Specialized Electraks vs Schwalbe Marathon E+

[Nxkharra]

I decided to create a new thread for this.
can anyone compare these two?
I have used Trigger and Marathon E+ on my Vado 5 so far but never tried Electrak

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I'm just adding my comment here to bump this thread. I'm so sorry I cannot compare both tyres as I have used both of them on two very different e-bikes (with completely different tyre size and bike specifics).

I keep the Marathon E-Plus 42-622 as the summer tyres for my hub-drive Lovelec. I trust it is resistant to punctures and there is no reason to replace that tyre model with anything else on that e-bike. I could observe some erratic behaviour of the Marathon E-Plus (that might be related to the tyre size and/or the nature of the hub-drive motor): When riding on surfaces made of small paving blocks (the Polish vice of so many of country's old school bike paths), the ride didn't feel stable; I was getting nausea during such rides. As I say, I cannot explain such a behaviour.

@Marci jo has reported she hated the Electraks because of their very stiff side-wall. On contrary, Electrak 2.0 (Armadillo w/Gripton compound), 51-622 remain my favourite Vado tyres for these reasons:

• The least rolling resistance of any tyres I ever rode. In good summer conditions, I can easily get onto, say, 23-25 mph. Replacing Electraks with Schwalbe Smart Sam 47-622 enabled my Vado to ride off-road but the road speed dropped dramatically.
• These tyres are plush to ride. I inflate them to 4 bar (58 psi). However, my brother recommends inflating them to 2.9 bar (42 psi) so any rapid road vibration is effectively cancelled. (However, Jacek is a very lightweight person, some 150 lb).
• Electraks are characterised by excellent road grip from warm to very cold conditions, dry or wet. I was riding them at 30s F in downpour, no issues.
• These tyres appear to be long lasting. At least 3000 miles ridden and no sign of wear
• Electraks are probably puncture resistant. I cannot make any claim though, as it is fairy difficult to get a puncture where I ride.

Limitations:

• Electraks shine on road. They stand well on gravel roads. They are absolutely not made for sand or snow or fresh loose gravel. I needed to replace them with Smart Sams to be able to ride in sandy forests. I needed to replace them with Marathon Winter Plus for ice & snow.

Here's interesting comparison of the difference between Electraks, Marathon E-Plus and Smart Sam on three comparable rides:

• 75 mile ride, Vado, Electraks: Average speed 26.5 km/h (16.5 mph)
• 75 mile ride, Vado, Smart Sam: Average speed 23.5 km/h (14.6 mph)
• A metric century, Lovelec, Marathon E-Plus: Average speed 24.3 km/h (15.0 mph).

Of course, you cannot compare pears to apples. My personal feeling is Marathon E-Plus are fast tyres, and there is no reason to replace them without apparent need.

 

[bazzapage]

Schwalbe Almotion for the win. Honestly the best all round tires I've used. Don't last as long as the Marathons, but the compound is softer and offers better grip under most conditions.

 

[Nxkharra]

Schwalbe Almotion for the win. Honestly the best all round tires I've used. Don't last as long as the Marathons, but the compound is softer and offers better grip under most conditions.

ebike specific??