"They do lose studs, take care not to drag your tyre and reseat any that are about to go.
That aside these are brilliant in winter, I wouldn't be cycling without them, that is for sure."

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Review 2 for Schwalbe Marathon Winter Performance Rigid MTB Tyre

Overall:

Avg 2 / 5 from

Digestives

Country:United Kingdom

Age:35-44

Interest:Cross Country MTB

Level:Advanced

Gender:Male

Budget:Quality first

Mountain Biker

Date:January 31, 2012

Not for tarmac

Pros: Good Fit

Cons: Expensive, Wears Out Easily, studs fall out

"Bought these so that icy days would not stop me riding. Initial impressions were good as the studs had started to eat their way out of the packaging and the tyres easily went onto the rims.
Went out for a ride with 70psi in the tyres to bed the studs in, as instructed (for the100kg of rider). The snap crackle and pop noise adds to the feeling of invincibility knowing that ice holds no peril. No sharp braking or cornering, but a full two dozen studs were shed from the rear tyre and a couple from the front, with more tear lines around the bedding of other studs. I found seven of the studs on my drive and first few yards from home.
Considering the expense of the tyres I sent them back for a full refund.
I think that they have to be a bit of a gimmick for British riding where a lot of tarmac is involved, but could be the business for hard-packed snow and ice tracks.
Sadly disappointed."

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Review 3 for Schwalbe Marathon Winter Performance Rigid MTB Tyre

Overall:

Avg 5 / 5 from

AC01

City: Scotland

Country:United Kingdom

Age:55-64

Interest:Cross Country MTB

Level:Regular

Gender:Male

Budget:Quality first

Mountain Biker

Date:January 27, 2012

These Tyres Work in Icy Weather

"I've had these about 6 weeks over mid winter. I've ridden them probably over 200 miles on days when the temperature was around freezing. With a lot of ice around on untreated tracks and roads.

I'm a lot more confident. Where before I would be very wary having fallen off a few times.

The other day I had to brake hard and swerve on any icy path. I felt the back tyre going down under me. Then a distinct feeling of the side spikes biting the ice and the bike righting itself.

I keep one bike with these on and another bike with normal tyres for days when the temperature is higher.

Before I used to get a bit frustrated on nice cold crisp sunny mornings. I wasn't keen to go out if I knew there was a lot of ice around. Now I can enjoy days like these.

I ran them in as per manufacturers instructions and haven't had any problems with spikes coming out. Maybe there was a faulty batch around."

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Review 4 for Schwalbe Marathon Winter Performance Rigid MTB Tyre

Overall:

Avg 4 / 5 from

ij56long

Date:January 14, 2012

so far so good

Pros: Durable, High Quality, Versatile

"Not had chance to test these on ice yet... due to mild weather starting the day they arrived, but have used them for three weeks on road and gravel track in 5 - 10 degrees, both dry and wet.

I've currently got them at 60 psi and they are pretty much like normal tyres, both for grip and resistance - maybe a bit slower than road slicks, but certainly no different than normal of road tyres...They're a little bit noisy but that's the only difference i've noticed.

After three weeks i've noticed on stud missing, but can live with that, and can't see any wear on them at all.

Now I just want some proper cold weather to test them on ice, but since all the studs are still 'sharp' I expect them to perform well."

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Review 5 for Schwalbe Marathon Winter Performance Rigid MTB Tyre

Overall:

Avg 5 / 5 from

Calgarian

Country:Canada

Interest:Cross Country MTB

Level:Regular

Gender:Male

Budget:Value for money

Mountain Biker

Date:January 4, 2012

Pros: Great Value, Comfortable, Lightweight, Versatile

Cons: none found yet

"Awesome for conmuting, low rolling resistance on bare pavement and very good traction on ice.
Traction on deep snow could be better but I wouldn't trade it for higher rolling resistance.
Perfect all rounder."

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Review 6 for Schwalbe Marathon Winter Performance Rigid MTB Tyre

Overall:

Avg 4 / 5 from

dcwiggling

City: Bristol UK

Age:35-44

Interest:Commuter

Level:Regular

Gender:Male

Commuter

Date:November 18, 2011

Looking forward to the ice and snow!

