1.75 vs 2 Schwalbe Marathon tires
#1
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1.75 vs 2 Schwalbe Marathon tires
I built out a nice touring rig out of an old mtb frameset. I am trying to decide on tires. I dont know how far i will tour yet but i want to take some small trips this next summer.
I am wondering what the actual width is of the 1.75 vs 2 schwable marathon actually is. I have 26x1.25 tires on it now and those will be too skinny for touring while loaded.
I know the Schwable Marathon 26x1.75 is about $30 per tire and the 2.0 is about $40 per tire for the hs420 GreenGuard model.
Without seeing them mounted, it is hard to visualize how wide they are. I know tire sizes by manufacture can vary wildy. I picked up some 700x25 gatorskins recently nad they were narrower than the 23c ones i was replacing.
I am wondering what the actual width is of the 1.75 vs 2 schwable marathon actually is. I have 26x1.25 tires on it now and those will be too skinny for touring while loaded.
I know the Schwable Marathon 26x1.75 is about $30 per tire and the 2.0 is about $40 per tire for the hs420 GreenGuard model.
Without seeing them mounted, it is hard to visualize how wide they are. I know tire sizes by manufacture can vary wildy. I picked up some 700x25 gatorskins recently nad they were narrower than the 23c ones i was replacing.
#2
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For what it's worth, my Schwalbe 26 X 1.5" are 42 mm wide. My bike was designed for 1.95", so it leaves room for the fenders. I find them wide enough for my touring needs.
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I did not caliper my Marathon (with Greenguard) 26 X 1.5 tires, but they are also labled 559 X 40mm, thus I consider them to be 40mm wide. (I am not disagreeing with MarcusT who did measure his at 42mm, I am only going by the tire rating.) I use these tires on my 26 inch wheel touring bike for trips that are mostly on pavement. I do not have a good close up photo of my 1.5 width tires, but the photos attached are with those tires.
On trips that were mostly on good quality gravel like rail to trails routes, I use (now discontinued) Marathon Duremes on front and Marathon Extremes on rear, both rated at 2.0 or 50mm wide. (The Duremes I use are the non-tandem versions, the tandem ones have a stiffer casing.)
And where I want to be prepared for bad road conditions or single track, I run 57mm wide Marathon Extremes.
I do not own any 1.75 width tires to compare with.
Regarding the question do you need 1.75 or do you need the 2.0? My 1.5 width Marathon (with Greenguard) is wide enough for most types of touring, I have loaded my bike down with a lot of food and camping gear (as shown in photos) and find them to work just great on pavement. Although I have used 2.0 for gravel trails I am sure that the 1.5 width would have worked almost as well on such gravel trails. But, I do not see any downside with the wider 1.75 or 2.0 width either, both 1.75 and 2.0 would work fine on pavement too.
On trips that were mostly on good quality gravel like rail to trails routes, I use (now discontinued) Marathon Duremes on front and Marathon Extremes on rear, both rated at 2.0 or 50mm wide. (The Duremes I use are the non-tandem versions, the tandem ones have a stiffer casing.)
And where I want to be prepared for bad road conditions or single track, I run 57mm wide Marathon Extremes.
I do not own any 1.75 width tires to compare with.
Regarding the question do you need 1.75 or do you need the 2.0? My 1.5 width Marathon (with Greenguard) is wide enough for most types of touring, I have loaded my bike down with a lot of food and camping gear (as shown in photos) and find them to work just great on pavement. Although I have used 2.0 for gravel trails I am sure that the 1.5 width would have worked almost as well on such gravel trails. But, I do not see any downside with the wider 1.75 or 2.0 width either, both 1.75 and 2.0 would work fine on pavement too.
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Interesting. Thank you. I show my paselas are 28.8mm at 26x1.25.
It seems the 1.5s would give me another 12mm+ and that should be plenty i would think. 90% paved roads and trails and the occasional dirt road / fire road is my plan. Id rather not have to deal with flats.
Thanks for the feedback.
It seems the 1.5s would give me another 12mm+ and that should be plenty i would think. 90% paved roads and trails and the occasional dirt road / fire road is my plan. Id rather not have to deal with flats.
