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I have been told to buy some Schwalbe Marathon XR tyres for a trip to Peru in the summer.
They are expensive and CRC don't seem to have any.
They do have other versions of the model though.
My trip lasts 18 days, following that I will probably very, very rarely do any real distance riding so longevity isn't really what I'm after. I guess it's more toughness and low rolling resistance I'm after.
With that in mind, does anyone know if I can get away with a similar model and get the same sort of effect?
I know nothing of these types of touring tyres...
Cheers.
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hi, I just bought XRs from SJS for 25 gbp each. They are heavy at 890g each but they should last years. I fitted them the other day & 1st day out today - here in spain its all dusty trails so no mud. They have good low rolling resistance & no hum on tarmac which is why I bought them.
They are fiddly to fit - on the onone reetard 29er rims I had 2 blowouts as it slipped off the rim. However, they are nice & snug now & I just did a downhill tarmac at 35mph, I reckon +5mph over the knobblies.
Hope it helps, I run marathon +s on all my bikes now as I really hate punctures & in the hills in the heat you can't afford any mechanical failures or you'll fry.
Cheers
I've got a pair of XRs on my Fargo, they might just be the world's heaviest tyre though. They are amazingly hard wearing on and off road. A German guy I met on the Pacific coast had ridden 3000km in Alaska before heading south, last I heard he was in Peru still on the same tyres. No punctures reported. Go for them.
Haven't XR's been discontinued? They were the expedition tyre of choice. I'm sure I recall Schwalbe claiming something like a 12k Kilometer life for them.
I have a pair if 700c ones in my tyre pile for when we offroad with our road tandem.
Yeah, I mean I will be doing a fairly high mileage, but the trip is only 18 days long. Could I get away with a lighter and cheaper version of the tyre? If there is one obviously..
What surfaces will you be riding on?
A lot of road I think but also some off road. The 'Road of 'Death' in Bolivia.... It was in Top Gear a while back...
I would have thought one of the Marathon range would suit. I use standard Marathons for commuting on bridle paths and as said above, XR's for offroad/rough road tandem riding. I haven't had any bother with either.
Looking at the Schwalbe site, the Mondial seems to have replaced the XR though I'd have thought the Tour or Tour Plus would fit the bill. I'd check the weights though as I'm not sure they're correct on the Schwalbe site.
Thanks. The Mondial are a more palatable price but man they heavy!
The advantages of the XR/mondial are;
Puncture resistance
Massive wear life
Tread pattern mix of grip vs rolling
If i was going somewhere i didnt know much about to tour, with low confidence of getting a spare, and high chance of tyre failure spoiling my onceinalifetimeholiday then id fit my XR's.
If i was going around the UK on sustrans paths/roads, with many chances to get a replacement tyre inc overnight post, id fit my thinner but still tough and much faster Conti tour's.
You could always take a lighter weight Marathon and a folding spare (or pair of spares). I'd be inclined to carry a spare anyhoo having had to use mine a couple of times in the past. The XR/Mondial should be th kiddie for real exped riding though (and they'll make yer legs fit).
I've bought Mondials for my El Mariachi. I reckon a few extra grams will make little overall difference to weight and given the puncture resistance.
Both are awesome tyres. Did LEJoG on regular Marathons, no punctures. In a year of commuting, one 'freak' puncture. Have been using XRs for 2 years' commuting, no punctures.
Well worth the layout, IMHO..