How to fit Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyre

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[sergiismyrnov]

Love you. You saved my day. I started to hate the tire, the bike and the cat that was around. Spend at least half an hour and was ready to give up on Schwalbe forever. And then I found your video. 2 minutes and done! Thank you so much!

[ronralph]

I just bought and installed 700 x 35c Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires on my 2017 Specialized Crossroads, which came with 700
x 45c Borough Black Belt tires. While those tires were OK, and I didn't get any flat in them, I felt they were way too wide, and were hard to get the front tire and rim off the bike to transport it in my 2016 Honda CR-V.

So, after watching numerous videos and hearing the same old thing about how hard these tires are to mount on your rim, I still bought them anyway. I've seen videos where people use straps, zip ties, and other things they think they need to mount them on your rims. I've even seen a cyclist from the UK carry a small tube of "Fairy Lube" in his bike saddle bag, and uses it to mount the last bit of tires onto his rims. I'm here to tell you that you don't need any "Fairy Liquid", straps, zip ties, nor anything else.

Just follow this very simple procedure and you will not have any trouble installing these tires, nor any other, to your nice rims.

1. Remove old tires and innertube.
2. Put a partially inflated inner tube inside of the new tire.
3. Insert the valve from the inner tube into the hole in the rim, making sure the valve is sitting at a 90 degree angle.
4. Working from the valve onward, install one side of the tire onto the rim. This should be very easy to do.
5. With the partially inflated inner tube inside the tire, make sure it is completely inside the tire evenly, and does not expose at all to prevent a pinch flat.
6. Work the tire by pinching both sides of the tire with both hands as deep as you can into the well of the rim.
7. As you approach the point where the tire is tight and has no slack, then go back around the tire, again starting at the valve, and push down on the top of the tire with both hands so the tire bead is well inside the rib.
8. As you work your way around, you should have enough slack to fit that last bit of tire onto your rim without having to use a tire lever, zip ties, straps, "Fairy Liquid", nor anything else.
9. Once you have both beads inside of the rim, stand your tire straight up and down, and on the floor, and work your hands around the tire and rim one more time to make sure the bead is inside the well of the rim.
10. At this point, you can start to inflate your tire, and there shouldn't be any place on the tire that is bulked up or wobbling.
11. Put your wheels back on your bike, and inflate your tire to the spec on the sidewall.
12. Take a test ride before heading out too far from your house.
13. If all goes well, you've succeeded to putting the tire onto your rim.

Remember, the key point is to make sure that the tire and tube are pushed as far into the wheel well as you can get it. I actually stood my wheel and tire straight up and down on the floor and used my body weight to push down firmly. I rotated the tire and wheel just enough to get both hands on the tire and repeated the process.

Oh, and by the way, never use the kitchen countertops to change your tires. If you're married, you'll end up in the "Dog House" for sure!!

I don't listen to any fairy tales people put on Youtube regarding how hard something is. If it's hard, they're doing it the wrong way. Remember, "believe none of what you heard, and half of what you see".

[cubbyhoo]

Legend, love it when you go to find a simple bit of info and it's just there in a short video. Thanks

[shengma]

I toured 5000+ kilometers on Schwalbe Marathon plus and had 1 puncture. Comparing to my previous "default" tyres that came with the bike 1 puncture every 100km on average (when touring I ride on tarmac and gravel surfaces and a combination of both, usually tough) . I don't think I'll ever use different tyres on my bike. Thanks for the feature.

[MrPpower]

Great tip - I also put the tyres in the sun for awhile and let the rubber soften up - helped a treat along with the cable ties

[solacebyfoot]

I just found your channel a few weeks ago, and my girlfriend and I have been slowly making our way through your adventure, and you've started uploading new videos at the perfect time! We finished your adventure just as these new videos are being released. Cheers, and thank you!

[Rudolfucius]

Dude, you're the best, you saved me several hours of struggling with those bloody tires.

[samuelogbebor]

Wow!, made 6 years ago and your video is still relevant. Thumbs Up Bruv!!!!

[robertslack]

Was struggling for an hour, watched this and it took less than a minute!!

[dewindoethdwl]

I use a toe-strap, more reusable than zip-tie. The toe-strap is used under my saddle to hold spare inner tubes so always with me. Nice video, clear and simple 👍

[dratonbalat]

So a flat on the road means you need to add a pair of pliers and a zip tie to the bije bag. In my situation, it's not a bad compromise. Supposedly, this is one of the few 28mm tires that will fit my 2010 Cannondale Synapse Carbon bike without shaving surgeries. In 2025, Im now learning that a 28mm is as good as 23mm on bike path and more comfortable.

[firestarterman]

fastest install I've seen so far on this topic! Thankyou!

[PhilippVonVangerow]

With this tire I started to become desperate! I already had ruined one tube. But thank to your video my bike is fully repaired now :-) Your life hack makes you hero of the day, the week and the month!!!

[allencruise]

Got the same situation. Your video helped me figure out how to finish replacing my stock tires. 👍🏽

[VideoNOLA]

P.S. Don't waste a zip tie by cutting it! Learn how to use the pointy end to "release" it instead, by slipping it into the catch mechanism from behind. This lets the zip tie slip out freely, to reuse!

[alainadriaens]

Schwalbes can be stubborn to mount, I agree. And trouble, punctures never happen in the most ideal circomstances but when it's dark, cold, rainy, unpaved roads and so on. My trick to put the tyre back is to start mounting on the valve side, work your way, simultanously away of the valve, than, turn the wheel so that the unfinished part points away from you and use your full handpalm to turn it over the rim. Works by me. Happily punctures are rare on Schwalbes.

[paddydaffy]

Couldn't do it without levers....zip ties were still a great help...thank you very much

[adsensedd]

I honestly cannot believe it, mine went on easily with my hands. I had another schwalbe tire on my trainer bike and that was a nightmare. On my mountain bike, this went on insanely easy. Must be my lucky day.

[Simon-frts]

Same here. Just put the 'E' version of these on a 29" hybrid emtb.I got them on no problems, but I found that the new tyres seemed quite deformed before I even put them on which concerned me. One was worse than the other. I know they are seated properly as the very inner thin barred strip the sits flush to the rim is perfect all round. Tube is also good. The reflective stripe on the outside is not even though. I don't have any vertical bumps, just a slight side to side wobble on both wheels. I don't know what to do!

[thebomb]

Great vid .Put these on the other day before seeing your vid first. What a PAIN and hours of fighting fantastic tyres though smooth, low roll resistance, comfortable and light once riding it was still the last bit. This instruction helped, thks