Pros: Rugged, High Quality, Good Fit

"These are great tyres. My first studded purchase (for the bike at least anyway!) and I was not sure what to expect. Fitting no problem to my MTB and they run very well. They are noisy and I agree with other reviewers about it sounding like you are on gravel all the time. Obviously heavier than normal tyres but this about getting there with all your bones intact.

I am still running them in (up to 50miles on a hard tarmac surface is recommended). All the studs are in and I have not lost any as some others seem to have done.I was worried they would wear out too quickly and time will tell but so far just running them on the roads, the studs look fine.

Side reflector strip on the tyres very visible."

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Review 7 for Schwalbe Marathon Winter Performance Rigid MTB Tyre

Overall:

Avg 4 / 5 from

Oldskoolskater

City: Gateshead, UK

Country:United Kingdom

Age:35-44

Interest:Commuter

Level:Regular

Gender:Male

Budget:Quality first

Commuter

Date:November 7, 2011

Very good when the ice hits?

Pros: Great Value, Attractive

Cons: Low Quality

"Just fitted these to my winter bike ready for when it starts to get really bad.
Took the bike out for a spin as advised by Schwalbe (they recommend 25 miles to bed the spikes in) but found like other reviewers i had 7 studs missing off the front tyre. Quite amazingly I found 6 of them and they are shaped like inverted rivets (or mushrooms) so I'm really not sure why you have to bed them in as no amount of riding will bed the studs in any better??
Anyway, I managed to reseat the studs and can only think that they come out when the tyre is not rolling. if you turn your bars when stationary, the studs effectively get ripped out of the rubber of the tyre - it's a matter of torsion and stresses at work.
Sounds like riding on gravel when on normal roads but I'll be saving the winter bike for when the snow hits, and these tyres (at 30 psi) will do a great job I'm sure.
Roll on the snow!"

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Review 8 for Schwalbe Marathon Winter Performance Rigid MTB Tyre

Overall:

Avg 1 / 5 from

DonutDave

City: Kent

Country:United Kingdom

Age:25-34

Interest:Commuter

Level:Regular

Gender:Male

Budget:Quality first

Commuter

Date:October 14, 2011

Faulty schwalbe marathon winter tyres

Cons: Low Quality, Wears Out Easily

"I purchased 2 of these tyres, put them on my commuter yesterday & rode my 2 mileish ride to work. I inflated the tyres to near max recommended pressure for tarmac use and took it easy riding them. You are recommended to do this, to sink the spikes in. It was pretty hard going riding too, & there seemed to be a LOT more drag than my Continental contact tyres.

When I got to work, I realised a few studs were missing. I then counted 8 missing on the rear & 5 on the front tyre. I was not happy. I later had to ride home & by the time I got there, there were 10 spikes missing on each tyre.

This is after a 3-4 mile ride on roads & cycle paths. Maybe I am missing something here, but this seems awful to me,

I hoped I'd be able to get some replacement spikes & fit them back in, but it looks like I'll have to take the tyres off, send them back & get a refund, which is a pain. Maybe it was a poor batch? I am not sure, but I was dissapointed."

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Review 9 for Schwalbe Marathon Winter Performance Rigid MTB Tyre

Overall:

Avg 5 / 5 from

Quality:

Avg 5 / 5 from

Value:

Avg 3 / 5 from

Performance:

Avg 4 / 5 from

canuckwintercommuter

Date:March 7, 2011

Great for winter commuting

Pros: Rugged, High Quality

Cons: Expensive

"I wish I had this tire before I wiped out on a patch of ice and separated my shoulder. Puts my mind at ease in the icy winter conditions of Calgary. A bit pricey, but worth it if you want to ride in winter (in a place that's cold!)"

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Review 10 for Schwalbe Marathon Winter Performance Rigid MTB Tyre

Overall:

Avg 5 / 5 from

Quality:

Avg 5 / 5 from

Value:

Avg 3 / 5 from

Performance:

Avg 4 / 5 from

stingray001

City: Edinburgh

Country:United Kingdom

Date:February 24, 2011

Well worth it!

