The bombproof marathon plus

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ak88

New Member
I switched from Armadillos to Marathon Plus after wearing through the Armadillos. The M+ have performed very well on my daily commute, even handling the Eastway (where the Olympic stadium is being built and hence lots of shrapnel on the road). Took a few days to get use to the weight of them.

It let me down once though - it picked up a two inch wood screw - the whole screw was embedded inside the tyre with only the head showing. However, comments on how hard it was to put on was unfounded and I was back on my merry way after changing the tube. Since then not an issue so actually very happy having the M+ as commuting tyres.

Then today I pumped up the tyres to the max (110 psi - 700 x 25 M+) as part of the usual weekly/bi-weekly topup ritual. After a short ride, the wheel felt funny as if there was something wrong in one particular area (like a cyclical bump on the wheel) - while slowing down and looking at wheel, there was an all mighty thunderclap and I saw white dust erupt from the side of the wheel. Stopped off ready to change the tube - so off with the rear wheel and looked at the blown sidewall. The wire bead was off the tyre - blown/ripped right off!

Attached are the images of the tube and ripped M+. The tyres are only about three months old have have covered not more than 1300 miles. Was the tyre defective? I've had a blow out with my Armadillos before but not had the bead ripped off. Maybe thats why its harder to fit M+ - cause of the tight bead wire?

Quite impressive anyhow....
 

Maz

Guru
Wow! Impressive pictures.
I wonder if the woodscrew left a big hole in the tyre - enough to cause the inner tube to 'haemarrhoid' into it?
 

goo_mason

Champion barbed-wire hurdler
Location
Leith, Edinburgh
Yikes - I've done 3000+ on my Marathon Plus tyres, and like you the only flats I've had were the biggies with a 1 inch-long piece of glass and then later the 1.5 inch brass nail which went right in and left only the head showing.

I'll be putting in many more miles on them once winter really sets in and I move off the roadie back onto the MTB.

I'd reckon it might be a faulty tyre - might be worth taking it back to the shop or contacting Schwalbe.
 

Joe24

More serious cyclist than Bonj
Location
Nottingham
Not from the brake pad rubbing on it is it? What i thought was that the brake has been rubbing on it, and has worn it down. Then when you put pressure in, its stressed it and ripped the bead away.
Could be wrong though, just a thought.
 
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ak88

New Member
Bought the tyres off dot bike - so can't really 'take it back'. Ordered my replacement from them as well as they had the best price and delivered next day. Emailed Schwalbe anyway and see what they say.
 
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ak88

New Member
Joe24 - Definitely wasn't the brakes - I clean my pads pretty religiously after wearing through a set of wheels so I do ensure my brakes are correctly aligned.

After a bit - the product manager in the UK contacted me. I sent him through the images I posted as he wanted to have a look and to see if it was related to the screw.

Anyway - just received a reply requesting size and delivery address. Didn't think the email to the company would have paid off to be honest - but its nice to know that a company actually does care about their products. Thumbs up to Schwalbe!
 

solgursky

New Member
even handling the Eastway (where the Olympic stadium is being built and hence lots of shrapnel on the road).

There's tons of soil and rubbish on that road now.
 

genesta

New Member
Location
Woking
ak88 said:
Anyway - just received a reply requesting size and delivery address. Didn't think the email to the company would have paid off to be honest - but its nice to know that a company actually does care about their products. Thumbs up to Schwalbe!

Great service! I fitted M+'s to my hybrid a month or so ago and have been really impressed. It's good to know the Co performs as well as its products.
 
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