Thanks for the feedback.
#5
Slow Rider
I have Schwalbe Big Bens (26x2.15) are 55mm wide on my 21mm rims. I estimate marathons would be of similar width.
My Marathong Green Guards are 26x1.75 and are 40mm wide on 19mm rims.
P.S. In tests, they both show similar speed, so I tend to use the wider tires.
My Marathong Green Guards are 26x1.75 and are 40mm wide on 19mm rims.
P.S. In tests, they both show similar speed, so I tend to use the wider tires.
#6
Banned
I have marathon in 1.75 width in 26" & 20 " (559-47 & 406-47..
good durable tires
marathon Plus blue band in 349-37 seems to lose tread to the flat protection band , as it showed blue patches under
a thin layer of black tread rubber, just off tread center...
...
good durable tires
marathon Plus blue band in 349-37 seems to lose tread to the flat protection band , as it showed blue patches under
a thin layer of black tread rubber, just off tread center...
...
#8
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my 1.5s on a few bikes measure out to 38 or 40, pretty much as stated, these are regular marathons
but dont forget that the rim width can be a factor with how wide a tire actually is.
I have a set of 2in Supremes that officially are 50mm, but on my rims they measure out to a bit over 45mm
Ive ridden a lot on the 1.5s and at 38mm they are a lot wider than a tires I have toured on, 28mm, 32mm , but they really do have more comfort , but not as much as wider tires.
in the end, if only on pavement, and reasonable pavement, 1.5s work great, if on a lot of rougher stuff and unsure surfaces, the 2in ones give more cushion, but in the end, it really depends on lots of factors.
for years I toured on 28 slicks, so 38s work pretty good compared to 28s comfort wise and dealing with looser surfaces.
but dont forget that the rim width can be a factor with how wide a tire actually is.
I have a set of 2in Supremes that officially are 50mm, but on my rims they measure out to a bit over 45mm
Ive ridden a lot on the 1.5s and at 38mm they are a lot wider than a tires I have toured on, 28mm, 32mm , but they really do have more comfort , but not as much as wider tires.
in the end, if only on pavement, and reasonable pavement, 1.5s work great, if on a lot of rougher stuff and unsure surfaces, the 2in ones give more cushion, but in the end, it really depends on lots of factors.
for years I toured on 28 slicks, so 38s work pretty good compared to 28s comfort wise and dealing with looser surfaces.
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For what little it's worth, when I was running those same tires on my mtb converted tourer, I never felt that I needed more than the 1.5"ers and I spent plenty of time on crummy roads and gravel. Now if I were going strictly off road, different story.
#10
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I may be off again this winter, and will just use the 2 in supremes again, just because I have them, and I do feel they helped the wheelset a certain amount on rough stuff.
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FWIW, a 2" tire has twice the volume of a 1.5" tire. Roughly 2200 vs 1150 cubic inches. There are pros (easier to ride at lower pressure, which gives more grip; smoother ride) and cons (heavier, takes more time to pump to the desired pressure). Rolling resistance differences are apparently negligible.
I ride on Schwalbe Almotion 2.1".
I ride on Schwalbe Almotion 2.1".
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my 1.5s on a few bikes measure out to 38 or 40, pretty much as stated, these are regular marathons
but dont forget that the rim width can be a factor with how wide a tire actually is.
I have a set of 2in Supremes that officially are 50mm, but on my rims they measure out to a bit over 45mm
Ive ridden a lot on the 1.5s and at 38mm they are a lot wider than a tires I have toured on, 28mm, 32mm , but they really do have more comfort , but not as much as wider tires.
in the end, if only on pavement, and reasonable pavement, 1.5s work great, if on a lot of rougher stuff and unsure surfaces, the 2in ones give more cushion, but in the end, it really depends on lots of factors.
for years I toured on 28 slicks, so 38s work pretty good compared to 28s comfort wise and dealing with looser surfaces.
but dont forget that the rim width can be a factor with how wide a tire actually is.