Pros: High Quality, Rugged

"Bought these because my commute is via cycle paths that are often icy in the mornings. I now have no hesitation about setting off on frosty mornings. These tyres really work, you can cycle across icy surfaces that you couldn't easily walk across! They are quite noisy, even when pumped up hard - it sounds like you are cycling over grit the whole time - but that's no bad thing as it makes pedestrians more aware of your approach. Also the rolling resistance is noticeably higher. But these matters are insignificant compared to the fantastic performance on the ice!"

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Review 11 for Schwalbe Marathon Winter Performance Rigid MTB Tyre

Overall:

Avg 4 / 5 from

Quality:

Avg 4 / 5 from

Value:

Avg 3 / 5 from

Performance:

Avg 3 / 5 from

CommutingCyclist

Country:United Kingdom

Age:45-54

Date:February 23, 2011

Schwalbe Marathon Winter tyres

Pros: High Quality, Rugged

Cons: Bulky

"I've used Schwalbe slicks before for road (and mud lol) - the name promised quality and the tyres live up to that. Unfortunately missed mist of the ice by the time they arrived, but that just means theya re ready for next year!"

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Review 12 for Schwalbe Marathon Winter Performance Rigid MTB Tyre

Overall:

Avg 5 / 5 from

Quality:

Avg 4 / 5 from

Value:

Avg 4 / 5 from

Performance:

Avg 5 / 5 from

M4rk

City: The Alps

Country:Austria

Age:45-54

Interest:Cross Country MTB

Level:Regular

Gender:Male

Mountain Biker

Date:January 31, 2011

Excellent

Pros: High Quality, Rugged

"Winter tyres for cars work very well, amazingly so. Try them if you get a chance. The snow fell as usual this year and rather than switch to the car for my commute, as in previous years, I decided to give the bike winter tyres a try instead. The bike winter tyres also have sipes for extra grip (small extra slits in the tread), just like my winter car tryes. So its not just a case of only the studs helping ito increase grip in icy conditions. I found them to be very good on ice and hard packed snow but less useful in fresh powder snow. I also noticed that on roads clear of ice the grip is reduced in hard turns quite a lot compared to my summer tyres. Its winter and the cycle paths are covered in loose grit and maybe some black ice so I always take these hard corners with extra caution anyway, so not a real issue for me. Presumably the studs only help when they can bite into ice otherwise they reduce friction.

I cycle along an icy snow covered cycle track for 12km every day. This is part asphalt and part rough track. At least a third is permantly icy in the winter and the rest is apshalt with patches of black ice and always covered in loose grit. So far I haven't noticed much sliding about except in fresh snow and on the grit. I have arrived at work to hear tales of others falling off but for me it has been no problem. The tryes do not perform so well in deep snow but I expected that. I tried it up to 15cm deep and it was trcky but doable. I was very suprised at just how good these tyres are when one day when I came to my usual 16'% hill but this day it was covered in slush. I was expecting to have to get off and push but to my surpise I just ploughed straight up it without any slippage at all. The look on the drivers faces was something to behold :-) Even they have trouble in these conditions on this hill.

I use very thin light weight rubber inner tubes, a bit pointless with these heavy winter tyres I know. So far I have not had a puncture unlike my colleagues. Punctures are common due to the extra grit used on the roads and paths.

So, I have thouroughly tested these tyres in alpine winter conditions and they are highly recommended by me."

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Review 13 for Schwalbe Marathon Winter Performance Rigid MTB Tyre

Overall:

Avg 5 / 5 from

Quality:

Avg 5 / 5 from

Value:

Avg 5 / 5 from

Performance:

Avg 5 / 5 from

Steeeee

Country:United Kingdom

Age:25-34

Interest:Cross Country MTB

Level:Advanced

Gender:Male

Budget:Quality first

Mountain Biker

Date:January 13, 2011

Ride happily on black ice

Pros: Durable, Great Value, High Quality, Versatile

"These are pretty amazing to ride with, during the recent big freeze these were great as ice is no longer the death trap it usually is if you're on two wheels.

