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CCE is 15years old!
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Time for a pair of 32c Marathon Pluses, I think.
I have just changed from 28mm Gatorskins to 28mm Marathon+. On grip the M+s are worse, much worse. Don't know if it is the harder rubber, but I have no confidence cornering in them at all. I hope that changes soon.
700x23 Schwalbe Durano Plus, til the grit lorries are out.
I found the thin Marathon+ (I had 25mm) were very edgy through corners, but thought it was more because of the weird profile of the tyre with that big polymer layer on top of everything else, rather than the rubber. I never truly settled into them and freecycled them onto another CCE member.
I'm on a fat Marathon+ now, 700x38 and it's spot on grip wise.
I suspect that the thin-walled Gatorskin deforms completely differently to the Marathon+ with its reinforced sidewalls and thick layer of rubber going through a corner, resulting in the alien feel to handling.
The wider Marathon+, by nature of the wider diameter, has a flatter profile on the road.
Thanks guys, especially for the hints on size of the rims.
The gators are not what the bike came with - replaced the previous 32s with gator 23s so they are a lot thinner than what came stock.
Meanwhile, in other news, I mentioned that I slid and almost came off this morning... wheeled the bike out of the office tonight and the rear was completely flat!
So that explains this morning's near miss - the gators aren't perfect winter tyres by a long stretch but they weren't to blame for today's mishap.
Keen to hear how @baldcyclist gets on with the M+ as that's what I'd been considering over the last few days but if they're not working out well then I may continue my research. Probably look at 35 or 38 for winter, then.
Ok, here I my thoughts on the Marathon + (28mm) based on about 2wks and 200 miles of use so far. So fair to say they probably haven't broken in yet.
It's also fair to say my experience is fairly -ve at the moment, BUT, I remember changing from Michelin Pro race 2 tyres to Gatorskins and having similar -ve thoughts on changing (never thought gatorskins were dangerous though), I guess you get used to tyres?
General feel:
They feel more cushioned (maximum pressure of 100psi), give a softer ride. I actually like that for commuting. It's nice, less bumpy.
Because of the above you really can feel the drag, it is a real effort to push them along, I don't like that
On the Friday before putting them on it took me 1hr2mins to do my commute from the Ferrytoll, on the Monday morning 1hr10mins !! Been at that for the last fortnight, legs will probably adjust over time and I'll get back to about an hour, but bejings they are hard work.
Cornering:
When dry not to bad, although my bike all of a sudden sounds like a mountain bike cornering, rrrrrrrrrrr. I don't like that.
When wet I have no confidence in them at all, I was trying to think of a word to describe them and couldn't, Dave called them "edgy" and I think that sums them up pretty well they feel horrible cornering.
The downright dangerous:
As alluded to above wet cornering is bad, but worse still, things that were not an obstacle before suddenly are now! Two examples, the textured paving on the Meadows, never a problem before for me even in the wet. Even in the dry the bike now seems to 'slide' through them rather than roll. I understand others pain regarding this paving now, it really is scary!.
Joining tar on road (where road has been dug up and relaid), never used to notice it before, just rolled over it if changing direction. Any change in height in road surface results in tracking (is that what it's called?). You try to change direction, the wheel is at an angle but you just continue to slide in whatever direction the raised bit is going, really really don't like that. When your front wheel does change direction you then have the same nonsense a second later with the rear, at least a rear wheel skid is easier to control.
I know others don't seem to have any issue with them, maybe I should have gone for 32mm instead of the 28mm? But I have heard lots of people on here complaining about issues (textured paving etc) that I never experienced before these tyres.
Overall though, if my time gets back to about an hour, and the punctures stop I'll suck it up and keep using them for commuting (maybe wider ones though). If my time doesn't improve then 18-20mins a day extra on the bike is just not worth the 20mins once a month it takes to fix a puncture, I'll go back to gatorskins.
If you'll permit me a smug statement; I've still got Schwalbe Ultremos on from LEL, and in all conditions they exhibit levels of grip normally only encountered between me and my Friday morning bacon roll.
I could never afford to keep buying the damn things as a regular commuting tyre, but it's fun whilst it lasts!
Wow - that's quite a review, @baldcyclist, thanks for posting.
That's kinda thrown me for now - anyone running wider M+s with a view? Sometimes there can be too much choice for things like tyres...
I switched from 1.15 contis to 1.35 marathon pluses recently, and I do feel the weight, but no complaints re grip etc.
however, my other bike is also M+ at 1.5, so I'm probably just used to them.
