Schwalbe Marathon Plus

Overview

We have a theory as to why Schwalbe came up with the Schwalbe Marathon Plus tire: Somebody was anticipating the ride down a post-apocalyptic glass-strewn street and needed tires that can hold up. The Schwalbe Marathon Plus is regarded by many as the best commuter tire one can get since it is the most durable tire in the Schwalbe Marathon lineup. If your main criterion is ‘doesn’t get punctures ever ever’, then this is the bicycle tire for you.

Improving on the design present in all Schwalbe touring tires, the Marathon Plus has the highest level of puncture protection in the Schwalbe Marathon lineup. The protection is brought about by what Schwalbe calls “SmartGuard technology” which is a 5 mm thick layer of flexible, special india rubber that is substantially thicker when compared to the regular Marathon (3 mm). This special rubber has allowed cyclists to stay puncture-free on routes such as the Pharaoh’s Delight– a 1400 mile stretch from Cairo, Egypt to Khartoum that features abrupt sandy patches and very sharp thorns. At nearly 1kg per tire, they are not designed to be the lightest or fastest tires on the market and some may find the Marathon Plus to be a little on the heavy and stiff side, but these are compromises that Schwalbe had to concede in order to ensure heavy-duty puncture protection.

Many cyclists report having ridden a set of Marathon Plus tires for 10, 15, or even 20,000km before replacing them. If you need reliable tires that won’t quit on you while in the city, on the speedway, or even on dirt roads encountered during a long-distance bike tour, then try out Schwalbe’s most durable tire.