Rolling resistance is higher with these so your speed will be a few mph less with these but that's the price to pay for being able to ride across sheet ice.

As someone who cycles all year round these are a great investment as up until now ice was the only thing which would stop me from being on my bike. Now I want it to be icey again so I can make use of these, you do get some confused looks from struggling drivers as you just cycle past them!

They've got a very strong bead and I managed to snap a tyre lever when putting them on."

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Review 14 for Schwalbe Marathon Winter Performance Rigid MTB Tyre

Overall:

Avg 4 / 5 from

Quality:

Avg 5 / 5 from

Value:

Avg 4 / 5 from

Performance:

Avg 5 / 5 from

leow

City: Cheltenham

Country:United Kingdom

Interest:Commuter

Level:Advanced

Gender:Male

Commuter

Date:January 10, 2011

DOES WHAT IT SAYS ON THE 'TIN'

Pros: Attractive, High Quality

Cons: Expensive, Bulky

"Got these just before Christmas in time to try a few commutes and long rides in mixed snow and ice.

During the early snow I had put Conti Cross Country 1.5" MTB tyres on my commuter/winter bike because I could just fit them under my mudguards.

These tyres seem on the large end of the spectrum for 1.75" tyres but they just fitted too.

In proper snow I had less traction than the MTB tyres but I didn't have to be super-tentative when the roads looked glassy with compacted/re-frozen snow.

I have spent the last few years stuffing pads down my hips and elbows when ice was likely but after trying these out have not bothered.

I left them on my commuter bike as they seem fast enough on flatter rides the weight acting like a flywheel when up to speed.
They are a bit of a hinderance on a long draggy climb but I can put up with that as a winter training - my road bike will seem so much faster in the Spring !

Tips:
I lost 10 studs (out of 400) in the first few days - here's what I think contributed to that :
1) I didn't have a chance to bed them in on clean tarmac
2) I ran them at too low pressure on my first ride before they were bedded in.
3) I kept on track-standing at lights when they were still at low pressure rubbing the studs on tarmac
4) I found 2 falling out in the bike rack at work - the steel channels caught on the studs. (I got these back in).

I now run them at 70 PSI now there is little ice around, I'll use 50 as intermediate and 40 or less in proper snow."

2 of 2 found this review helpful.

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Review 15 for Schwalbe Marathon Winter Performance Rigid MTB Tyre

Overall:

Avg 4 / 5 from

Quality:

Avg 4 / 5 from

Value:

Avg 4 / 5 from

Performance:

Avg 4 / 5 from

Deeside

City: Aberdeen

Age:55-64

Interest:Road Cyclist

Level:Advanced

Gender:Male

Road Cyclist

Date:January 10, 2011

Sure footed

Pros: High Quality, Rugged

"I bought these tyres to go on my commuting bike and allow me to continue riding during the winter months. So far they have been excellent during the coldest December on record. The studs grip on the ice and in thin snow where the studs can reach hard pack or ice they have'nt flinched. As with all winter studded tyres deep soft snow is like riding through sand and do not improve your grip. Ice is there play ground. Studs do pull out if you brake hard on tarmac. Good buy all round and saves me having to take my off road studded tyres off the mountain bike and transfer them to the commuter bike. These are not as noisey as the Ice Spykers which have a full off road tread."

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Review 16 for Schwalbe Marathon Winter Performance Rigid MTB Tyre

Overall:

Avg 4 / 5 from

Quality:

Avg 5 / 5 from

Value:

Avg 3 / 5 from

Performance:

Avg 4 / 5 from

technojock

City: Washington, DC

Country:USA

Age:35-44

Interest:Cross Country MTB

Level:Regular

Gender:Male

Mountain Biker

Date:January 9, 2011

Great on Ice & Snow

Pros: High Quality, Versatile

Cons: heavy

"Just what the doctor ordered for the icy cycle paths in DC - saves me ending up a casualty of the winter. My family and colleagues think I'm mad cycling through the winter, however, these tyres offer exactly the all weather solution you can want. A great product only let down a little by their all up weight."

