In praise of Schwalbe Marathon Supreme 26X 2.00

[Jim Plaugher]

There have been times in the past year when I wanted to chime in about favorite tires, but  hadn't introduced myself, properly. I did post pictures of my Roadini a while back, but still remain more of a listener.

There are 15 models of Marathon so when someone says they replaced their rugged Marathon with a speedier tire, I want to ask "have you tried the latest generation Marathon Supreme?" With the new slicker tread pattern and One Star rubber compound?

I also want to ask , "have you tried the 26X2.00?" This size seems to be a real sweet spot in terms of rolling and feel. The revelation was how much better it rolled than 26X1.6 tire it replaced. It was not apples to apples, since the 1.6 was the previous compound and tread pattern. The 26X2.00 Marathon Supreme seems similar to the Schwalbe G-One speed with a little thicker rubber.

Living on a gravel road where I feather the brakes going down some steep sections, the 26X2.00 feels more secure than the 700X35C on the Roadini, yet another reason this is my favorite tire.

Isn't it nice there still options for nice rolling 26inch tires? It gave me confidence when ordering an Ebisu frame based on 26inch wheels. It is still in Tokyo, in quarantine, waiting for Japan Post Office to accept large parcels.

For Patrick and others, the 26X2.00 Marathon Supreme measures an actual 45mm on Atlas rims. The V-Guard models are made for tubes. The Schwalbe 14a xxlight tube fits perfectly.

Jim "Studded tires on the car; soon on the bike" in Lansing, Iowa

[dougP]

Jim:

I can confirm your overall impression of the Marathon Supreme.  I haven't used the latest version but have been using them for over 10 years & find they have best balance of performance & ruggedness of anything I've tried.  "Faster" tires flat much too often for my use, and more rugged tires (Marathon Mondial, for instance) are a bit of overkill.  Most of my riding is on pavement & maintained dirt trails.  For years, I did long tours with gear, which is where I discovered the Supreme.  My tour bike has 40 mm & my utility / around town MTB conversion has the 26 x 2.0 which measures a real 1-5/8".  The 40 mm measures to size. 

Good to hear that you've found something that fits your needs.  That's always a nice experience.

dougP

[Ed Fausto]

Thanks Jim for the feedback on the Supreme.

I also used the old 1.6 Marathon supreme from my last TransAm tour in 2016 and I only had 2 flats. They grip well on wet aspalt so gave me confidence on downhill.

Because of your feedback, I now would like to try the 650b size which is only available in 1.6” last time I checked.

Thanks again.

On Nov 21, 2020, at 5:29 AM, dougP <doug...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Ian Dickson]

Yeah, I feel life these tires get overlooked a bit. I have the 700x40s on my Sam. They’re fast enough, they’re nice and round, and I just don’t even think about flats.

[Nick Payne]

I've been pretty impressed with the Marathon Almotion 700x55 that I've been using on an Appaloosa. They roll out remarkably well for such a fat and fairly heavy tyre. The ones I have are rated as being tubeless compatible, but I've been using tubes in them.

Nick

[Ray Varella]

Can we hear a bit more about your Ebisu, Jim?

Ray

[Jim Plaugher]

Ray, I would love to share a little about the Ebisu frame I am waiting for. 

Mr Hiroshi Iimura designed the frame around my 84 Mt.Fuji as a starting point. The laid back seat tube angle is the same but the rest of the geometry is new. The frame is fillet brazed and painted "steamed chestnut" from a Traditional Japanese Colors chart.

The compact frame was made to fit in a Not-a-Bike bag for airline travel, while the 26inch wheels go in an S and S soft case. Rinko headset and pedals help for taking the bike apart.

As far as Riv content goes, the seat height and small wheels allow room for an RBW BaggaBond saddlebag. I might use a Banana Sax (matching!) on the front. Silver2 shifters will be on the downtube. And Hiroshi Iimura was also one of Grant Petersen early influences.

Thanks for listening!
Jim in Lansing Iowa

[Steven Sweedler]

Jim, very nice frame, can you tell me (us) the seat height in the picture and seat and top tube lengths and width tire its designed for. Thanks, Steve

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Steven Sweedler
Plymouth, New Hampshire

[Jim Plaugher]

Hi Steven,

The seat height in the picture is probably about 179cm. The seat tube is 56CT or 55CC. So this is a small frame for my height. The top tube is 59. The fork crown limits tire width in the 42 to 48 range. I am waiting to see the bike in person before choosing more parts.

Jim in Lansing Iowa

[Ray Varella]

Thank you Jim,

I’m always curious to see the bikes Hiroshi is designing. 

Jitensha Studio is local to me and I have a couple bikes of theirs. 

Be sure to let us know how it rides, my experience has been excellent. 

Ray