run over a lot of crazy stuff (not intentionally) and they can take anything.
It gives me a piece of mind knowing that I don't even have to think of flats on my long commute, which for me is important when riding through extreme cold, heat, darkness, rain, hail etc.

chrisch

Oops.. You're right. I only have the Marathon Plus.

k_randomfactor

Good grief. Am I the only person to ever flat a Marathon Plus? I must have the worlds worst luck when it comes to tires.

I like'em, and would probably buy them again, but "flat proof" they ain't.

staehpj1

Nope, my daughter has managed to flat them as well. Me, I hated the ride enough that I took them off after only a couple hundred miles, so I never had a flat with mine. IMO they are the most unpleasant tires to ride on that I have ever experienced. I'd much rather put up with the occasional flat than the dead feeling ride and the excessive weight (more than twice the weight of many other suitable tires).

Cyclesafe

I also had a flat with a Plus. It was a spear-like steel wire from a radial tire. But I rode that tire for training purposes until the tread was gone, with just the blue stuff exposed. I dunno, maybe 5000 miles.

Although for unsupported touring I am still working through my stock of XR's, I would consider the Plus or Plus Tour for the rear wheel. For the front I would consider something stickier like the Supreme if touring on pavement. Weight is important, for sure, but if reducing the number of flats is a higher priority, then the Plus or Plus Tour (same protective compound, different tread) is a reasonable option. OTOH, I rarely get flats on my XR's, but I don't know what Schwalbe claims to be their equivalent in their current line.

Ekdog

Not if you use the right technique.

FrenchFit 

In the wild, yo. A rainy, muddy road shoulder with numb hands and gloves and mind, middle of nowhere... slightly different experience than a dry garage and work table. Heck, I can rebuild my BMW's V8 in my garage.

On the otherhand, given the construction of that tire you could probably stuff wet newspaper in place of a tube and ride with one bead outside the rim and only be slightly slower and less compliant.

LuckySailor

Hello. Have them on our tandem, never a flat for years, and then I put them on my commuter this year. No problems putting them on. In fact, I actually puntured my tube while putting the tire on, and had to take it off and put it back on after I fixed the tube I carelessly accidently puntured! LOL. Anyhow, no issues. I will be putting them on my new 520 as well.

Ekdog

True, but that could be said about changing any tire. The best option, of course, is not to get a flat in the first place, and if that's your goal, Marathon Pluses are as close to puncture proof as you're going to get.

digibud

For a serious tour where flatting was a serious problem, they are hard to beat. If you're touring in a an area with towns and bike shops where you could replace a tire reasonably easily you might choose an easier rolling tire. Friends that did So America to Prudoe some time ago used those Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires. They are seriously tough. You can't expect an easy roll from them but when dependability is paramount they are hard to beat.

crabbit

I had these fitted recently to front and back of my tourer and have noticed a marked increase in power required to pedal the bike! Is this normal? I had Vredestein Perfect Treks fitted before.

djb

On cgoab there was a hilarious take on these tires with the comment that people using them on a long tour would be two weeks late because of how slow they were. Partly tongue in cheek and partly not I suspect. As others have clearly stated, it seems from written trip journals that if riding in horrible conditions glass wise, thorn wise, and or in very rough temperature conditions, they would be appreciated. When I ride my friends trek 520 with them, they certainly feel heavy.
Always a balance and or compromise isn't it?

crabbit

Thanks djb, I think your right, compromise is the name of the game with these tires and since I got them to solve my puncture problem I'll just have to put up with the extra effort required.

mozad655

Doesn't work depending on your rim. With my rims this didn't help at all and I ended up having to use the tire levers again. These tires are truly brutal to install, and when you finally get them on, you end up with a bumpy tire. What they have in durability, they lack completely in flexibility. I dont think I'd chose them for a tour, as they are impossible enough to install at home, yet alone on the go.

staehpj1

It does depend on what rims, and rim strips you are using. I didn't find them all that hard to mount. I did find the ride to be really bad due to the extremely stiff sidewalls and their excessive weight (more than double that of a lot of other acceptable touring tires) was unacceptable to me.

Ekdog

I've installed them on several types of rims and had no problem using the technique shown in the video. It would definitely be a good idea, though, to be sure you know how to do this before heading out on a tour.

mozad655

I tried on my wheels, even changed rim strips, and this method still didn't work. All I got was some fingers burned to the bare underskin, these tires are rough!

northerntier

I've had two flats on my plusses (not tour) over the last year. In both cases it was a 3/8" to 1/2" metal spike, probably a piece of wire from a disintegrated truck tire. Before that I went years between flats.

I find the ride to be quite reasonable, but I'm on the heavy side, and definitely not an ultra-light evangelist.

Null66

Running a regular plus on the back, 420 on the front both 38's
They've done what they are known for.

Sounds like a truck tire and are the loudest thing on my bike, except for me sucking wind...
Pump them up to 95 and they are much quieter and roll better.

They've been abused as there was 3 scrap yards on the way to work. I also do dumb things when I'm tired, like off a couple curbs and a really dumb air born move a couple weeks ago.

Now that I'm down 20 lbs and intending another 15, I'm likely to go down to 420 32's.
I've also found a safer, much more pleasant way to work w/o scrap yards. It's a little longer with a good bit more climb, but it seems both faster and less taxing. I think it is how the climbs arranged. This route reduces the detritus the tires must contend with as well.