Touring Bike Tire Test: Schwalbe Marathon Efficiency
Contents and Test Summary
- Introduction
- Manufacturer Specifications
- Size, Weight, Thickness
- Rolling Resistance: 18.5 Watts
- Puncture Resistance: 69 Points
- Static Wet Grip: 77 Points
- Conclusion: 4.5 / 5 Highly Recommended
- Comments
- Schwalbe Marathon Efficiency
(100% is best)
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.
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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 |
| TPI | 67 |
| Compound | Addix Race |
| Bead | Folding |
| ETRTO | 40-622 |
| Size Inch | 28" |
| Width mm | 40.00 |
| Specified Weight | 510 grams |
| Max Air Pressure (psi) | 80 |
| Made In | Members Only |
| Available Sizes |
40-622 (700x40c) 50-622 (700x50c) 55-622 (700x55c) 55-584 (650x55b) 60-584 (650x60b) |
Schwalbe Marathon Efficiency Test Results
Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
| Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements | |
|---|---|
| Specified Weight | 510 grams |
| Measured Weight | 514 grams |
| Measured Width | 38 mm (un-round) |
| Measured Height | 36 mm (un-round) |
| Tread Depth | 1.8 mm |
| Total Tire Thickness Center | 4.0 mm |
| Total Tire Thickness Sidewall | Members Only |
| All size measurements are taken at an air pressure of 60 psi / 4 bars on a 17.8 mm inner width rim. | |
Rolling Resistance Test Results
| Rolling Resistance Test Results | |
|---|---|
| Inner Tube | Conti Tour 28 (170 gr butyl) |
| Rolling Resistance 75 PSI / 5 Bar |
17.3 Watts CRR: 0.00519 |
| Rolling Resistance 60 PSI / 4 Bar |
18.5 Watts CRR: 0.00555 |
| Rolling Resistance 45 PSI / 3 Bar |
Members Only |
| Rolling Resistance 30 PSI / 2 Bar |
Members Only |
| 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 | Members Only |
| Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle | Members Only |
| Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle | Members Only |
| Tread Total Tire Thickness | 4.0 mm |
| Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle | Members Only |
| Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle | Members Only |
| Sidewall Total Tire Thickness | Members Only |
Static Grip Test Results
| Static Grip Test Results | |
|---|---|
| Wet Grip Average | 77 Points |
| Wet Grip Center | Members Only |
| Wet Grip Edge | Members Only |
| Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100 Tour/E-Bike grip test rim width = 23.0 mm |
|
Conclusion
- Schwalbe Marathon Efficiency
(100% is fastest - lightest - thickest - strongest)
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