Today's bike maintenance was to replace the Giro Rob's Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres fitted back in April 2018. They have done about 8,000km of road, trail and gravel riding. The rear was pretty smooth, the front not bad (photo right compares them), but I replaced both. Will keep the used front tyre as a spare, in case of carcase damage, as they are typically only available to order, so take a week or so to get.
Although heavy they are great for touring, commuting and general use thanks to extreme puncture resistance; as proved by the last day of the Twin Trail Coast to Coast ride last year.
The trail ends near the Opua marine haul out area and I did a loop to check out some of the boats. it wasn’t until I got home and properly cleaned the bike I noticed a small sliver, by feel more than sight, of wire embedded in the rear tyre tread. I pulled on it and ~10mm of what looked like stainless steel rigging wire emerged. The tyre had done over 100km, about 40km on rough gravel, with it in there and never punctured. I'm still running the same tube. Robust, if heavy, Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres paid off. (old vs new rear below)
Updated 13/02/2020 : So maybe I shouldn't have written this post. Tonight showed, robust as they are, a snap-off blade will defeat Marathon Plus tyres. It was on the road in an industrial area I cut through on the commute home, not malicious, and I didn't know see it until I pulled it out of the deflated tyre.
Might have got away with hitting it but it went in just beside the thicker puncture proofing bead. Seems the carcase has survived but time will tell.
