Archive-URL: http://search.bikelist.org/getmsg.asp?Filename=touring.10408.1391.eml From: "Jamie Noble" <jnoble123(AT)hotmail.com> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2004 10:16:39 -0400 Subject: Equip Review - Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires About two months prior to the start of my trip around Lake Huron I = decided to order some new tires. Originally I had planned to order the = tires through my local bicycle shop but unfortunately the product I = wanted wasn't one that they stock so it was taking a long time. Three weeks before my start date I contacted Celeste from Schwalbe North = America about obtaining a set of tires plus a spare tire in time for my = trip. Celeste requested some information on the type of terrain I planned to = ride and based on this information recommended that I use the Schwalbe = Marathon Plus tires. She also contacted her shipping company to make = sure that the tires would arrive in time for my tour. I mentioned the concerns that others on the list have mentioned in the = past about mounting the tires on the rim. Celeste has a liquid product = that is designed to help with this. In addition there are also specific = tire levers that you can get as well. Celeste included both in my order. Unfortunately when the tires did arrive it turned out that the fenders = on my bike and the 700 X 37c tires had a conflict. Although not = Celeste's issue since the sizing was at my request she immediately = shipped me another set of 700 X 35c tires and asked me to return the = originals. She actually absorbed the extra shipping cost which was quite = surprising and unexpected! The 700 X 35c tires arrived before my tour. >From a customer service perspective Celeste earns an A++. I cannot think = of anything she could have done better to make my experience nicer. I experienced no problems mounting the tires. In fact the mounting = experience was better then the experience I have had with the stock = tires in the past when correcting flat tires (1) or pulled out valves = (3). I did not use the liquid product because I had no need to. I did = use the levers and they worked well for the job. On the tour itself I started testing the tires the first day when I = experimented with gravel riding by leaving the pavement and going on to = the gravel shoulder everytime one of those giant dump trucks tried to = pass me! :)=20 Unlike the stock tires that came with my trek (Bontrager somethings - = I'll look it up) these tires handle gravel very, very, very well! = Throughout my trip around Lake Huron I went to the gravel numerous = times. In each case I never felt like I was about to do a high speed = wipeout. I also rode about 200 km of gravel roads on this trip. I would never = have attempted or enjoyed this with the old tires. With the new tires = riding gravel roads was actually pleasurable. I had time to enjoy the = quiet road and the scenery without needing to worry about sudden = wipeouts. Rolling resistance never seemed to be a problem. No flats and minimal need to pump air in the tire regularily. When I rode at night I was told that the bike glowed in the dark. One of = the high visibility items on the bike was the reflective sidewall on the = tires. The only issue I have is actually with the front fender that is on the = bike. I intend to mount the front fender differently. With this fender = the mounting design is such that unless the tire is at the low end of = it's inflation range the tire and fender touch. With a slight change I = think this problem will disappear. >From a functionality perspective these tires receive an A+. As a practical note I intend to use these tires when I go around my next = lake and when I cross Canada that's how much I like these tires. I also purchased a Schwalbe Marathon 700 X 35c folding tire for a spare. = I carried it around the lake and fortunately had no need for it! :) Here's some contact information for Celeste: celeste.steindl(AT)schwalbetires.com C=E9leste Ren=E9e Steindl-Moser Owner / Director SCHWALBE NORTH AMERICA A Division of Moser Enterprises Incorporated Victoria, BC and Mill Valley, CA 1-888-700-5860; 250-598-0397 ext: 101=20 www.schwalbetires.com For the cynical people out there now is probably the time to mention = that while a happy customer I am affiliated in no other way with Celeste = or Schwalbe. I also did not receive a reduced price or anything else in = exchange for these comments. Celeste did not request this review, see it = in advance or even know that it was coming (I think that should cover = all the needed disclaimers, let me know if I missed one). Great people and excellent tires! I will also be posting this review as part of my tour report at = http://jnoble123.crazyguyonabike.com . I will likely include a few = pictures of the tires showing the amount of wear after 2000 km of use. ~Jamie N --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- _______________________________________________ Touring mailing list Touring(AT)phred.org Browse and search the archives: http://search.bikelist.org Unsubscribe or list settings: http://www.phred.org/mailman/options/touring