# Schwalbe Marathon Almotion



## cgries (Aug 26, 2013)

Anyone have any experience with these relatively new tires? I'm looking to do a mix of road and light off-road touring work (have other tires for full off-road duty) with the capability of running tubeless. Any insight how the non-tubeless versions mount up on notubes rims? I'm debating between the 38mm tubeless (out of stock everywhere) and regular 700x38 version (in-stock).

Finally, anyone in the US carrying these? I can only seem to find them from UK & German sites. Thanks for your help!

Marathon Almotion | Schwalbe North America


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## big_papa_nuts (Mar 29, 2010)

No experince with those tires but I had a Marathon Supreme blow off an Arch EX at about 40psi. Was about the third ride and I was on smooth pavement.


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## InertiaMan (Apr 16, 2004)

Anyone heard any updated availability dates on the tubeless version?

cgries, I ran Marathon Mondial 700x42 tubeless on Velocity A23 rims with good success. I only put 5 days riding on them, but it was long days, in tough & variable conditions (bad gravel, washboard, high speed pavement, heat, huge elevation swings). Not sure how the Almotion non-tubeless version would work, but I certainly wouldn't hesitate to run Mondials tubeless on tour.


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## ChristianCoté (Jul 13, 2014)

I'm not sure I really get the point of running Marathon line tires tubeless in the first place. Of Schwalbe's numerous offerings, I'd rather just run Marathon Mondial or Deluxe and just throw in their extralight tubes, like I've done for ages. With that simple setup even the 40c Mondial will be lighter than a 38c Almotion Tubeless mounted to the rim.

Setting up tubeless tires is such a *****. Marathon Mondials are probably (I say probably because I only have Almotion specs to go by, I can't find valuable opinions on them anywhere) far better for mixed on-road/off-road touring. I just don't get the attraction, and it feels like Schwalbe is just trying to cater to the tubeless trend.


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## InertiaMan (Apr 16, 2004)

@ChristianCote,

Most your observations are legitimate. I've run many 1000's of miles touring on tubed Supreme's of various width, and have been largely happy with them. Significant, but fewer, miles on the Mondial and also happy with them, both tubed and tubeless.

Certainly tubeless isn't going to win any weight contests, especially with the 230g delta currently shown on Almotion tubeless vs tubed versions. Although I've noticed that Schwalbe is not saying "tubeless ready" but saying "tubeless" on their literature, so they may not require sealant, which could lessen the weight delta a bit.

I do have a different opinion about the difficulty of tubeless. With the Mondial on an A23 rim, for example, I was able to install the tire by hand, and easily inflate it with one hand on a floor pump and the other hand holding the tire, first try. And the Mondial doesn't even have a tubeless bead. With a properly matched tire and rim, tubeless these days has virtually eliminated the notorious hassles of the past (and yes, I too lived a few episodes of swearing, compressors and latex explosions during the industry's learning curve).

That said, I'll concede that the attraction isn't obvious for heavy touring tires, perhaps even negligible. My attraction is a consequence of 10 years of increasingly wonderful experience with tubeless on MTBs, coupled with a desire to tour with low pressures on atrocious unpaved roads and not worry about flats. Yet as others have pointed out, they have run Mondials below 50 PSI with tubes and never had even a hint of a pinch flat, so what would I really gain? Fair observation.


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## ChristianCoté (Jul 13, 2014)

Fair enough, I'm rather inept with tubeless conversions so that is my bias entering into the equation, certainly. Since that post I've spent some time looking at some German boards to see what kind of experiences they've had with the Almotions, and the reaction seems to be mooooostly positive, with the caveat that very very few, if any of them, seem to be using the Tubeless version or running ghetto tubeless. They're sticking to tubes and primarily looking at Almotions based on the Dynamic Casing.

What I've gleaned:

- It's not an off-road tire, at least no more than most of Schwalbe's touring tires. It won't be destroyed by gravel or fire roads but the grip and ride suffer as one would expect. It's built for pavement. Mondials reign supreme if your touring takes you on such conditions.

