Last December, I replaced the stock Bontrager Race Lite Hardcase tires on my Trek Valencia after 2,000+ miles. With the Valencia playing the role of both my commuter and touring bicycle, it was critical for me to find a pair of tires that would be extremely durable, highly flat-resistant and competent in inclement weather.
If the first 350 miles are any indication, my selection of Schwalbe’s Marathon Supreme tire appears to be a wise one.
Let’s take a look at these tires in more detail:
- Weight : At 375 grams, the Marathon Supreme’s are about 50 grams lighter than the stock Bontrager tires they replaced. Considering 50 grams is less than a 1/4 of a pound, the difference is not significant but I’ll take any weight reduction I can get (since I’m typically in the mode of adding weight to this bike in the form of accessories, etc.)
- Reflective Sidewall: A strip of reflective material on each side of the tire goes a long way in increasing your side visibility when you’re on the road in low-light conditions.
- Tread: The tread pattern on the Marathon Supreme seems to be a nice balance between providing excellent traction on wet pavement with a minimal price in rolling resistance. In my experience, I’ve noticed a slight reduction in top speed compared to the slick (and higher pressure) Bontrager tires but a noticeable increase in wet-weather traction. That’s a trade-off I’m more than willing to make on a bicycle dedicated to commuting & touring.
- Road Feel: This is perhaps the most impressive improvement I’ve experienced since switching to the Marathon Supreme – ride quality is definitely improved. Hitting bumps, uneven pavement and the like is now a noticeably less jarring experience. This is both a result of great tire construction and the fact that the tire has a lower maximum pressure of 85-95 psi. Fully loaded with touring gear, the ride quality improves even more – providing miles and miles of comfortable riding — a testament to its roots as a bicycle touring tire.
- Price: No doubt about it, these tires are not cheap. I purchased mine for around $60-70 a tire from Amazon.com. Do I regret this investment? Not for a second.
As I continue to experience these tires, I will post another update once I cross the 1,000-1,500 mile mark. At the moment, I have to give the tire a highly recommended rating based on my experiences with it so far.
It’s slightly disingenuous to compare a $40 wire-bead tire to a $70 folding tire. I think the biggest thing here is that you purchased a tire with a lower max pressure rating. Were you to be running your Bontrager’s at 90psi, you would probably have noticed a very similar ride. Max PSI on the 700×32 Race Lite Hard Case is 110psi which is a lot more than what most people need or should use. I’ve been using RLHC’s for the past couple years now and never run at max pressure and have passed 3000 miles (between a set of 700x32s and 700x25s) without a flat and with a comfortable ride for all but the most jarring road hazards. I have a similar setup to your Valencia with my Trek Soho (original).
Not saying you shouldn’t be recommending the Schwalbe, many others have said it’s a wonderful tire. I’m not quite sold on the upgrade significance in spending $60 more on a pair to save 3.5oz, especially for a touring rig.
I have to agree with Brandon 100% , well stated. I have two bikes with RLHC tires as well with similar mileage and NO FLATS.
I actually agree with many of Brandon’s sentiments as well. This review was supposed to be less of a comparison and more of a review of the Marathon Supreme. I’ll state for the record right now, the Bonty Race Lite Hardcase tires ROCK. I had maybe 2 flast in 2500+ miles. I can’t say enough good things about them.
That said, the Supremes have been very impressive so far – providing some noticeable improvements like better handling on slick streets.
Also, most of the tire manufacturers I’ve visited suggest that unless you’re under around 180lbs, you should be riding your tires at max tire pressure to insure the best flat protection possible. On a bicycle commute or tour, that’s definitely my priority.
With respect to flats and longevity, my experience with Race Lite Hardcase tires was positive. The rear lasted 5600 miles before I rotated the fr to rr and got another 3k out of it.
I never had a puncture. That’s a good thing, because these tires weren’t easy to dismount/remount. When they died, they both delaminated from the casing, which is the same experience I’ve heard over and over with these tires.
I also have Marathon Supremes. There’s no doubt that the Supreme is a better tire than the Bonty. They ride smoother. They corner better. Traction in the wet is superior. The reflective stripe is a bonus for riding from dawn to dusk.
As for one being a folder and the other a wire bead, that makes no difference in the ride quality. The folding bead is for convenience and a tiny savings in weight; when inflated, either bead is firmly and rigidly seated in the rim.
The Supremes are expensive, but…in respect…so are the Race Lites. With Bontrager, you’re forced to buy from your Trek dealer, and you won’t find them discounted. You end up paying $40+ for a wire bead tire that is no better than the Panaracer Pasela that you could have purchased elsewhere for half that cost.
Also, inflating to the highest tire pressure will not necessarily better protect you from flats. Psychologically, it seems the harder tire is better able to fend off broken glass and thorns. But the protection is coming from the casing, and the casing does the same job at either end of the tire’s recommended pressure range. Inflating to max will do two things for certain; first, it will cause a harsher ride that “feels” faster; second, it will concentrate the tire tread’s wear to a narrower section which WILL decrease the tire’s life.
I love my Supremes. I have about 2K miles on them thus far. No flats, no problems.
One thing though, tread pattern on a bike tire used on pavement is for marketing purposes only. The best tires for bikes on pavement are slicks–in all weather. The tread does nothing on a bike on pavement.
See http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/slicks.html
I disagree with your statements about the bontrager hardcase rae lites. I like that they are light…. But I just had 2 flats in the last 1600km…. cost me a lot of trouble at work. I need something that ensures I dont have to use the extra 20 minutes or more to mount the very difficult tire. Using 700x32c on my gf cobia 29er. I weigh 86 kilos and cary an additional 5 kilos or more on average in my rear bags.
Just a short statement: Based in Copenhagen Europe I ride a citybike ‘Specialized Sirius’ with mounted Marathon + . My usage is around 15 km daily and with these tyres I’ve not had a flat tire. Thou the last 2 winters we’ve been blessed with massive amount of snow and ice covered roads and the marathons plus are a bit slippery. I’ve been thinking of getting the spike tyres but this I’ll do for next winter.
Though, now I wish to travel with my bike to Paris (FR) but I find the marathon Plus to heavy for the quest. The bike will be pulling a bobyak with all the gears and garments (ca.22kg). Can anyone recommend some travelling tyres? It will be in the summer period so there will be no snow most probably rain and sun
I have been planing on getting the Marathon supreme, but the Continental Sport or TopContact are also good candidates – but I’m not sure which one will suite the purpose. Can any one deliberate with experience? Thank you