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Schwalbe Marathon Supreme Tires
May 12, 2009
Tires are one of the first upgrades I make to all of my bikes. Why? Because I hate getting flats, and a good tire will keep you happy and cycling, which is what I want to be doing. I used to buy cheap tires and went through the routine of changing flats on a regular basis. In a way it was a good thing, it taught me how to change a flat properly. But it is a real pain to change flats especially on a long ride when you are tired and would rather keep on rolling. For my touring bike I have some Schwalbe Marathon Supremes. Not too wide and not too skinny. The 32mm width of these keeps me rolling and keeps the flats away.
The Marathon line from Schwalbe is known for puncture protection, some of the tires being heavier than others. With the Supreme I think Schwalbe has found the magic mix between punture protection, weight, and rolling resistance. The Marathon Supremes I tested are only 430 grams per tire. It is no lightweight racing tire by any means, but for touring it is great.
Schwalbe has a bunch of technical names for what this tire has, like HD Ceramic Guard, Triple Nano Compound, and LiteSkin side wall. All you need to know is that what they are doing works, and they have a great reflective sidewall. I have been riding these tires for about two months now and have had no flats, and there is no noticable wear after 750 kms of riding.
Schwalbe gives these tires a really high rating for traction, and in the rain I would agree, but on light gravel I have found that cornering can be slippery, especially at speeds over 15 kms/hour. To be fair this tire is made for riding on pavement, but as any person who tours knowns, there will inevitable be times when a paved road turns into a bumpy gravel road.
These tires will be with me for a long time. I am also using them as my back up tires on longer tours, as they fold up small and are so light weight. DO yourself a favour and upgrade your tires. Less flats will mean a lot more riding and a lot more fun.
Price: $69.95 USD
Details: Light weight and durable touring tire
Pros: Great puncture protection, light weight, low rolling resistance
Cons: Traction is reduced in light gravel
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Schwalbe
Reviewed by: Ryan