- Respondents generally liken its overall speed to Marathon Supremes and Big Apples, which puts it in a 'pretty good' category, ahead of most of Schwalbe's puncture resistant line but behind such tires as Kojaks, Marathon Racers, Panaracer Paselas, Vittoria Randonneur Hypers, or Compass Barlow Passes.

- It sounds like it wears better than expected, at least as well as Marathon Supremes do. The longest service life I've seen reported was roughly 10k km of 99% paved road use, so that's fairly good. It's a long road from there to the Marathon Deluxe, however, and the Deluxe has nothing on the Mondial or the fabled XR and Dureme.

- Almotions look really damn nice.

- The tubeless version of the Almotion is very expensive. This may not be super important to people who are comparing it to other, slightly less expensive Marathon tires as we are, but it must be said. Mondials are the closest to it overall. In terms of value per dollar the tubeless version is probably one of the worst Marathon tires, with the exception being Supremes if you're unlucky enough to strike their thin sidewalls in the right way.

I think that, overall, it'd be wiser to compare Almotions to Supremes than to Mondials. They're comparable in terms of speed and close in terms of wear, sidewall tears on the Supremes notwithstanding. Almotions are slightly sturdier and roll slightly better. Neither of them is intended for offroad use, they share equal puncture resistance and grip in the wet. I think it's pretty obvious that I'm a stalwart for Mondials, so it should come as no surprise that they're what I'd suggest. I know that I'm not very good with tubeless and that factors into my next point as well, but I also think that for heavy touring tubes have another benefit in that repeatedly swapping tires is just so simple with them, and if you're doing loaded touring then something that most will suggest is rotating your front and rear tires to match wear. That's something that I, personally, would not enjoy while running tubeless tires.

Overall, Almotions sound like good tires. Most of Schwalbe's tires will be, regardless of their habit of retiring their very best. Sorry if that didn't help much with the tubeless questions, I seriously can't find anyone running them that way.


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## InertiaMan (Apr 16, 2004)

No one has feedback on the tubeless version because no one can get them!

Schwalbe announced them 10 months ago with "spring" availability, but still none available today. However, they must be getting closer, since they did let a pair out into the wild for review in a German bike mag, who gave them pretty high praise. Its pretty legible w/ Google/Chrome translation:

Ausprobiert: Schwalbe Marathon Almotion ? Trekkingreifen tubeless - Radtouren Magazin

FWIW


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## ChristianCoté (Jul 13, 2014)

Jesus, for real? I guess that explains how something I'd expect to be for a niche market would be sold out.

It sounds from that review like the tubeless version has a serious leg up over its standard cousin in a few metrics. If that's really the case then I can definitely see it being a really strong competitor for paved road use. I guess we'll have to wait and see how things shake out when it finally enters the mass market.

One thing I must say that I really love about Schwalbe is its drive in recent years towards adapting motorcycle technology to its bicycle tires. The Super Gravity casing and now Dynamic Casing, both seem to achieve their aims admirably.


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## InertiaMan (Apr 16, 2004)

ChristianCoté said:


> Jesus, for real? I guess that explains how something I'd expect to be for a niche market would be sold out.


For clarity, its not sold out. Its unavailable. They have yet to release any into the distribution channels. To the best of my knowledge, that German magazine is the sole example of anyone actually touching (or riding) a tubeless version.

I've been watching the German retail websites (starbike, bike-discount.de, bike-components.de) because they are always first to get new Schwalble product. So far, nothing.

BTW, those German sites are WAY cheaper for any Schwalbe or Continental tires than the US alternatives. That's where I get all my rubber.


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## ChristianCoté (Jul 13, 2014)

InertiaMan said:


> For clarity, its not sold out. Its unavailable. They have yet to release any into the distribution channels. To the best of my knowledge, that German magazine is the sole example of anyone actually touching (or riding) a tubeless version.
> 
> I've been watching the German retail websites (starbike, bike-discount.de, bike-components.de) because they are always first to get new Schwalble product. So far, nothing.
> 
> BTW, those German sites are WAY cheaper for any Schwalbe or Continental tires than the US alternatives. That's where I get all my rubber.


What has your experience with bike-discount.de been like, out of curiosity? I want to order something from them but fears of another Bike24 experience keep me from pulling the trigger.


