Review: Schwalbe Marathon Dureme Tires!

The subject of tires can bring about a gigantic can of wormy debate.

Most of the debate exists around how one defines "great performance". For some, that means extra light, high-pressure, skinny tires with great grip and low rolling resistance for fast riding. For others, it means low-pressure fat tires with aggressive tread for dirt and rock navigation without slipping. For others, it means no flats EVER, and nothing else matters. Still others might define performance as being the cushiest, smoothest ride ever, without any major concerns of weight or speed. Your definition of tire performance may be en-"tire"-ly different. That's just fine ... and that's why there are so many different tires on the market ... to suit the many different needs of many different riders.

I've had just enough time riding a bike to finally form an opinion of my own regarding tire performance. It goes something like this (not necessarily in order):

• Lots of air for comfort. 
• Enough tread for mild trails and fire roads, but not too much for paved surfaces. 
• High puncture resistance. 
• Durable. 
• Folding bead preferred.

Notice I didn't use the word "fast" anywhere. I guess I'm over that. I figure any tire that fits the other criteria will be plenty "fast" enough for me. I also didn't use the words "light weight". With the same logic, I think any tire that fits the other criteria will be light enough. Also, I've never actually had a tire so heavy that I said to myself "wow, that tire feels heavy when I'm riding on it". I generally assume that if I'm slow, it's because it's ME ... not the bike or the tires. Besides, I'm not in a hurry, and a little extra effort won't kill me.

All that aside, I pretty much adhere to the theory that when something's right, I'll basically never notice it or give it any thought. It just sort of blends in and does its job so well that it doesn't draw attention to itself. It's a bit like adding reverb to a track in a music mix ... the right type and amount should not be actually "heard" by the listener, only a noticeable difference when removed. Well, at least that's my take on it ...

Back to the purpose of this post ... it was a beautiful day today, and I was out riding on a trail that had some rough spots from horse hooves, mixed with some soft sandy spots ... and for whatever reason, I realized how nicely my tires were handling it all.

Nice day for a ride on the trails ... how nicely my tires are handling this!

Seven miles or so on pavement to the trail ... and a few miles of mixed trail surface ... and throughout the ride, there was no thought about how my tires were working ... that is until the moment it popped into my head that my tires rolled so well everywhere. This wasn't the first time I'd taken this route, so I'm not sure why I thought about it this time ... maybe because it was so nice to never NEED to think about it. So I thought it might be a good idea to pass on the experience of the tires that I haven't thought about ... thus, in the event you're looking for a tire you won't ever think about, here's a review:

Here's my disclaimer:  None of the products reviewed here were provided to me by the manufacturer or any retailer for evaluation. Nope. I'm not one of those famous bloggers who gets stuff for free. I purchased everything with my own money, and without any sort of special interweb journalist discount, so you can rest assured that the opinions expressed here are unbiased and come purely through my own experience ... good, bad, or otherwise. That being said, should any manufacturers out there wish to provide some cool bike-related products for ... ummm ... testing and evaluation ... I would likely be open to offering my honest review. 

The Schwalbe Marathon Dureme is described by the manufacturer as follows:

This new Marathon is a dream. Incorporated in it is all of Schwalbe’s Evolution
Technology:

• HD Ceramic Guard. The safest protection belt for light weight tires.

• SnakeSkin. Much lighter than a rubber sidewall, but just as robust.

• Triple Nano Compound. Our best rubber compound for outstanding grip,

• easy rolling and long life.

We combined this high quality technology with a classic, versatile tread, which feels at home on any road: The Dureme is a breeze on tracks and rolls phenomenally easily on the road.

Schwalbe Marathon Dureme 26" x 2" on Velocity Synergy rim

I've been a Schwalbe fan for a few years now, since installing my first set of Marathon Plus tires on my Look carbon road bike after getting "tired" of flats. Everyone talked about how "heavy" they are, but at the same time, never had a flat. I tried them ... never got a flat ... and actually found them to be very comfortable for a high-pressure tire. When I got my Surly LHT, I put a set of Marathon Supremes on it ... and was very happy with those, as well (see previous review here). So, when putting together the component list for my Rivendell Hunqapillar, I was pretty sure it would be Schwalbe again, just not certain about the particular model.

