Follow-up on Schwalbe Marathons

[ingold]

Kevin: See the link below for the Schwalbe Marathon, my choice as The
Bomb for brevet tires in AK, from my humble opinion. Kevlar on face
and sidewalls. Run 'em with a slime tube and barring major slices you
will not spend much time fussing with tires. Not the fastest tire with
the tread and weight of the slime, but virtually worry-free. I have
run this combo for two seasons in AK and during my ill-fated PBP
attempt with 0 issues. Ran this duo as 700 X 23c on my Southern
Transcon last fall with no flats while other riders counting up to 35
flats each during the 26 days. Definitely recomment rotating front to
back at mid season to maximize wear and safety. Tread is excellent in
rain and semi-slick conditions.

This link has them on sale for $35, a great deal considering softer,
no-Kevlar options cost that much. The added bonus is the reflective
sidewall for AK riders. Another great feature is a wheel strip on the
sidewall if so inclined to run a light generator on front or rear for
the long brevets.

I would be interested to hear about the rubber of choice from others.
John

http://www.biketiresdirect.com/pscmar/schwalbe_marathon_plus_700c/pp.htm

[Kevin Turinsky]

Thanks John. What a great combo. I spent a few minutes checking out
slime tubes. I never realized how useful those things could be. I've
seen them at the bike shops, but always underestimated them. 35 flats
at 5 minutes apiece is almost three hours. And, realistically, I
probably take a few minutes more on a flat than that. And for me,
their added weight is negligible.

I've been riding Panaracer/Rivendell Roll-y Poll-ys for the last
several years. I recently switched to Grand Bois Cypres. They roll
much faster than the Roll-y Poll-ys, but I haven't used them on any
brevets yet. I like your combo of the Marathon + Slime tube. You just
get to keep on rolling.

Were you getting those Marathon Plus tires from Peter White?

Kevin

[John Ingold]

Kevin: See the links to Bike Tires Direct...they have a sale in progress on
Marathons. At $35 each it’s the best price around and available in different
sizes as preferred. Rolling with this rubber has taken lots of worry out of
my riding over the last 2 years. Run 'em at 90-95 psi for extra "give" with
the inevitable road junk rollovers up here and lower pressure provides a bit
o' softer ride, which makes a diff on the longer stuff. I really like the
tread for wet weather descents and don't worry so much about what I may be
missing speed-wise with slicks. I current use 23c but am considering 25c for
next set.
http://www.biketiresdirect.com/pscmar/schwalbe_marathon_plus_700c/pp.htm

Good deal on Slime tubes, too.
http://www.biketiresdirect.com/pslsst/slime_self-sealing_tubes/pp.htm

You can typically get free shipping from these guys to AK, but you have to
call them and explain ground shipping to AK cost no more than to Lower 48 in
many cases (it's an educational thing, but it takes a phone order).

John