I have a set of 2in Supremes that officially are 50mm, but on my rims they measure out to a bit over 45mm
Ive ridden a lot on the 1.5s and at 38mm they are a lot wider than a tires I have toured on, 28mm, 32mm , but they really do have more comfort , but not as much as wider tires.
in the end, if only on pavement, and reasonable pavement, 1.5s work great, if on a lot of rougher stuff and unsure surfaces, the 2in ones give more cushion, but in the end, it really depends on lots of factors.
for years I toured on 28 slicks, so 38s work pretty good compared to 28s comfort wise and dealing with looser surfaces.
cons: slight but minimal extra rolling resistance, flat-protection is not the best.
pros: roll fast for the width, actually lighter than heavy-duty 1.5"s, I've had no flats in over 2 years. Ride comfort is great & handling is safer.
#13
Senior Member
I switched from 37-622mm/700C-1.5" tires to 50-559mm/26"x2.0" Marathon Supremes:
cons: slight but minimal extra rolling resistance, flat-protection is not the best.
pros: roll fast for the width, actually lighter than heavy-duty 1.5"s, I've had no flats in over 2 years. Ride comfort is great & handling is safer.
cons: slight but minimal extra rolling resistance, flat-protection is not the best.
pros: roll fast for the width, actually lighter than heavy-duty 1.5"s, I've had no flats in over 2 years. Ride comfort is great & handling is safer.
#14
Senior Member
I use the 26x1.25 Marathon Greenguards on my single touring bikes, and have never had an issue with them, even on highly mixed surfaces (GAP, C&O, etc.). On our touring tandem we run the 26x1.5 Marathon Greenguard. Again, plenty of tire width for loaded touring IMO, at least on varied surfaces. If you are doing a tour totally on dirt, gravel, or whatever, then maybe the larger tire would be beneficial.
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1.75's use the left over money for beer!
FWIW my "road" tour bike uses 32mm my converted MTB 1.5 or 1.75 depending on what was on sale when I needed tires. Currently running the Performance Bike Shop Forte Gotham 1.75.
Aaron
FWIW my "road" tour bike uses 32mm my converted MTB 1.5 or 1.75 depending on what was on sale when I needed tires. Currently running the Performance Bike Shop Forte Gotham 1.75.
Aaron
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Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
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RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
#17
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Don't think I mentioned here, but I have a pair of regular marathons 1.5 that have roughly 10,000kms on them and still have reasonable life left. I find them to be a very good value for money tire.
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Just for reference, i ended up with the 26x1.50 HS420 Marathon tires and they measure 36mm inflated to 60psi (100psi max). I have pretty narrow rims from VELOMINE which likely accounts for not getting the full 40mm out of them. They appear much wider than the 1.25 paselas i removed. Those were about 28mm.
#19
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Re 60psi, depending on your weight, try lower pressures because the ride quality really improves. I have a commuter bike that I ride a lot, it has the same tires but 700x35 that measure pretty much 35mm, and I usually have about 40psi front, 45 rear, and at these pressures they roll along nicely but have nice give over the rough pavement on my commute.
I weigh 140 lbs max but always have at least one pannier on with locks, lunch etc etc.
Just experiment and see, but often trying 5psi less here and there can make a real comfort difference.
I weigh 140 lbs max but always have at least one pannier on with locks, lunch etc etc.
Just experiment and see, but often trying 5psi less here and there can make a real comfort difference.
#20
Full Member
Unless you're going to be riding on a considerable amount of gravel I would be suggesting you have a look at the Schwalbe Supremes instead. The reduction in rolling resistance is huge. We go from averaging 27-28kmh on the flat with Marathons to 31-32 kmh with the Supremes. Makes a big difference if it's a long day
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Just for reference, i ended up with the 26x1.50 HS420 Marathon tires and they measure 36mm inflated to 60psi (100psi max). I have pretty narrow rims from VELOMINE which likely accounts for not getting the full 40mm out of them. They appear much wider than the 1.25 paselas i removed. Those were about 28mm.
Loaded touring I usually run about 80 psi in rear, around 65 psi front. But I usually go for a week or two before I add pressure, so I suspect at times I am 15 to 20 psi below those values before I get around to topping them up again.