Schwalbe Marathon GT 365 Review Update
03-15-18, 11:01 PM
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Schwalbe Marathon GT 365 Review Update
I got the Schwalbe Marathon GT 365 about a month ago and I would like to share what I have found with this tire. Simply, it is an exceptional, world-class, year round tire for all conditions, except ice.
I have ridden on wet and dry hilly pavement with potholes, cracks and gravel strewn about. I have ridden on the shoulder at times to avoid cars and the tire performed well on grass and dirt. However, when I went into some deep mud I lost traction. I imagine this tire would excel on tamer off-road trails of all kinds. Here are the pros and cons:
Pros:
1. Stable - I no longer have a fear of going out riding, particularly in wet conditions. I have not slipped once like I used to with my semi-slicks.. I have ridden all speeds over shallow wet potholes, large cracks, jumped curbs and was always in control.
2. Snappy ride - At near max tire pressure (80 psi) I can pedal with about the same effort as semi-slicks about 6 mm smaller.
3. Smooth - With the aggressive tread you wouldn't expect it but the tire rolls smooth like a road tire. At higher pressure it's a bit bouncy but still very smooth. The tread design was obviously well thought out.
4. Durable - I see no signs of wear of treads. My guess is they will last thousands of miles. I didn't give it a thought because it is obvious but I do not expect any flat tires for a long time, if ever.
5. High quality - These tires look like what they are. The build quality is state-of-the-art.
Cons:
1. At pressure near the minimum (30 psi) it takes a very noticeable effort to pedal. What was once a fun bicycle ride can be one that you would rather not do. This is easily solved by pumping up the tire.
2. Hum - it's not loud but it's there. Not at all like the hum of a mountain bike tire on pavement though.
3. Cost - Priced higher than most tires but in this case you get definite value.
4. Bulbous, bulky with prominent treads - It looks more like a mountain bike tire and some might not find it attractive. To me it is a beautiful work of art.
The tire is about 3 mm larger than the size indicated on the tire. I ordered 38 mm but they measure about 41 mm. I have found that it is somewhat awkward to ride with no hands. The front tire pulls to the left or right. Not hard enough to fall but hard enough not to be able to ride hands free for more than a few seconds, which I used to do. Which thank goodness I can not do now.
If you care about safety and you bicycle in wet conditions through out the year the Schwalbe Marathon GT 365 is worth considering.
I have ridden on wet and dry hilly pavement with potholes, cracks and gravel strewn about. I have ridden on the shoulder at times to avoid cars and the tire performed well on grass and dirt. However, when I went into some deep mud I lost traction. I imagine this tire would excel on tamer off-road trails of all kinds. Here are the pros and cons:
Pros:
1. Stable - I no longer have a fear of going out riding, particularly in wet conditions. I have not slipped once like I used to with my semi-slicks.. I have ridden all speeds over shallow wet potholes, large cracks, jumped curbs and was always in control.
2. Snappy ride - At near max tire pressure (80 psi) I can pedal with about the same effort as semi-slicks about 6 mm smaller.
3. Smooth - With the aggressive tread you wouldn't expect it but the tire rolls smooth like a road tire. At higher pressure it's a bit bouncy but still very smooth. The tread design was obviously well thought out.
4. Durable - I see no signs of wear of treads. My guess is they will last thousands of miles. I didn't give it a thought because it is obvious but I do not expect any flat tires for a long time, if ever.
5. High quality - These tires look like what they are. The build quality is state-of-the-art.
Cons:
1. At pressure near the minimum (30 psi) it takes a very noticeable effort to pedal. What was once a fun bicycle ride can be one that you would rather not do. This is easily solved by pumping up the tire.
2. Hum - it's not loud but it's there. Not at all like the hum of a mountain bike tire on pavement though.
3. Cost - Priced higher than most tires but in this case you get definite value.
4. Bulbous, bulky with prominent treads - It looks more like a mountain bike tire and some might not find it attractive. To me it is a beautiful work of art.
The tire is about 3 mm larger than the size indicated on the tire. I ordered 38 mm but they measure about 41 mm. I have found that it is somewhat awkward to ride with no hands. The front tire pulls to the left or right. Not hard enough to fall but hard enough not to be able to ride hands free for more than a few seconds, which I used to do. Which thank goodness I can not do now.
If you care about safety and you bicycle in wet conditions through out the year the Schwalbe Marathon GT 365 is worth considering.
Last edited by lindafranc; 03-16-18 at 12:53 PM.
03-17-18, 08:39 AM
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The 365 looks a little too chunky for my application. I'm liking the GT and if I were to go with a more aggressive tread I'd probably opt for the GT Tour. Overall I like the notion of their "DualGuard" protection scheme. The weight of their Marathon tires has always been a turnoff for me while the ride of competitive protection belted tires is uncomfortably stiff. Perhaps combining a bit of each technology into a single tire is the best solution? Time will tell.
