Riders keeping an older 27 inch road bike or ten-speed on the road for commuting and weekend rides.
The Schwalbe Marathon is the archetypal touring tyre, and this one comes in 27 x 1-1/4 inch (32-630), the size found on a lot of older road bikes and ten-speeds. Good 27 inch tyres are getting harder to find, and this is one of the best.
A 3 mm GreenGuard layer sits under the tread for solid puncture protection, and the anti-aging sidewall holds off cracking for longer. There is a reflective stripe on each side, a wire bead, and it weighs around 660 g.
It runs at 65 to 95 PSI and is rated E-25, so it suits a restored classic ridden to work every day just as well as a weekend cruiser.
27 x 1-1/4 size
Fits classic 27 inch (630 mm) rims, not 700c.
GreenGuard protection
3 mm elastic belt to stop most everyday punctures.
Reflective sidewalls
Better side-on visibility at night.
Long wearing
Schwalbe's original touring tyre, built for high mileage.
Size
Construction
Use
GreenGuard
A 3 mm layer of highly elastic rubber under the tread, one third of it made from recycled latex products.
Anti-aging sidewall
Resists the cracking caused by riding on too little pressure for much longer.
Great for
Maybe not for
27 x 1-1/4 inch (32-630) only fits 27 inch rims with a 630 mm bead seat. 700c rims are 622 mm and need a 700c tyre. Check the size printed on your old tyre first. Uses a 27 inch tube.
27 inch or 700c?
27 inch and 700c look almost the same but are different sizes. If the sidewall of your old tyre says 630 in the ETRTO number, this is the right tyre. If it says 622, you need a 700c tyre instead. Bring the wheel in if you are unsure.
Check your old rim tape
Older wheels often have hardened or slipped rim tape. It is worth replacing when you fit new tyres so a spoke hole does not cause a flat.
Tyres and tubes from the German specialist.
Schwalbe is the tyre brand of Ralf Bohle GmbH, a family business from Germany that has worked in bicycle tyres for a century.
The Marathon family is its best-known range, and the brand is known for its puncture protection belts, SmartGuard in particular, and for running its own tyre recycling system.
