CX/Gravel Tire Test: Schwalbe Marathon Efficiency 40

The Schwalbe Marathon Efficiency is the latest addition to Schwalbe's Marathon range of city/touring bike tires. As the name suggests, Schwalbe focused on efficiency during the development of this tire, and they claim the Marathon Efficiency is their fastest rolling touring bike tire to date. It's good to know that while they focused on efficiency, they also stayed true to their Marathon concept and didn't forget puncture resistance, durability, and grip.

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Although the Marathon Efficiency is a newly developed tire, it mainly consists of Schwalbe's tried and true ingredients that we've already seen on other tires. The 67 TPI "Super Race" casing is the main ingredient, and it's a casing we've already seen on some of Schwalbe's fastest mountain and gravel bike tires. To get the puncture resistance up to an acceptable "Marathon" level, the Super Race casing of the Marathon Efficiency comes with a layer of V-Guard puncture resistant fabric under the tread.

The most crucial ingredient of any bicycle tire is the compound, and Schwalbe didn't skimp here as the Marathon Efficiency comes with the "Addix Race" compound, which can be found on some of their fastest road bike tires. Using a road bike compound on a touring bike tire might seem scary from a wet grip perspective, but our test results show wet grip of the Marathon Efficiency is excellent. We're sure that, even though this compound name is the same, it's a slightly different version that works better on touring bike tires.

From a specifications standpoint, the Marathon Efficiency is similar to the recently discontinued Marathon Supreme (read our review). It looks like the Marathon Efficiency is the successor to the Supreme, but given that Schwalbe changed some key things, a new name was in order.

We want to thank our Pro members once again for supporting our tests and voting for their favorite tires. If you like to see more touring bike tire tests, we want to remind you that our members get a monthly vote, and they decide which tires get tested. More members that vote for touring bike tires = more touring bike tests; it's that simple.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Schwalbe
Model	Marathon Efficiency
Year	2022
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At	Ad Amazon.com
Manufacturer part number	11654366
EAN	4026495902748
TPI	67
Compound	Addix Race
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	40-622
Specified Weight	510 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	80
Made In	Pro Data
Available Sizes	40-622 (700x40c) 50-622 (700x50c) 55-622 (700x55c) 55-584 (650x55b) 60-584 (650x60b)

Schwalbe Marathon Efficiency 40 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	510 grams
Measured Weight	514 grams
Measured Width Casing	38 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	38 mm
Measured Height	Pro Data
Tire Circumference	Pro Data
Measured Knob Height Center	0.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	0.0 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	4.00 mm
Measured Total Thickness Sidewall	Pro Data
All size measurements are taken at high air pressure on a 18 mm inner width rim.

Rolling Resistance Test Results

Rolling Resistance Test Results
Inner Tube	Conti Tour 28 (170 gr butyl)
Measured Width	38 mm
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 66 psi/4.6 bar 33-35 = 60 psi/4.1 bar 36-38 = 54 psi/3.7 bar 39-42 = 50 psi/3.4 bar 43-46 = 46 psi/3.2 bar 47-50 = 42 psi/2.9 barHigh Air Pressure (54 psi / 3.7 bar)	Pro Data
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 55 psi/3.8 bar 33-35 = 50 psi/3.4 bar 36-38 = 45 psi/3.1 bar 39-42 = 42 psi/2.9 bar 43-46 = 38 psi/2.6 bar 47-50 = 35 psi/2.4 barMedium Air Pressure (45 psi / 3.1 bar)	Pro Data
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 44 psi/3.0 bar 33-35 = 40 psi/2.8 bar 36-38 = 36 psi/2.6 bar 39-42 = 33 psi/2.3 bar 43-46 = 31 psi/2.1 bar 47-50 = 28 psi/1.9 barLow Air Pressure (36 psi / 2.6 bar)	23.6 Watts CRR: 0.00707
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 33 psi/2.3 bar 33-35 = 30 psi/2.1 bar 36-38 = 27 psi/1.9 bar 39-42 = 25 psi/1.7 bar 43-46 = 23 psi/1.6 bar 47-50 = 21 psi/1.4 barExtra Low Air Pressure (27 psi / 1.9 bar)	Pro Data
The CX/Gravel section is a multi tire size section, air pressures have been adjusted to the measured casing width. All numbers are for a single tire at a speed of 29 km/h / 18 mph and a load of 42.5 kg / 94 lbs. Use the formula: RR (Watts) = CRR * speed (m/s) * load (N) to calculate rolling resistance at a given speed and load.

Puncture Resistance Test Results

Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread	69 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall	Pro Data
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Pro Data
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Pro Data
Tread Total Tire Thickness	4.00 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Pro Data
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Pro Data
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness	Pro Data

Hard Surface Static Grip Test Results

Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average	77 Points
Wet Grip Center	Pro Data
Wet Grip Edge	Pro Data
Measured Knob Height Center	0.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	0.0 mm
Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100 CX/Gravel grip test rim width = 23.0 mm
Wet Grip Test and Off-Road Tires (info)

Conclusion

The Schwalbe Marathon Efficiency is the fastest "Marathon" you can buy today as it rolls slightly faster than the Schwalbe Marathon Almotion (Addix compound) (read our review) that we've also tested recently. The main difference (besides the obvious tread pattern) between the Almotion and Efficiency can be found in the casings and corresponding puncture resistance distribution: the Marathon Efficiency scores slightly lower in the tread puncture resistance test, but the sidewalls are much stronger.

Both tires also perform similarly in the wet grip tests, with both tires showing excellent wet grip. Deciding between the Almotion or Efficiency probably comes down to the individual, but we suspect the Almotion handles light off-roading better, given its knobbier tread pattern. The Efficiency probably is the better choice for urban conditions.

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RATING: 4.5 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Highly Recommended

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