Schwalbe Marathon

Overview

Every sunburnt, well-traveled bike tourist has been asked: “What tires should I use?” by an eager cyclist looking to set out on their first touring adventure. The response is almost always: “Easy, Schwalbe Marathon.” Developed over 20 years ago, Schwalbe Marathon was without a doubt the pioneering road touring tire, being the first high-quality tire suitable for reliable touring as well as everyday use. 

The Schwalbe Marathon is the blueprint from which Schwalbe builds the rest of its Marathon line of tires therefore, expect it to tick off everything that is expected of a Marathon tire: effective puncture protection, durability, and excellent handling characteristics. Puncture durability comes in the form of a 3 mm thick, highly elastic GreenGuard layer made up of recycled latex products and ranked 5 out of 7 on Schwalbe’s durability index. Also present is an “Anti-Aging” sidewall that can withstand typical cracking which results from overloading due to insufficient inflation pressure.

Beloved and revered by generations of cycle tourists, the Marathon has earned itself an enviable reputation as the holy grail of puncture-proof, touring tires and is the tire that put Schwalbe on the map. These tires last much longer than most tires out there and can capably handle the wide range of road conditions of a bike tour. If you want tried and tested, all-rounded performance, you will be hard-pressed to find a wire bead tire that bests the Schwalbe Marathon.