-Kedosto
-Kedosto
03-17-18, 01:05 PM
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[QUOTE=Kedosto;20228531]The 365 looks a little too chunky for my application. I'm liking the GT and if I were to go with a more aggressive tread I'd probably opt for the GT Tour. Overall I like the notion of their "DualGuard" protection scheme. The weight of their Marathon tires has always been a turnoff for me while the ride of competitive protection belted tires is uncomfortably stiff. Perhaps combining a bit of each technology into a single tire is the best solution? Time will tell.
It looks chunky but to me it rides just as smooth as my semi-slicks. The value of this tire is the safety aspect and the long durability. The other day a car came around a bend behind me. I quickly went to the outside of the road, which had potholes and cracks, and gravel. I cruised right over all of it. With my semi-slicks I might have been on the ground. The GT Tour looks great too but I think the 365 has better stability and formulation for cold wet surfaces.
It looks chunky but to me it rides just as smooth as my semi-slicks. The value of this tire is the safety aspect and the long durability. The other day a car came around a bend behind me. I quickly went to the outside of the road, which had potholes and cracks, and gravel. I cruised right over all of it. With my semi-slicks I might have been on the ground. The GT Tour looks great too but I think the 365 has better stability and formulation for cold wet surfaces.
03-20-18, 01:27 PM
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@lindafranc Nice review. Just curious, since you say these roll well for you, (Schwalbe shows them as 3 1/2 out of 6 stars towards being heavier in rolling resistance, exceeding the rolling resistance even of their studded versions), what semi-slicks do you normally run?
I'm a chicken when it comes to riding in snow/ice, so I'm going to run studs when I venture out and fear running into slick. Schwalbe does rate these higher than many of their tires for protection and durability, and higher grip on road (rather than ice as on their studded versions) which all goes to say the tires are meant to appeal to those very averse to punctures, wanting a grippy tire, that lasts a lot of miles, because those features are going to make the tire rolling resistance comparatively high. Weight was commiserate with their size right in there with their studded tires of similar size, which seemed staggering to me.
I'm guessing you're in an urban area where you need a high amount of flat protection, and obviously value the grippiness, there is obviously plenty of demand for this type of tire, as Schwalbe makes a variety of tires around this theme, but dang, it's hard to swallow 850 grams a tire. In contrast, my 700x38 45NRTH studded snow tires with 252 carbide studs comes in at 627g. I appreciate what it allows me to do, namely stay upright on ice reliably, and that it doesn't suck the joy out of riding quite like the 700x32 Hakkapelita studded ones did, lol, but I'm ever so happy whenever the pavement is free of snow and ice so that I can ride a smooth and fast tire.
I'm a chicken when it comes to riding in snow/ice, so I'm going to run studs when I venture out and fear running into slick. Schwalbe does rate these higher than many of their tires for protection and durability, and higher grip on road (rather than ice as on their studded versions) which all goes to say the tires are meant to appeal to those very averse to punctures, wanting a grippy tire, that lasts a lot of miles, because those features are going to make the tire rolling resistance comparatively high. Weight was commiserate with their size right in there with their studded tires of similar size, which seemed staggering to me.
I'm guessing you're in an urban area where you need a high amount of flat protection, and obviously value the grippiness, there is obviously plenty of demand for this type of tire, as Schwalbe makes a variety of tires around this theme, but dang, it's hard to swallow 850 grams a tire. In contrast, my 700x38 45NRTH studded snow tires with 252 carbide studs comes in at 627g. I appreciate what it allows me to do, namely stay upright on ice reliably, and that it doesn't suck the joy out of riding quite like the 700x32 Hakkapelita studded ones did, lol, but I'm ever so happy whenever the pavement is free of snow and ice so that I can ride a smooth and fast tire.
04-21-19, 07:55 AM
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Curious how these are holding up — I’ve been trying to figure out the differences between the marathon plus (various subtypes) and marathon GT (various subtypes) and their other tires like Mondial, Allmotion, or Energizer. I still don’t quite get it.
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08-02-19, 10:32 AM
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I would be curious to hear also. Looking at them right now.
12-22-22, 08:50 AM
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GT365 has its limits.
Last year (2021) was the worst winter year in 40 years that we had for cold and snow. I ran studs all winter and didn't wipe out once. Two days ago I wiped out using the Marathon GT365 which resulted in a bruised hip & shoulder. The tire pressure was lowered too. I haven't visited the chiropractor in years but probably should. When you are tall it is a long way down. This wipeout was not during frivolous riding and luckily happened on a side street with no traffic. The ruts under snow can take you down, and the rut was only about an inch and a half tall in this instance. Following that incident, a prompt change to studs was made. After commuting downtown here yesterday, the polished and slickened roads would have been disastrous with the GT365 especially with frenzied Christmas drivers. No problem with the studs. The studded tires are Continental Spike Claw, with a full stud compliment in front and half in the rear. I'll switch back to the GT365 in the spring when the slop develops (but not ice!).
Last edited by prairiepedaler; 12-22-22 at 08:54 AM.
