For a safer journey. You have full control on icy roads with the Marathon Winter. Even in tight bends and under violent braking everything remains under control. The spikes work best on ice when running at minimum pressure, while at maximum pressure the tires can be ridden on ice-free roads with minimal road noise..
Submitted by
tscheezy
a Cross Country Rider
from Kodiak, Alaska Date Reviewed: February 17, 2009
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Low rolling resistant. Square profile tungsten carbide studs grip ice well. A nice rolling, quiet commuter tire. Do not suck on dry pavement.
Weaknesses:
I agree with the previous review: not good for snow or off road. They are very heavy and do not have a supple casing (not that I really expected this from an adapted commuter tire).
Similar Products Used:
I own a couple sets of Nokian Extreme 296s, a set of Extreme 294 29ers, a couple sets of Hakka 300s, a couple sets of Freddies Revenz, and a set of Hakka W240s.
Bike Setup:
Various townie single speeds with lights and fenders
Bottom Line:
I have about a dozen pairs of Nokian studded tires. A couple sets of Extreme 296s (2.1"), a set of Extreme 294 29ers (2.1"), a couple sets of Hakka 300s (2.0"), a couple sets of Freddies Revenz (2.3"), and a set of Hakka W240s (1.9"). I mostly commuted on the old 296s and on the Hakka 300s. This past fall I picked up a set of Schwalbe Marathon Winter tires (2.0") for commuting and now that I have about a good 3 months of riding on them I thought it was time to post a few thoughts.
First off, they roll very well. They also weigh a ton (about 900g). Getting them up to speed requires some effort due to the weight, but once humming along, they offer little resistance. Acceleration is similar to the 296s, but once rolling they are more efficient than any of my Nokains on the road. They are smooth and quiet too. Studded tires are always slapping a lot of metal on the road and they are loud and the vibration is noticeable. This is greatly diminished with the Marathons. Part of the reason is that with 240 studs, they have fewer studs than any of my Nokians (other than the W240s, obviously). The other reason is that the tread is less "aggressive" and better designed for road rolling.
They use a flat faced tungsten carbide pin in a steel mushroom-headed sleeve for the studs. Very durable, but not as light as the alu sleeved Freddies or Hakkas. The studs are about the same as the W240 tires, and pretty similar to those on the 294 and 296s. Stud wear is basically not an issue, ever. I have studded tires with literally thousands of road miles on them and with only the most superficial wear to the tungsten pin. The rubber usually cracks and the chords break down long before the studs are done. The Marathons have thick rubber side walls. This can be good or bad, depending. Some thick sidewalls get brittle and crack, while thinner side walls stay pliable. No way to tell yet. I have not lost any studs, but then again I never do on the road, even despite skidding a few times or going up or down curbs regularly (straight on- not diagonally).
Because they have fewer studs and less aggressive knobs, the Marathons do not grip quite as well as their more knobby and studly brothers. On sheet ice, the going is fine though stopping distances are slightly increased and cornering is a slightly more delicate operation. I have yet to crash or have my control compromised in any way due to this, but it took a few weeks to feel the tires out on ice and learn how they would behave. They are totally up to the challenge of any road work on ice, climbing or descending, provided there are not significant frozen vehicle tire ruts. What they give up in pure traction they more than make up in superior rolling ease.
One area that does suffer more is on snow that does not pack into a consolidated mass. Once snow is over about half an inch deep and does not want to stick together (kitty litter, etc), the lack of real knobs means you start to spin and slip on climbs, and steering suffers too. Even knobbier tires are in trouble in these conditions when the snow hits about an inch deep.
Overall I like them a lot for town riding in coastal Alaska. I commute all winter, in all weather. I will be keeping these and may buy more in the future. They bear a striking resemblance to Tioga's Farmer John's Cousins, but don't hold that against them.
I will give them 4 stars for value because I could fine Nokian Extreme 296s for the same price (when they were made) and those had over 50 more studs per tire.
I give them 5 stars overall when used for commuting. They are excellent for that purpose.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
gauchita
a Cross Country Rider
from Val d'Or, Quebec (Canada) Date Reviewed: November 30, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Lac des soeurs
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$70.00
Purchased At:
Vélo Cyclo Pro
Strengths:
Great on ice; price
Weaknesses:
Sucks on snow
Bottom Line:
The strengths of these tires is how great they are on ice and their very affordable price tag (in comparison to other studded tires). I also like the reflective band on their wall. I use them to commute and find they make a huge difference in winter - on ice especially - vs. non-studded tires. The only disappointment I have with them (and it's a pretty major one) is that they are not suited for snow at all. Unless the snow you drive on is packed solid, you won't get any traction with these tires and will have much less control over your bike (not good when commuting on busy roads). If you typically have to drive though more than one inch of snow, I would suggest tires with a more agressive, knobbier thread than these ones.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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