Schwalbe Marathon Plus for Brompton

[citoyen]

Spa Cycles are selling M+ tyres at £19, which is cheaper than Evans are selling the standard Marathons. I'm tempted to give them a go, but what are they like to ride?

I've used Stelvios and standard Marathons on the Brompton and the difference in performance between them is quite noticeable - the Marathons are significantly slower. How much slower will the Pluses be? Is it a worthwhile trade-off for the extra protection? Has anyone ever had a puncture in an M+?

d.

[Zipperhead]

My Brompton has always had M+'s on. The current set are just about worn out (I'm not sure if they're the second or third), I have one puncture on them.

Although, as it doesn't get used much for commuting anymore, I think that when this set is worn out I'll probably put something a little faster on.

[nuttycyclist]

Frankenfixie now has Marathon + to replace the previous paper thin worn tyres.

Initial thought was to re-learn cycling - the old tyres were square in profile so a proper tyre felt different.

They did feel heavier and slower, but I don't have proof to back this up.  I'm happy to continue riding them.  My only concern is that when I slam the only brake on (front v-brake) I can hear the tyre shredding.

[rogerzilla]

They are well suited to a Brompton, where changing a tube is a bit of a faff.  Hard to fit unless you throw away the useless blue rim tape, which doesn't sit in the bottom of the "well" properly, and fit 10mm Velox instead.

In terms of speed they are slower, but not massively slower than Stelvios.

[citoyen]

They are well suited to a Brompton, where changing a tube is a bit of a faff.

That is my main reason for considering them, tbh. I've had quite a few rear punctures recently (the Stelvios are pretty worn out, to be fair) and while I don't find removing/refitting the tyres as much of a problem as some people seem to (I have no trouble refitting the Stelvios with my thumbs alone), the whole business of removing the chain tensioner is one I could happily live without having to do so often.

Hard to fit unless you throw away the useless blue rim tape, which doesn't sit in the bottom of the "well" properly, and fit 10mm Velox instead.

Thanks for the tip. Fortunately, I already have a roll of 10mm Velox in my bike bits box.

Anyway, I've placed an order with Spa and will report back here in due course.

d.

[citoyen]

My Brompton has always had M+'s on. The current set are just about worn out (I'm not sure if they're the second or third), I have one puncture on them.

You've sold me on them!

Although, as it doesn't get used much for commuting anymore, I think that when this set is worn out I'll probably put something a little faster on.

I'd definitely recommend the Stelvios - they are more resilient than you might imagine, though definitely not as resilient as Marathons.

d.

[rogerzilla]

The small wheel diameter seems to cause most of the extra rolling resistance, not the tyre.  On a rough road, a Brompton slows down alarmingly quickly after descending to the foot of a hill.  On a smooth road it can almost hold its own against 700c, but there aren't many smooth roads.

[citoyen]

The small wheel diameter seems to cause most of the extra rolling resistance, not the tyre.

OK, that's interesting. I knew the smaller diameter made a difference to rolling resistance, hence putting the question in the folders forum, but I'm pretty ignorant of the mechanics of it.

I've noticed the quick slowing thing at the foot of hills, but never guessed that was to do with wheel size.

d.

[rogerzilla]

Small wheels have to bob up and down a lot more on an uneven surface.  700c wheels have become a standard for the simple reason that they're as big as possible while still fitting into the majority of frame sizes.

[border-rider]

Has anyone ever had a puncture in an M+?

Yes.

Manotea, PeterM and I rode part of Manotea's 300 as a route check a couple of years ago.  We actually abandoned because of the rain - which was extreme - and I picked up a slow puncture on my M+-clad Pompino.  This was in the Test Valley, and the culprit was a 10 mm long pyramid of razor-sharp flint. A lesser tyre would have been annihilated.

The tyres are still on the Pomp, and I noticed the other day some really deep and long cuts and slashes in the carcass, right down to the blue protective layer, but I've never had a puncture since.

[rogerzilla]

Americans don't understand the power of flints, and  I don't think they have them.  The lanes round Marlborough are plagued with them, as is most of Hampshire and parts of West Berkshire.   The only thing you can do is to avoid the tails of gravel that build up at the side of the road and at junctions.

[Moloko]

After having regular punctures* on the Brompton tyres, I decided to get the Marathon pluses.
I've had the one puncture on them, but it was a 1" nail from a nail gun so there wasn't much even the pluses could do.
I'd just been to buy a tub of ice-cream and I was still about 3/4 of a mile from home as well. What a time to get a strike.
 



* There, I said it. Fuck you!

[Goldcrank]

After having regular punctures*

* There, I said it. Fuck you!

Like your style!

[Moloko]

She'll now probably get her cousin the Tooth Fairy to get medieval on me with some pliers.

[citoyen]

The tyres arrived yesterday, so I fitted them last night and rode them this morning. First impressions are good. I'm sure I remember the standard Marathons I had previously being much more sluggish than the Stelvios but maybe I just never had them properly inflated or something - these new ones seem to roll quite smoothly.

As far as fitting the tyres is concerned, they didn't go on quite so easily as the Stelvios (for which I never had to use tyre levers) but it didn't take too much coaxing to get them into place.

Well done Spa for the speedy delivery too.

d.

[Tom B]

Has anyone ever had a puncture in an M+?

This time last year on the Trek Soho S (regular workhorse / commuter). There was a brief rattling around the mudgaird stays so I assume it was a longish bit of sharp wire - never found it. Tyre went down straight away.

A rear M+ feels fine on this bike but when I ran the Thorn Raven Tour with them briefly they felt like lead  - and I'm not a fast rider

[Notsototalnewbie]

Just resurrecting this thread because my beloved and I spent many, ahem, 'happy' hours last night attempting to fit his new M pluses to the Brommie. 

I broke the tip off one of my Some steel core levers, and the VAR lever couldn't quite do the job either. We also used reusable cable ties to no avail. The shoe thing as demonstrated by Pippa wouldn't work either. The last bit of bead just would not shift. In the end I had to put his old tyre back on so he could ride it today.

I note a post above says the blue rim tape the Brommie comes with is the problem. The stuff is certainly a PITA so I wouldn't mind losing it. Will buying some Velox 10mm really solve the problem? Because if so I'll be going to the LBS at lunchtime...

[rogerzilla]

Yes, the Velox does solve the problem.  The trouble with the blue stuff is that it is too wide for the well of the rim - I think Brompton are using up old stock they bought for the previous type of rim! - so the tyre beads can't be squashed into the well to get the last bit over.

Also talc the tube well - it helps a fair bit.  No tyre levers needed (or recommended).

[rower40]

I had a fight to get a Marathon Plus off the wheel, and back on, on Sunday.  But it did go eventually.

I was glad to be wearing glasses.  The tyre levers were variously launched into low earth orbit when the tyre objected.