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Review 17 for Schwalbe Marathon Winter Performance Rigid MTB Tyre

Overall:

Avg 5 / 5 from

Quality:

Avg 5 / 5 from

Value:

Avg 4 / 5 from

Performance:

Avg 5 / 5 from

Driver180

City: Buckinghamshire

Country:United Kingdom

Age:35-44

Interest:Cross Country MTB

Level:Regular

Gender:Male

Mountain Biker

Date:December 6, 2010

The Prefect Winter Tyre...

Pros: High Quality, Versatile

"Well hopefully......
Iv'e had these on my mind for many months (way back in the summer, you know- that day or so when it was hot) Shall I invest in a pair or not, to continue my commute to work through the cold winter months. The biggest problem I face when it snows is the cycle path network in Milton keynes never gets gritted and it remains like an ice rink for many weeks. Sometimes the roads seem a safer place to ride...NOT!

So, having purchased them last month I ran the tyres in, 20 miles or so on tarmac at 70 PSI. They do sound quite noisy like riding with 'snap, crackle and pop' you can't help but think are they wearing out?
Anyway a few days back it snowed!!! and well what a ride!!!!
I had lowered the pressures down for my first commute in to work - 20PSI front (alittle too low) and 30PSI in the back and WOW I have grip and lots of it....
Its great to ride past other riders that are slipping all over the place.
On the return commute I adjusted the pressures this time to 30 front and 40 in the back. Again lots of leaning grip and full control...Great fun...:-).
The next day - Well what a nightmare!!!!! The temperature has gone up so the snow and ice has started rapidly melting, this time I was the one slipping and slidding all over the place!!!!!. The studs have no solid ice to dig into so extra care is needed and a slight decrease in speed for cornering. I was shocked for the return ride when I came out from work, all the snow and ice was gone!!! :-(. So the ride home was like listening to 'snap, crackle and pop'. A little slower with running low pressures.
The following day again no snow and no ice, pressures at Max 70PSI all was fine riding in. Returning home this time a had a fellow worker riding with me on semi slick tyres...this is where these winter tyres come into there own, we come across a few hundred yards of old snow and ice that hadn't quite melted away......Alittle slippy I think...for him...NOT for me though...'Lets have it, I shouted'....

In short then -
Buy them if your well into winter riding.
Play with the pressures to find what suits your riding.
Ride safe and remember if someone falls off in front you, come to a controlled stop (or speedway skid) and offer your help! :-)
Tyres can be a bit tight getting them over the rim.
Turn your mp3/ipod up if you don't like snap, crackle and pop....

Enjoy...."

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Review 18 for Schwalbe Marathon Winter Performance Rigid MTB Tyre

Overall:

Avg 5 / 5 from

Quality:

Avg 5 / 5 from

Value:

Avg 5 / 5 from

Performance:

Avg 5 / 5 from

porkpie

City: alton

Country:United Kingdom

Age:35-44

Interest:Commuter

Level:Regular

Gender:Male

Budget:Value for money

Commuter

Date:November 30, 2010

wow, what a tyre !

Pros: Durable, High Quality, Versatile, Good Fit, safty reflective band

Cons: Expensive

"These tyres saved my bacon this morning. it was the first day with true black ice, not just frost. i was following this guy on his mountain bike as i was entering town on my morning 10 mile commute when he went down like a sack of spuds. lucky for him he wasnt too badly hurt and tried to pick up his bike, over he went again before he even got it up off the road. i was a little nervous as it was the tyres first proper encounter with true ice. i still can picture this other guys face as i cycled past him. i think he thought i had a magic charm on the bike. not a wiggle or slip, it was like the ice wasnt there. it was so good that i went back and had a second pass ! i cant rate the experiance high enough. at last i can commute all through he british winter with out the "sudden death" of ice.
as for the spikes them selves, 100 road miles and no sign of ware what so ever. i have a feeling they will do 2 or 3 seasons. noise is like riding on rice crispies, not too bad or loud and it is a reasuring sound when the ice is about. run them at max psi and rolling resistance is about the same as stock mtb tyres. must purchase for anyone keen on winter road riding using mtbs. reflective bands on the tyre is very bright.
ps. they look real cool to. i have lost count of the number of people who stop and talk about them to me."

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