SchwalbeMarathon Plus 20 Inch 406 Tire(Return to Product Page)
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(28 customer reviews)
We run these tires on two trikes and have never had a flat due to a puncture. We've put many miles on them on a variety of surfaces......asphalt, gravel, dirt and crushed limestone. The puncture resistance gives you peace of mind when doing a long self-contained tour.
I switch to the marathon plus tires after the warm riding season is over. I remove my duranos and put these on to commute back and forth to work every day. I have been a recumbent cyclistcommuter since 1993 and have been using marathon plus tires on my commuter bikes, trikes and velomobiles all winter long for years and years. In all the years and thousands and thousands of miles I have put on Marathon plus tires, I have never gotten a single flat tire! I used them on all four of my 75lb velomobiles during the winter months as well. These are without a doubt the toughest most puncture proof tires made. If never ever getting a flat tire is paramaount (Commuters especially!) You have to use these tires. I have a set for my Lightning F-40 (35mmx20 in the front and 28mm in the rear) and they only slow me down a little bit but then again, that bike could stand to slow down a little bit! One added bonus is that after 8 or 9 thousand miles when the tread finally wears out, you will se the blue inner layer which is a sort of built in indicator that its time to replace them. Some people say they are tough to install but they are really not if you know what you are doing and keep the bead in the deepest part of the rim. I carry a koolstop tire jack with me to make slipping the last few inches over the rim a snap!
I ride an ICE recumbent trike that uses three of these same size 20 schwalbe 406 tires. This is my third set of tires on this trike. I tried Fat Apple tires before and they just didnt seem to stick as well when I am pushing the corners on my ICE. the FA tires just seemed to slide easier than the Schwalbe tires. The Schwalbe tires look great also with a nice tread pattern which is directional so make sure you put them on with the tread in the right direction. I used thorn resistant tubes that came pre filled with slime, I hate flats when I am out riding and since my wife also rides an ICE TRIKE I have six tires to keep up with.
Spendy but worth the cost for the privilege of not having to change my tire....resists glass, crud, and punctures under the pressure of a bakfiets full of kids, groceries, and the occasional keg. The reflective stripe is a nice feature too.
Wanted a beefy tire that could hold up to anything I threw at it, as I ride when and where I want. Now I ride a recumbent trike, a TerraTrike Rover with internal hub. Stock tires did not last but 110 miles, and in this part of Idaho goatheads are upwards of 2 long, thick, miserable things - no place is safe from them. And triking in a rural area there of coarse are nails, broken glass, debris of all sorts. Past that we have muddy days, wet days, and long hot summer days. Winter is going to be fun on these! D
Started off on the lower end of the Weiser River Trail in 2 inch rocks, gravel, would not even want to take a MTB through with 26 inch wheels, and I'm out there on a recumbent trike on 20 inch wheels. Got down a mile and a half, decided this wasn't going to get any better so turned back. These tires are BEAST! No issues.
Been riding around this area and Ontario, OR getting upwards of 25 MPH and these tires hug the road and give far better handling that anything else I've tried. Even on occasional wet surfaces not had a problem, nor on wet grass. I try to avoid wet grass, but at night cross parks it's sometimes quicker in 1st gear.
Took the Weiser River Trail down from Tamarack Mill to Council (Idaho) in 3 hours. Was on old mountain roads with micro-fine gravels, loose gravel, loose dirt, dirt and serpentine, dirt and rock, just about every surface imaginable on a 30 mile stretch. No falter of the tires!
Initial coarse went through some muddy areas and I thought for sure was going to slide everywhere. Nope. Slid a tad but never lost traction. There tires are a BEAST!
Now riding mostly roads and concreteasphalt sidewalks, dirt, gravel, grass, all sorts of surfaces and these tires hug the road. I don't feel nearly the road resistance as the OEM Schwalbe Road Cruisers had, and am actually achieving a higher cadence and overall speed has increased. Yes, these tires are a BEAST and seem to be hold their own quite well.
They may be heavier, though I cannot really tell when I'm on the road. I see where some goatheads and tried to stab the tire, so far not one flat. Sidewalls are protected. Have pulled a few sicker portions out with a Leatherman Skeletool but most stickers never make much headway. Am impressed.
Definitely recommend these to fellow recumbent trike riders!
Fine tire if you're riding unsupported across Africa. Anywhere in the developed world, they're just stupid! There is no reason for a tire this heavy. Aside from the weight, the thick sidewalls make them clumsy and harsh.
Actually I've not used them on a trike yet. But I've got 8,000 miles plus on the one on my bike, with ZERO flats so far! And that in goat head country. So while they may be a bit more up front they will more than pay for themselves.
Just wish they weren't SO hard to find these days....somebody must be hoarding them!
I replaced the old stock tires with these on our BikeTwo'sday tandem. The bike feels so much more stable and I'd say, safer with these Schwalbe Marathons. We run the same type tires on our full-size touring singles as well. I did have a little trouble mounting the 27 size, on my Atlantis touring bike, but these 20 ones went on the Bike Friday without even using a tool.
A flat on tour is just plain no fun! And you stand the best chance of not flatting with these excellent tires. I like the tread design and the feel of the rubber as well. I suppose these would be too heavy for the hard-core racer, but for a touring bike you just can't find any better. The price does reflect the quality and there are lots of cheaper tires on the market. But I figure the tires on a bike are the only two contact points with the road, and so I want them to be the best quality that I can find, and these fit the bill! Thanks Schwalbe!!
Since Schwalbe came out with the Marathon I have never used anything else and in the thousands of miles I have never had a flat with a Marathon. That should be enough to say. I have five recumbent trikes and HPV travel with children and grandchildren, camping along the way.
I mostly ride self-supported, so I depend on my legs & my tires. I have no complaints with the Schwalbe Marathon Plus, they are the best tires I have ever used. If you're looking for a dependable tire, you can't go wrong with them.
Used this on the rear wheel of my electrified Catrike to carry the increased load of the electric hub and battery. Good heavy duty tire with low rolling resistance when properly inflated but difficult to mount.
I discovered these tires when I bought my new tricycle a few years ago. I haven't had a single flat on them, so I bought the same thing when the first ones wore out. I would buy Schwalbe tires for my 2-wheel bicycle except I recently set it up with tubeless clinchers. When they wear out I'll switch. I used to compete with the 2-wheeler but now I focus more on reliability then weight.
Especially for loaded touring, there isn't anything more flat proof. I guess it's possible to get a flat with one of these, but I've not seen it yet. Have one of these on the front of my Rans Stratus. I won't run anything else.
Heavy and stupid?....I'll pass you one day, while you're changing out one of your speedo tires, and just laugh.