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## anzi (Aug 23, 2013)

I have ordered few Schwalbe tires and some other stuff from bike-discount.de and bike-components.de. They both have shipped fast and i have allways received everything I ordered. Many people in Finland seem to be using these German shops, and they seem to be very reliable.


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## ChristianCoté (Jul 13, 2014)

Thanks for the input.


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## crank1979 (Feb 3, 2006)

I run Schwalbe Durano Plus and Marathon Plus tyres on my commuters and I have to run them tubeless because they still puncture when using tubes. Setting them up ghetto tubeless has meant I haven't had to stop to fix a flat on the way to work so far. I have had to remove steel wire from the tyre and reinflate a little at the end of a ride but that is better than a roadside repair.


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## Asmodeus2112 (Jan 4, 2008)

crank1979 said:


> I run Schwalbe Durano Plus and Marathon Plus tyres on my commuters and I have to run them tubeless because they still puncture when using tubes. Setting them up ghetto tubeless has meant I haven't had to stop to fix a flat on the way to work so far. I have had to remove steel wire from the tyre and reinflate a little at the end of a ride but that is better than a roadside repair.


What PSI do you run these at? What rims? I have a circulatory condition that makes me prone to frost bite and numbness etc. because my arteries constrict in my fingers when cold. I commute in the cold and wet, and loathe flats at these times.


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## crank1979 (Feb 3, 2006)

Asmodeus2112 said:


> What PSI do you run these at? What rims? I have a circulatory condition that makes me prone to frost bite and numbness etc. because my arteries constrict in my fingers when cold. I commute in the cold and wet, and loathe flats at these times.


I'm running 80psi on the cheap Alex rims that came stock on the Merida Cyclocross 4 Disc.


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## InertiaMan (Apr 16, 2004)

The wait for the tubeless version is becoming ridiculous. Announced in December of 2013 for spring 2014 availability. And it is now a full year later, spring 2015, and Schwalbe dealers (US and Germany) have received absolutely no indication if if/when the tires will ship.

Looks like these might follow in the footsteps of the Continental 29x2.4 Trail King, which still hasn't shipped more than 3 years after announcement.


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## HillDancer (Dec 10, 2012)

At this point I have little to report other than one tire weighs 40grams more than the other, and the center tread section feels supple.










These are standard tires I'll be running tubeless after an initial ride with tubes. I expect they will have the same ride quality improvement as every other tire designed for tubes I've run tubeless, which is, comfort increases and rolling resistance decreases; more advantages of tubeless in addition to being able to get a puncture and keep rolling.


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## Balor (Jan 21, 2011)

HillDancer said:


> At this point I have little to report other than one tire weighs 40grams more than the other, and the center tread section feels supple.
> 
> These are standard tires I'll be running tubeless after an initial ride with tubes. I expect they will have the same ride quality improvement as every other tire designed for tubes I've run tubeless, which is, comfort increases and rolling resistance decreases; more advantages of tubeless in addition to being able to get a puncture and keep rolling.


Please make sure you share the experience of setting them up and running them tubless. I've tried and failed to run 'non-tubeless ready' supermotos tubless, for instance, even compresor, 'presetting' with a tube and sealant didn't help.

After a tube explosion and a spare tube failure on a 300k brevet, I developed a certain aversion to tubes.


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## rifraf (Dec 22, 2012)

ChristianCoté said:


> What has your experience with bike-discount.de been like, out of curiosity? I want to order something from them but fears of another Bike24 experience keep me from pulling the trigger.


G'day ChristianCote,
may I ask what your issue with Bike24 was?
I've found them to be great but I'm always interested in hearing about exceptions to the rule.

I tend to use Bike24 as my go-to, such is my esteem.
They and Starbike make a mockery of local prices here in Australia and are usually cheaper than Wiggle and Chainreaction Cycles on most items I've required.
The German postage is a bit pedestrian compared to the Brits but on a par with USA from my experience.
That said, I still bought my last frame from Jensonusa as well my rims.
A custom set of touring wheels came from sunny California so i'm not one eyed about my love of things German.

Cheers


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## Asmodeus2112 (Jan 4, 2008)

I wonder what the deal is with the tubeless Almotions. