Rifleman

Just got home with a set of these tires,pulled one out-of-the-box ,can't believe how thin they are.Theses are 700x35.I want to use them for loaded touring. Just wondering how many others are using this tire and what are your thoughts.


Kevin

Doug64

"Thin" as in tire wall thickness or narrow for a 35 mm tire? I quit using Schwalbe marathon tires because they were too heavy. IMO the standard Marathons were really heavy and dead feeling, and I was only using 32 mm tires. The Marathon Supremes are even heavier. I'm not sure what tire you are comparing it to. However, I have toured about 4,000 miles fully loaded on a couple of sets of the standard Marathons without any problems. I think the Supreme is overkill, and the weight cost is not worth the durability benefit.

However, my wife asked me to put her set of Marathons on her bike for a 10 day fully loaded ride we did around the Selkirk Loop in Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia a few weeks ago. We did not know the road conditions, and she wanted a little more tread than her Continental Gatorskins provided. They were a good choice for the conditions we encountered.

The Supreme is the gold standard for those who don't know how to fix a flat They are very durable, and will handle a reasonable load.

Hangtownmatt

I have a set with 9,000 commuting miles on them. They've been rotated front-to-back three times. In the first 2,000 miles I had four flats. I was disappointed. I was running the tires at full pressure (80 psi). After reading a couple threads on tire pressure, I reduced the psi to 50 front and 60 rear. Much more comfortable ride and I have not had a flat since. Hard to tell how much longer they will last. It's turning into a game. I'll be sticking with them for another week at least :>) I also like is that I can easily mount them without tools on my Synergy rims. Important on those cold morning commutes. Would I buy them again? You bet, but I have a pair of Vittoria Randoneers (.sp?) that have been patiently waiting.

Matt

well biked

I think you're probably thinking of the Marathon Plus Tour, that's heavier than a standard Marathon I believe. The Marathon Supremes aren't bad in the weight department at all. 700 x 35's have a claimed weight of 440 grams.

Rifleman

I was talking about how thin the sidewalks are.

Lanovran

I have a pair of Marathon Supremes, size 700x28, on my touring bike. They've been fantastic for both daily commuting on city streets, and with fully loaded touring. I run them both at their higher rating of 100 psi, and I have no issues whatsoever with comfort, nor have I had any flats on them at all. Overall, I like 'em!

well biked

Well, thick sidewalks are definitely best.

hueyhoolihan

around here they are about 2000mm wide x 150mm deep, but ALWAYS flat. (hehehe)

sorry OP, i know... cheap shot.

Rifleman

Sidewalls,spell check caught it on my phone.Stupid spell check.

Rifleman

Side walls

LeeG

Expensive, nice riding with proper pressure, resists glass punctures well. For their cost disappointing out of roundness quality control. I've had one in 20"x1.6" six years back that was out of round with noticeable hop, one out of four 700x35 with slight variation noticeable on smooth roads. For some reason larger than a similarly sized 35mm Mondial.

If you want a light tire the material has to come out it somewhere. The puncture resistant strip down the middle and thin sidewall make for an odd feeling at lower psi, squirmy in a different way than other light tires like Panaracer T-serv.

Presently have a 35mm Supreme on the front of a CrossCheck with a 35mm Mondial on the back and a 20"x1.6" Supreme on the back of a folding bike with 2.0 Big Apple on the front.

Panaracer T-Serv is a reasonable alternative at half the cost, although not quite as durable.

Dream Cyclery

Marathon Supreme isn't as thin as Gran Bois or Panaracer tires though. Thinner sidewalls tend to make tires ride smoother so I'm sure it rides better than Marathon Plus tires. I'll be honest, I haven't had a tire that as rough riding as Marathon Plus tires.

ekibayno

I've used Supremes for several loaded tours, on both sealed and unsealed roads. They are light and fast rolling, and much more durable than it would seem. I wouldn't want to use anything heavier.

There are occasional reports of tread separations, something that has troubled Schwalbe intermittently after they moved production to Indonesia.

fietsbob

Lots of tires made there for the low wages and that's were the rubber trees grow.

Derailed

I really like the Supremes, but my perception has been that they don't last particularly long. On a cross-country tour, I felt compelled to replace them before the end. Perhaps they would have made it, but at 2,500 miles the wear was pretty obvious, and I didn't want to push it. (I put the ones I replaced on my commuter and rode them until they were truly shot. This has become my MO: I replace the tires on my touring bike while they still have some life left and then use them on my commuter for the rest of their usable life.)

I suppose it's all about tradeoffs, like anything else. The Supremes are relatively light, yet they're still puncture resistant, but my sense is that combination comes at the expense of longevity. (Not a bad tradeoff, IMHO.)

SmallFront

I use 20" 1.6 Marathon Supremes on my smooth hound, and a 20", 1.6" (wish they made a 20" 2.0") on the front of my Bullitt, and a 26", 2.0" on the rear of same, upgraded from a 20"/1.6" on the same rear. I find that the alu frame on the Bullitt makes it a harsh ride if I only use a 1.6" on the rear, while the same isn't a problem on the much shorter and even "harsher" Smooth Hound. My guess is that as my riding style is very different on the two (I hop, skip and are generally out of the saddle on the Smooth Hound), there is a bigger need for a somewhat plusher ride on the Bullitt.

WIth that said, my tyres are usually pumped to their max psi.

The thin side walls, I figure is a plus, even if I did have a small rip in the front on the Bullitt, which I used a Park Tools tyre patch on. It happened on a sharp stone on the side of a (deep!) dirt wheel track I slid into. They're a plus because they mean that for the same weight, I can have more rubber where it matters most.

I think the Supremes are one of the best compromises in a bike tyre out there for all round usage - including rather heavy loads.

Rifleman

I appreciate all the replies.Ive decided to keep the tires.I might get some Panaracer flat away tire liners just for a little extra protection though.


Kevin

LeeG

Not needed, the sidewalls are thin, not the tread and puncture strip. I've ridden through glass a lot with no punctures.

wbuttry

I need to buy 4 new tires 3 26x1,75and one 20x1.75 one set for my ole ladies bike and the other 2 for Dakota my tour easy for our trip this coming spring. Are those the sturdiest tires you can get with the flatless center strip or do they make others? Im looking for a good tour tire we aren't going to be carrying a lot of weight as we are going to be gone maybe a week. And maybe carry to panniers a piece with the tent on my bike and the sleeping bags on hers and stove on hers also and her clothes and such .

LeeG

No they aren't the sturdiest but they are expensive. Doesn't sound like you need the sturdiest.

wbuttry

Rite now I got Pan racer 26x1.50 on there now street tires and I want to make sure the tires can handle everything for a couple hundred mile . I want to put 1.75 on there so I can know the weight will be manageable Im 205 plus I will probally carry extra 30 lbs with tent and clothes and food . I Already use Mr tuffy tire liners and thorn proof tubes so do you think these tires would be fine then Continental Tour Ride 26 x 1.75 Steel

Rifleman

First ride with the new tires and I've already gotten 2 flats.The first one was a snake bite.I patched it on the road and I made it home.I had maximum pressure in that tire,85psi.When I got home,I aired it up to 95 and checked the tire a couple hours later and flat again.Removed the tire and found either a piece of glass or metal , something lodged in the tread and made its way through to the tube.These are the most worthless tires I've ever used.Im going to the lbs tomorrow and get those Panaracer flat away liners and give then a try.I'll never use Schwalbe tires again.


Kevin

SmallFront

Hmm, something apparently went wrong, either with your tyres or the installment of same. I suspect the latter, in all honesty, since you pumped it to 95psi, and not the actual max of 85 psi, and the fact that you seemingly didn't check the tyre for foreign objects when fixing the first flat.

Rifleman

The first flat was a snakebite on the rim side of the tube.

Rifleman

While riding,I didn't hit anything.It was a nice smooth ride on paved roads.





Kevin