I run m+ 28s and m+32s they are slower than gator skins . Not sure about the rest as my skinnier tyres I don't commute with, just Tarmac roads.
Not getting the issues with different road surfaces, wet weather or cornering? Five minutes slower over ten miles up hill. Never removed that. They are heavy and sluggish tyres. If you don't need to always be on time, and therefore don't need to avoid punctures you do not need to roll with M+
Hmmm... I guess that comes back to my original question, about whether I need winter tyres at all.
The slushy leaves North of Cramond are definitely starting to worry me, hence the query - can't help thinking that slick gators aren't the best choice.
I've shaved five minutes off my commute since doing it every day so adding five minutes back on isn't a biggie. Think I may give M+32s a try and see how I get on.
Cheers, folks.
I run Marathon Plus 35 on 700c wheels on the bike I use every day. I don't have any issues with grip or cornering. The only time it's a bit skittish is turning on to the aqueduct on a wet day after a dry spell, when the greasy smooth cobbles on an adverse camber and a corner would put any tyres to the test.
To gembo's point, though. I put the tyres on the bike in February (which is when the Marathon Winters came off it) and I've not had a puncture since (touch wood).
My view (other views are definitely available) is that if you want to arrive on time in the summer fit Marathon Plus. If you want to arrive in time in the winter fit Marathon Winter.
Is it advisable to run a stud just up front, or is that inviting overconfidence? I'm considering studs this year for at least one bike so I can keep riding through the worst of the winter - first time in many years that I've not had masses of exams, stress and associated illness over Christmas/New Year.
I'd probably put them on the town hack as it's going to bear the brunt of winter as it is. Currently runs 1.95" city jets. I discovered earlier this year that these let down to 20-25 psi are great fun over snow but as expected lethal on ice. The basic Schwalbe winter tyres (not the Marathons) are around £20 each online. I thought I could have one up front for the all important grip and then the big soft slick up back would stay inline as long as the front does. Well used to the back end sliding about from mtb but not used to ice as much. Should probably just put a pair on and not tempt fate.
It seems to be difficult to locate the Schwalbe Marathon Winter in stock anywhere, or if they are in stock, they are over £40 each. Is this the kind of tyre which will reduce in price, say in November when the shops get a bulk load in, or are we likely to need to shell out over £80 for a pair? Just don't want to get them in early and then discover I've sent £30+ down the drain.
I find my Schwalbe Winter tyres are good for wet leaves also! I had used M+ for a couple of years, but finally bought GP4000s for this summer's Audaxing and left a pair on my summer commuter, with the M+28s on the winter bike if I fancied a change. I know what Balders is saying about M+s feeling edgy and slippery on corners. I found that when I moved to the Conti DG4000s, but to be fair to M+, they are pretty bullet proof, which is what you need on those dark nights with wind and rain - not having to change a tube if the tyre blows. ALso in summer the roads are dry and pretty clear of debris. In winter they are generally permanently wet and have lots of crap thrown around the edges, along with grit and where in the summer dirt wold dry and blow away, in winter it just sits at the side of the road and on paths.
I'll wait until late Nov before I pop on my Schwalbe Winter tyres on but I leave them on all winter then and have Marathons on the Dawes for drier days.
A couple of years ago, I rode home on Marathons in the pitch dark sliding all over on black ice. It took me 1.5 times as long at get home (and my ave commute is 1hr 15mins) so I went out and bought the Schwalbe winters the next day!
My commute is different from others I assume as I come on over the Forth road bridge, through the Dalmeny Estate and then either along the Cramond Prom or on the cycle path, so there are not many roads, more like cycle paths, which up until last winter was unswept and ungritted.
Big fan of studded Schwalbes here, I tried them for the first time last winter and they were a revelation ! They allow riding on ice almost as good as a normal road surface.
Stumbled across this whilst considering some Schwalbe Winters soon. (Incidentally, I note that nextdaytyres have stock of the 30mm Winter which seems to be much desired, albeit at a greater cost than from Germany).
For those looking for comments on the 28mm Marathon Plus - I've been running those on my SS commuter for several months. Yes, they weigh a tonne (each), feel dead and don't inspire confidence on went turns, but I've never actually fallen off, and I've yet to p******* since changing from my previous tyres (slighlty worn Gatorskins which punctured once too often). For a bike used primarily for commuting through Edinburgh's potholes, the downsides are a price worth paying for me.
"For a bike used primarily for commuting through Edinburgh's potholes, the downsides are a price worth paying for me"
All about personal choices/tradeoffs.
Endless options!
Then comes the +1 bike(s) for the other sorts of riding...
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