More Schwalbe Marathon Woes

[peetee]

Marathon Originals: over the years, I have used the last 3 versions, culminating in the current Greenguard.

Marathon Supremes, been using since 2016.

Never had a problem with them except when I slipped down a pothole and skinned the sidewall of my rear Supreme.

We have had a few reports of problems and often it is someone who has multiple problems. Plenty of reports with no problems and (presumably) plenty with no report and no problem.

Is there a problem and if so what is the scale of it?

From experience of repairing bike problems and making allowance for user error I would stick my neck out and say it’s a quality control issue. I have come across several issues with Marathon tyres and agree that sidewall problems are often a result of under-inflation or impact damage but I have also seen distorted carcasses on new tyres, poor rim bead location and inner surfaces so rough they wear through tubes.
Perhaps all these issues are expected in manufacturing from time to time and are just being missed by the production line inspection?

[Psamathe]

How widespread are Schwalbe Marathon tyres? e.g. hypothetically (to illustrate using made-up numbers) if Schwalbe have 80% of the market and 70% of the complaints/issues that could make them better than others even though the majority of reported issues are from Schwalbe users.

(or maybe my math is completely wrong)

Ian

[wjhall]

...
However, in geomannie's picture at the top of this thread, I think I can see a line of ali. further down the tyre than the split....there is certainly a line of something grey/silver in colour. Can you have a look and report back please geomannie?

A line of Aluminium further down the tyre, meaning closer to the bead, suggests that the split was above the rim. I will stick my neck out and ask if that is due to misaligned brake blocks. Something I had a short run of after decades of cycling, presumably due to familiarity breeding contempt, or senior moments, or carelessness, or being in a hurry or....

[francovendee]

After multiple similar failures with marathons and my unanswered complaints to schwalbe, I've decided that there are companies that deserve my money more and so I am no longer spending my ill gotten gains on schwalbe tyres. I suggest we all do the same. It's a pity that a once reliable tyre has become anything but.

I feel the same, having had a failure and needed to be picked up by car.
I thought I maybe I had run the tyre slightly soft. When the next one went the same way and this was after checking pressures before each ride I'd had enough of Schwalbe. I tried contacting the company and like you had no replies.
I warn everyone looking for tyres to avoid this brand.
Customer service is non existent. Someone suggested I contact the shop which I did and whilst they were willing to take a look I'd have to post it to them and it was unclear who would pay the cost.
It was as cheap to buy another brand and forget Schwalbe.

[simonhill]

I reiterate my point.

It often seems that those who have failures have multiple failures. Whereas plenty have no failures.

Statistically this is rather odd.

[interestedcp]

I tried contacting the company and like you had no replies.
I warn everyone looking for tyres to avoid this brand.
Customer service is non existent. Someone suggested I contact the shop which I did and whilst they were willing to take a look I'd have to post it to them and it was unclear who would pay the cost.
It was as cheap to buy another brand and forget Schwalbe.

If you have an issue with a product that you think is covered by warranty, you should contact the shop you bought it from and make a warranty claim. Relaying that information is basically all Schwalbes costumer service could do for you. Don't expect Schwalbe to send you a free tyre based on an email.

As for paying for returned items and warranty claims; I highly recommend anybody to read the stores policy regarding this before buying, and include that information in the decision making. It is hardly Schwalbes fault that the store you bought from didn't reimburse posting for warranty claims.

[francovendee]

I tried contacting the company and like you had no replies.
I warn everyone looking for tyres to avoid this brand.
Customer service is non existent. Someone suggested I contact the shop which I did and whilst they were willing to take a look I'd have to post it to them and it was unclear who would pay the cost.
It was as cheap to buy another brand and forget Schwalbe.

If you have an issue with a product that you think is covered by warranty, you should contact the shop you bought it from and make a warranty claim. Relaying that information is basically all Schwalbes costumer service could do for you. Don't expect Schwalbe to send you a free tyre based on an email.

As for paying for returned items and warranty claims; I highly recommend anybody to read the stores policy regarding this before buying, and include that information in the decision making. It is hardly Schwalbes fault that the store you bought from didn't reimburse posting for warranty claims.

I didn't even get an acknowledgment to my email.
The bike shop didn't make the tyre, Schwalbe did, and the very least they should have done is to tell me to take it back to the supplier.
Absolutely nothing from Schwalbe.
As an example of customer service goes this is very poor.
I didn't expect them to just send me a knew tyre but not even a suggestion to contact the shop where I purchased them from.
This non response made up my mind to move away from Schwalbe, they're not interested in the end user.

[interestedcp]

I didn't even get an acknowledgment to my email.

Well, that could be because your mail ended up in their spam-filter, or simply got lost in their inbox. I just checked Schwalbe and see they have a "contact form". That is in my experience always the best way contact companies, because it bypasses the filtering problems associated with emails, and routes the question to the correct department. Every time I have used such forms I have gotten an automatic acknowledgement and a ticket number.

[francovendee]

I didn't see that option. Maybe I might have had a reply.
For whatever reason they have lost one loyal customer.

[Psamathe]

Warranty issues & claims in a discounting/price sensitive mail order environment are difficult and I can see both sides (company and customer). Where damage may be a valid warranty claim or may be user error and product is originally sold on minimal margin it is difficult for a company to bear the return cost (when it may be outside warranty) just as for the customer it is unfair to bear the return costs for faulty goods.

I lost out a couple of years ago buying a 12V lead acid car battery mail order. Reputable make but it failed within 12 months and discounting retailer said to send it back at my cost as the find a large portion of warranty claims are user failing to charge properly. After selling discounted product at low margin they can't afford to bear the cost of user error, can't refund based of user report alone and unfair on user for valid warranty claims. Lesson I learnt was that sometimes there will be a cost/risk on mail order and I have to accept that if I'm going to purchase online.

I don't know the answer.

Ian

[bikepacker]

Used Marathons exclusively for the last 21 years and the Plus version since they first came on the about 15 years ago, on both mine and my wife's bikes. In that time between us we have covered over 300,000 miles and not had any problems and have had very few punctures.

For icy weather I have the Marathon Winter tyres (the ones with the spikes) and a spare bike, these have also performed well.

[Jdsk]

Used Marathons exclusively for the last 21 years and the Plus version since they first came on the about 15 years ago, on both mine and my wife's bikes. In that time between us we have covered almost 300,000 miles and not had any problems and have had very few punctures.

Wow! That's a long way. : - )

Any thoughts on pressures, please?

Thanks

Jonathan

[bikepacker]

Used Marathons exclusively for the last 21 years and the Plus version since they first came on the about 15 years ago, on both mine and my wife's bikes. In that time between us we have covered almost 300,000 miles and not had any problems and have had very few punctures.

Wow! That's a long way. : - )

Any thoughts on pressures, please?

Thanks

Jonathan

I try to keep them around 80psi.

[Jdsk]

Thankyou

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

Could counterfeit Schwalbe tyres be involved in this?

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/fake- ... es.276198/

Jonathan