If you look at my list above for my definition of "performance", then look at Schwalbe's description of the Marathon Dureme, it's easy to see why I chose that model. It has great puncture protection, good tread for mixed riding conditions, a "robust" sidewall construction, and a "long life" durable design. Plus ... it comes in a 26" x 2" size ... plenty of air for a comfortable ride. And ... a folding bead for easier installation and (in my opinion) better rim attachment.

The price for these tires was a bit of a shock at first. Actually, it's still a shock. They're expensive tires. Even for high-quality tires, they're expensive. But my experience with Schwalbe told me they would be worth the price, and when I thought about it, $150 for a pair of tires that will probably last for two years of great riding isn't really that much to spend. I spend that much EVERY MONTH for cable TV and Internet! Breaking the cost down, if they do last two years, it's only $6.25 per month and only 21 cents per day! I can't even buy a cup of coffee for 21 cents ... so for something that really makes a difference, it's quite a bargain. In the end, I really felt the Hunqapillar deserved a great set of tires, so I added them to the build list without hesitation.

Fat tires and fenders ... appropriate style elements of a Woolly Mammoth bike!

Keven at Rivendell concurred, saying this tire would be one of the best all-around tires available. They fit nicely in the Hunqapillar frame, with plenty of room for big fenders. We don't get a lot of rain where I live, but the fenders sure do help to keep the sand and dirt out of the drivetrain and off the frame.

Bright ... BRIGHT ... reflective stripe on the sidewall!

I've been riding them since I got the bike about three months ago, and they have "performed" perfectly for my needs ... which is to say I haven't given them much thought during any ride. That's a great thing, considering I've taken them on a variety of paved surfaces, trails, and gravel fire roads. The ride has always been smooth and comfortable, regardless of the surface, and the tread seems to be just right ... rolling well on pavement, digging in just enough on the trail. I looked at the tread today after three months of almost-everyday use, and it shows virtually no signs of wear, except for being a little dirtier than when it was new.

Marathon Dureme Tread: sure-footed on trails, smooth on pavement

In contrast to the Marathon Supremes mounted on my Surly LHT, I find the Marathon Dureme to roll just as well on the road (for the riding I do), but much better on trails, where the Supremes tend to slide a bit in loose or sandy conditions. The Supremes also make a bit of noticable noise on smooth roads, like a medium-pitched hum. This doesn't happen with the Duremes, which is odd, since there's more tread ... so I'd think the road noise would be greater. As far as comfort, I find them both to be about the same ... nice and smooth, very forgiving of bumps and cracks in the road. They are both rated for the same load, which is 140kg per tire, or 280kg for the pair. That's 616 pounds of load capacity ... more than I could ever carry ... so they're certainly strong enough for whatever I'll do with them. They're also both rated for the same air volume, which is 30-70psi. I generally inflate them to 50psi and ride without worrying about it. I like it that way, and don't really find a need to modulate air pressure for different terrain, although I'm sure the traction would be better for more off-road riding with lower pressure, adding more air back for speedier pavement riding. With these tires and a good set of tubes, I find that I only need to add air about once every 2 weeks, and even then it's just to top them off ... a nice benefit of lower pressure tire systems. As a side note, Schwalbe tubes really do hold air better ... just sayin' ... try them for yourself and find out.

30-70psi for the 26" x 2" model ... 50psi works for just about everything!

To say I like these tires because I haven't thought about them sounds awfully lackluster as a review, but the truth is, that's why I really LOVE them! To have a tire that always rolls well, regardless of the terrain, never gets a flat, and holds a lot of cushy air means I never really HAVE to think or worry about them at all ... and that's a truly beautiful thing!

Have a great weekend!!

When Fat is Good

  
We all know that fat is not exactly healthy.  It leads to all kinds of illness, disease, and a shorter life expectancy.  But there is one place where some extra girth can actually be quite beneficial.  It's in your tires!  No, I'm not speaking of your own physical "spare tire", but in your bike tires.

For many years there's been a trend toward ultra-narrow road tires ... brought on by an industry marketing of racing bikes to the general masses.  Three years ago, I truly believed that if I wanted to be a "serious" cyclist, I needed to have a carbon frame race bike with skinny tires.  That may be true if I was interested in racing ... but for recreational, transportation, and general fitness applications, adding some "fat" rubber to your rims can be quite beneficial to both enjoyment and safety.

