Why are Marathons so difficult?!?

[Holdsworth]

These are the hardest tyres that I've ever had the displeasure of trying to fit to my rims. The original Conti Sport contact (700x32c) wore out after 2500 miles and I wanted something a bit more durable and less prone to punctures. The Conti's were very light and slipped on easily but they got cut to ribbons after a short while as the compound was so soft and the kevlar belt very thin.

I was aware that Marathon tyres would be a little more difficult to fit than others but I wasn't quite prepared for how hard they would turn out to be. The first side slipped over the rim easy enough but the last few inches on the other length of bead wouldn't go on. I am aware that I would have to push the bead into the well of the rim every time I get further to free up slack, it works well in theory and with other tyres but I was getting nowhere with the these. The bead just popped back out without freeing up the slack I needed. The body of the tyre is very rigid and just won't let the bead sit right. The other problem was the bead I had just pushed on one side was unseated by pushing in on the other side, I ended up chasing it around the rim up to a point until the tension was enough to keep it in.

In the end I had to force the tyre onto the rim with a tyre lever. It is a big no no I understand but I had no choice. My thumbs ached so much and I got nowhere. The tyre eventually slipped over with a lot of persuasion from the levers, luckily the tube wasn't pinched although the levers are a lot worse for wear now.

I have seen the Spa cycles video using toes straps to hold the bead in whilst I push it on. This is pointless in my view as I will be stuck if/when I get a puncture out on the road in the dark in the middle of winter! I can see me breaking my levers just getting the bead off of the rimto get at the tube it is so tough.

Seriously though would it have been so hard for Schwalbe to add a few more mm of wire bead to help the tyre fit easier to 622 rims?


BTW these are the standard Marathon "Greenguard" and not the infamous "Plus". I thought the thinner puncture strip would help with fitting and comfort.

 

[PpPete]

I fitted a Marathon "Greenuard" rigid tyre for the first time a couple of days ago.
Most tyres I can fit without levers (using the Spa cycles video technique) but certainly had to resort to levers for this one.

As for punctures on the road ... first time fitting is always the hardest as the tyres stretch a bit in use.
On those same rims getting used Marathon Plus off is relatively easy and I can get them back on without levers.

 

[MrJamie]

I did the same when i got my first M+ 700*38, id spent like an hour trying to get it on and just brute forced it with a tyre lever once id got past the point of caring. Theres a video on youtube which it sounds like you may have seen already thats very helpful and been linked on here a few times showing how to fit them by hand, using that my 2nd M+ went on fairly easily. I got a puncture in that first tyre a few weeks back and it was easy enough to take off and on, despite being nowhere near close the first time round - i think there really is a knack to it. A couple of days ago I put M+ Tours 26*2.00 on my old MTB, a similar story and probably would have been easy enough if i had 4 hands but did get on reasonably quickly by working the tyre around the rim in both directions and holding it to avoid chasing it around the rim, without using levers.

What I was trying to say was that you can kind of do the Spa video by hand if you hold one side into the rim and then work your hand round the other side freeing up a little at a time. When I first got mine i was shocked how hard they were to get on and off and like many nearly gave up after about an hour, but having put around 8ish M+ tyres on rims its difficult but doable with practice. If like me you normally put your tubes in with a small amount of air to hold shape it really has to be an absolute minimum so that you can compress the tyre between points your holding it to get enough slack.

On the plus side they almost never puncture

 

[vorsprung]

I used to have terrible trouble getting tyres on and had to use levers. Of course this often caused a pinch flat as the tyre went on. Once it took me 4 goes with patching each time to get a tyre on.

Then I learnt the shoe trick and I've not had any trouble since.

With the shoe trick, you get the tyre on as best you can. Then place the wheel with the unattached section of tyre at the bottom upright on a hard surface. Grip the sidewall of the tyre with the side of your shoe and apply downward force. Then move the top of the wheel towards the ground so the wheel acts as a lever. As the leverage is applied the bead will move down towards the lip of the rim. With any luck the section of tyre will clunk it's bead into the rim. Repeat until the tyre is fully on the rim.

 

[SquareDaff]

Never had any problems. I keep one hand on the 1st point I push the 2nd tyre wall over the rim - then work around. By about halfway there's enough tension in the tyre wall so that I can let go and proceed with both hands.

The only problem I used to have was with pinching of the inner tube but I've since found a way to avoid that and have never had problems since.

 

[wheres_my_beard]

A. They are 26 miles long
B. They are old chocolate bars. They changed their name to Snickers years ago. Don't eat it.
C. Try a Crank Brothers Speed Lever - easy off, easy on too.

Here's a slightly cack-handed demo. I find I get tyres off and on in a fraction of the time, including tyres that have seemed near impossible with regular levers.

You could try applying some washing up liquid to the beading and rim to lubricate things, and shouldn't be a problem once it dries.

 

[Sca1ey]

I'd like to see the man in the clip get some brand new Marathon Pluses on so easily with his fancy tool.

 

[accountantpete]

Tyres are dead easy - it just takes practice.

Put on until you get to the last 9" or so.

Take wheel to a wall and place at 90 degrees.

Keep the hard bit at the top and pull up on the tyre whilst pushing the wheel with your knee into the wall and down into the ground. This moves all the slack into the area you want it to be.

Keeping the pressure with your knee (to prevent the slack moving back) use both hands to gently slide the remaining tyre over the rim.

No talc,no straps, no levers - even the hardest of tyres will get on this way. The hard bit is keeping the tyre balanced with your knee.

 

[User6179]

If you can get one side of the tyre on the rim then you must be doing something wrong if you cant get the other side on , think about it .
My tip with the marathons is to use cellotape or string or something to keep it seated deep in the rim as you go round the tyre .

 

[Herbie]

I'd like to see the man in the clip get some brand new Marathon Pluses on so easily with his fancy tool.

me too

 

[Norm]

I'm glad I didn't realise how hard a Marathon Plus was to fit, or I might not have been able to fit the new one by hand yesterday.

 

[screenman]

Valve last. As for that Spa Cycle's video I would not let that guy loose on my nice shiny rims, look at where the buckle lies at one point. Never needed toe straps, tape or anything else to get a tyre on yet.