Schwalbe Marathon 35 on Crosscurrent?

[Dan Singer]

Hey EBR Juiced folks,

I have a pair of Schwalbe Marathon 700c in a 35 width (regular, not plus) that I am thinking about trying on my crosscurrent (regular, not S). Has anyone tried such a thin tire? Most of the discussion I see about alternative tires here are about wider tires. I ride a lot in the city with lots of starts and stops, so a quicker acceleration would be nice (and a benefit of the lighter tires). Think these would be too thin for the rims on the Crosscurrent though?

Thanks!

 

[Barry S]

Glad to hear you didn't get the Marathon Plus. I put a pair of 700x35 on my Trek FX 7.2 and they're great for dry roads, but I have zero confidence in them in a turn on wet roads. I had Specialized Nimbus tires before and only 1 puncture in a full year of commuting and great grip in a turn wet or dry.

 

[Captain Slow]

I was getting rubbing on my front fender and as a roadie I wanted narrower tires from day 1. Had I done the replacement right away I probably would have gone with either a 32 or 35 mm tire. But I rode the bike for about 2,000 km's before replacing the front, and as I say that was more to get rid of the rubbing on the front fender.

When it came time to order I ended up going with the Marathon Supreme in a 40 mm width because that was the only width available on Chain Reaction Cycles. I went with that specific tire because of the table on bicyclerollingresistance.com

I liked the combination of flat protection, and lower rolling resistance. I ended up going with a wider tire than I thought I would because I came to appreciate with a bike that heavy a wider tire offers benefits. It might be placebo, but I do think the bike rolls faster now. The stock Kenda tires are more "square" and the new Marathons are more round. The Marathons are definitely lighter than the stock Kenda's.

I didn't want the hassle of changing the rear tire because of the hub motor. But I actually like this setup of the stock rear tire with a slightly narrower tire on the front. Having the wider rear tire certainly helps getting the power down to the road.

I would be interested to hear experiences from someone who has gone with a narrower tire on the rear.

 

[Reid]

Hey EBR Juiced folks,

I have a pair of Schwalbe Marathon 700c in a 35 width (regular, not plus) that I am thinking about trying on my crosscurrent (regular, not S). Has anyone tried such a thin tire? Most of the discussion I see about alternative tires here are about wider tires. I ride a lot in the city with lots of starts and stops, so a quicker acceleration would be nice (and a benefit of the lighter tires). Think these would be too thin for the rims on the Crosscurrent though?

Thanks!

Inasmuch as you already have the tires, use them! They will be...35-ish in their riding qualities. The bike will roll great. A thin tire needs higher inflation pressure and so it is not so forgiving as a fatter tire. You will have excellent acceleration. Your tires are just fine for the 19+mm, ID rims of the CrossCurrent. They will be great.

I happen to like a super fat, super thin, super supple, super vulnerable to road hazards, Schwalbe G-One Speed Liteskin racing tire, 2.35" nominal width. It cannot be recommended to other CCS owners, though! It will not fit a CCS unless the rear chainstays are crushed!

There is logic and good sense in your using the nominally 35mm tires you have. They will roll great. Your ride will be more jittery than mine because you will have to inflate to a higher pressure than the 25-30 PSI that my mangled bike's tires like best, but your bike will roll very well on the tires you propose!