28mm Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres on a road bike

I used to be a big fan of Marathon Plus but went off them as they weigh a ton, are an absolute pig to take on/off and, more importantly, I found them a bit 'slippy' in the wet (even lower presssures).  The rubber on the tread is really 'hard' (puncture resistant characteristics?) and I think that contributes to the problem.  I've shifted to Marathon Supremes; folding, lighter and (supposedly) good puncture protection.  Haven't used them enough to get an opinion and 32mm could be the smallest size.

This is about the Triban RC120 but wanted to post in case it's of an use to someone.

Bought this bike a few days ago. Was going to get the 520 but then heard that installing marathon plus tyres on the rubless ready wheels of the 520 are a nightmare so got the standard RC120.

It was still an absolutely joke getting the Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres on...my god.
I really thought they would not go on and started looking for other tyres. You get one side of the tyre onto the rim just fine. But you cannot get even a tiny bit of the other side onto the rim. It's almost like the tyre needs to be deeper. It will not stay in there at all.

Before giving up I tried some zip ties tied down as tight as i could possibly get them. I had 3 of them spaced roughly 10-15cm apart and after a bit of faff managed to finally get the rest of the damn tyre to start slotting onto the rim like normal. Towards the end I used a velcro strap and then tyre leves like normal to get the last bit on and that was that! Success! 

It sounds like it's the rim from what I've read.

That was the front wheel. Weirdly the rear wheel went on with just one zip tie and velcro strap.

Heavy but comfy.  Good for winter puncture protection.

If you get a wire bead, washing up liquid suds help the tyre slide on easily and dries quickly.

If the Marathon plus are large volume tyres although the same indication of size; they will balloon heaps better and provide a cushion ride.
I just typing, don't know the tyre but they look like a Session tyre I used in terms of size/balloon /cross section.
All my road bikes fit 28mm maxxis yet not all fit 28 mm Session. Probably what the lbs said in different words.
Depending upon bike use, if riding hack tracks, tow paths, etc I'd prefer the slower tyre any day because it's faster on that bumpy stuff due to less jarring. Pretty sure it didn't fit between brake arms due to height. Maybe similar with the Marathon. Plus.

M+ is overkill for most people. The standard Marathon is only £16 at Spa Cycles and is a tough tyre.

Do you really need a treaded tyre? Durano Plus is very good, tougher than most road bike tyres but much better rolling resistance than most touring type tyres like the Marathon. I've used a pair for 2,600 miles of Shropshire's sh*t & stone strewn lanes and they look barely worn (and no p-words). The standard Durano are also excellent tyres. Spa stock the Durano & Durano Plus in several sizes and both folding & wire bead - see the Road Tyres section. BTW I don't have any connection with them other than as a satisfied customer.

Have got a backup set of Marathon Plus in 28mm for our road tandem for use when we want complete peace of mind, they're chuffing heavy and noticeably affect the weight and feel of the bike but they're not too difficult to fit on those particular rims.

They are super tough tyres, last forever and the 40mm ones we have on our other tandem have never flatted (*touches wood*)

Got Duranos on the road bike and whilst they are a good tyre and roll well they do seem to wear quickly and they're not invulnerable, but one pinch flat and one complete failure in 1900 miles isn't to bad as a record. The failure was just after I fitted them new, so wonder if it was a duff tyre or just plain bad luck.

+1 for Randonneurs although they were also a bitch to fit (on Shimano RS11s). Look slightly lower profile than Marathons so should give better clearance. Dirt cheap from Decathlon too.

Might I suggest Mr Pasty, that before buying your tyres you have a look at bicyclerollingresistance.com where you can find some impartial information about many tyres.  As well as how much of your energy is needed to push them along, it covers puncture resistance, weight and construction and also allows you to directly compare one tyre with another.

When you consider that there is a huge amount of anecdotal flannel talked about tyres it could be half-an-hour well spent.

PS There are other tyre testing laboratories available. 

Regarding the rims, older road wheels (as fitted to the first Triban 520's) had narrower rims which didn't work so well with wider tyres, modern rims (current models) are wider and more suitable.

Regarding frame clearance I've fitted several 35mm tyres with no problems but 35mm Marathons wouldn't fit (without mudguards). With guards I'd suggest 28mm Vittoria Randonneurs which fit with good clearance and have good puncture protection. My guess is 28mm Marathons will just fit under guards but with with faff and little clearance for debris.

Duranos are great btw, loads of grip and a noticeable improvement on the stock tyres

I have fitted Schwalbe Durano Plus 28s along with SKS narrow mudguards on my 520 and there's loads of clearance. Without guards you'd easily fit 30s and possibly even 32s

Marathons are quit tall tyres, ie larger diameter than other 28cc or that's what it seams to me when I fitted them to mine.  If you are tight on clearance that my be an issue.  I'm not familiar with a  B Twin Triban 520 depends on how much space you currently have with the tyres you have fitted.

But that is frame clearance and nothing to do with the rims.  I did hear night mare stories about fitting marathons and had no issues.  As long as you get the right size shouldn't be an issue.

I'd be really surprised if you'll get a 28 plus guards on a Triban 520.

The Marathons will fit a road wheel no issues at all, other than the fact they're notoriously tight on the rim. Schwalbe know this and now sell a set of three tyre levers that simplify the initial fit. There's also a Youtube video showing the use of toe straps to help fit the tyres.

In my experience some tyres and rims just don't play nice - they might all be 700c wheels but rim width can be a factor, as can tyre bead design. For example, I had to fight for literally a couple of hours to get a Panaracer Gravelking on one of my wheelsets, whereas another wheel was as easy as a set of Contis.

Typically, particularly in the case of folding tyres, once they've been fitted once and run for a bit they're much easier to replace at the roadside when you've got a puncture.

Aside from the new hookless rim Hunt have recently invented, I've never heard of any 'different' type of rim on a road bike or hybrid. Aside from reputedly being difficult to fit I can't think of a single reason why you couldn't. I think he's talking twaddle in other words...