I won't get into the physics of tire width, air pressure, rider weight, rolling resistance, and so on ... as there are many resources for that if you really want to research the technical side.  Visit Schwalbe's website for one such study, and while reading it, remember that this manufacturer makes ALL kinds of tires, including skinny ones.  All I can say is that fatter tires are more fun ... at least for me.

My Surly LHT has been fitted with Schwalbe Marathon Supreme tires in the 26"x2" size.  That's a pretty huge tire for a road-oriented bike.  Take a look at the photos and see for yourself:

They fill up the frame nicely, no?  What they provide is a very large volume of air at lower pressure ... which translates to cushion ... which translates to comfort.  Many of the roads here are chip sealed, and not exactly smooth.  These tires really float over all the ragged surfaces.  I like that.  When rolling over bumps, the extra cushion also flexes more like a set of shock absorbers, rather than jarring the bike (and me!) up and over it.  It's for these very reasons that Schwalbe and others maintain that wider tires actually have lower rolling resistance than skinny tires.  I tend to agree with them, having bikes with both fat and skinny tires.

I've also found that bigger tires also tend to flat less than their thinner counterparts.  I'm guessing this is due in part to their lower pressure and ability to flex over objects, but that may not be the science behind it.  The Marathon Supremes do have excellent puncture protection, as well, but I speak from experience with other tires in addition to them.  I have almost never had a flat on fatter tires, both in 26" and 29" varieties, but have had plenty on 700x23 or 700x25 tires (prior to finding Schwalbe Marathon Plus, that is ... but that's another post altogether ... patience, my friends ...).

Another benefit to rubber of the rotund variety is load capacity.  I do some grocery shopping on my bike, and often carry multiple cartons of Silk Milk (the unsweetened organic kind, of course) along with canned goods and other heavier items.  Groceries combined with my own weight can be a lot for a bike to handle ... so a set of tires rated for hauling cargo is a nice thing for peace of mind.  The Schwalbe Marathon Supremes in my size are rated to carry 140kg per tire at maximum inflation.  That's 280kg for the pair, or a total of 616 pounds!!  Now, I doubt that I could ever manage to put that much weight on my bike, but at least I know that the combined weight of the bike, me, and whatever I carry will NEVER exceed the rated capacity of my tires. 

The last benefit to fat tires is lower effort to inflate them.  Yes, that's right, LOWER effort.  High pressure tires may require fewer strokes from a large pump, but those strokes are much harder.  I used CO2 cartridges for flats on the road bike because I could never get the tire up to 100psi with a mini pump.  Getting a fat tire up to 50psi out on the road takes some extra strokes of the pump, but I can always reach the pressure I need with free air and no CO2.  To me, that's important.

Is there a down side to fat?  It depends on your point of view.  If you're all about having the lightest bike possible, then you probably don't want big tires ... they do indeed add some weight.  In the case of the Marathon Supreme, however, they are actually quite light in comparison to other similar tires ... but still not as light as skinny race models.  Some may feel that the additional weight makes the bike slower.  I suppose that may be true, depending on your comparison.  My experience is that I get to my destination in about the same amount of time, whether I'm riding my Surly LHT with big fat tires or my Look 555 with skinny tires ... give or take a few minutes.  The few minutes may matter to you, and that's perfectly fine.  For me, I'm not interested in making the ride as short as possible ... a few minutes more makes for a few minutes more fun!

I've also found that the extra-wide tires don't slide out from my released/opened brake pads when fully inflated on the rim ... they're just a tiny bit too wide.  I have to let a bit of air out so I can squeeze the tire thinner where it passes between the pads.  At first, I was rather irritated by this, but then I realized that the only time I'm removing the wheel from the bike is when A) I have a flat, in which case the tire is not inflated, or B) when truing the wheel or performing some other kind of maintenance, in which case I can let some air out for removal and re-installation.  So, when I really think about it, it's a very minor inconvenience in contrast to all of the wonderful benefits.  But if that bothers you, or if you routinely need to take your front wheel off for bike rack mounting, you may want to consider the clearance between your brake pads before purchasing.

Whatever tires you ride, check them often for proper air pressure, look for any puncture-causing debris that may be clinging to the tread, keep them clean, and then go ride!