Schwalbe Marathon Greenguard - unsafe feeling

[Vargas]

After becoming an expert in fixing flats and having nothing new in the fixing flats field to learn I decided it was time to try a Schwalbe

Just installed two ?Schwalbe Marathon Greenguard 1.50 100 psi and rode them for the first time yesterday.
They have low rolling resistance and in spite of the weight, they are faster than my Kenda Small Block Eight 1.95 80 psi or even my Maxxis Detonator 1.25 100 psi.

But the ride was very weird when making turns. I don't know if it is because of the harder rubber but I felt a small irregularity on the pavement would make the tire jump on the turn and give me a very unsafe feeling.
And maybe the insert which makes it almost flatless also contributes to that strange feeling when turning.

The point is that I took all turns much slower than I am used to with my Kenda SB8 or with my Maxxis Detonator and felt very unsafe.

Did anyone have similar experience with Schwalbe and it is just a feeling, they are not unsafe, and with time I'll get used to them?

 

[Eric Winn]

I have extremely limited tire

I have extremely limited tire experience but I would be inclined to double check all of the fittings on the bike to make sure nothing was loose or worn. I'd also double check to make sure the tires are evenly seated.

Do these have any kind of tread or pattern on the edges of the crown of the tire that you are catching during a turn but not in a straight line?

Otherwise I'd experiment with some straight line braking and different tire pressures to see if that feels any different and then try some more turns to see how that feels.

-Eric

 

[snilard]

I have got Marathon Racer on

I have got Marathon Racer on my (non Cruzbike) recumbent. Much supple tyre than classic Marathon. My experience is that with lower pressures it rides better. I use my 20"/26" 1,5" wide Marathon racers with about 60 psi for city riding, but I am relatively light — ~78 kg me with bike.

 

[John Tolhurst]

What you describe is similar

What you describe is similar to how it feels when the tires have too much pressure for the surface. (The tire must let the road surface bit into it as necessary.)

 

[Vargas]

You are right John - as always - nothing wrong with the Schwalbe

I think it was a conjunction of factors.
I had not ridden the SR for a couple of weeks; only a horrible stationary DF at the hotel I was staying's gym.
Then when I got home the two bike tires were flat so I replaced them for the Schwalbes.
Thus it was a conjunction of a couple of weeks not riding, a new tire, and very high pressure. Now I am more confident with the tires and feel there is nothing wrong with the Schwalbes.
My first thought when going down to the garage to get the bike for a ride was "Will there be any flats waiting for me?" hope with time and the Schwalbes it will change to "Another great ride waiting for me!".

 

[counterpoint]

recommend Stan's No Flat

I would recommend Stan's No Flat liquid. This and other fluids will seal against ruptures and thorns from the inside. People report typically that unless something completely slashes the tire they no longer had a flat, including mountain bikers who expose their wheels to harsh trails full of goatheads and volcanic rock.
Stan's also offers kits to convert a range of wheels (not all types) to tubeless which rarely get flats and if so don't deflate catastrophically.

(PS: It's November 28 in Taiwan - is the Silvio ready to ship yet?)

 

[pjotr320]

same experience

I've had the same experience with Greenguards. Even at their lowest recommended pressure of only 4 bar/60psi, they made my bike very unstable over small bumps and edges. After 1500km, I switched back to Kojaks at 5 bar/75psi and everything felt right again.
The Ultremo ZX gave the same stability isseus.

 

[Vargas]

At 70 psi they are fine.  But

At 70 psi they are fine. But after they wear out I'll definitely buy another tire model.

 

[cperceval]

Schwalbe

I have not tried the marathon racers or the green guards but I can recommend the Duranos. I was riding on the Detonators that came fitted. They were fine for the first thousand miles but then seemed to attract punctures like a corpse attracts flies. The compound seems quite soft and when you puncture five times in two weeks, on some days on the way in and on the way out from work it is time for a change.

The Duranos are 28-559 and roll quickly at 90-95 psi. The dual compound makes them feel secure on the corners and the roll well on the straights. Quicker than the Detonators. We will see over the next weeks how they stand up to the truly dreadful, almost Third World roads of Surrey, UK on which I am cursed to make my 35 mile daily round-trip. It really is like destruction testing! If I start to get issues with flats there is always the Durano Plus tyre to try (35-559) with an enormous race guard protection thing in it.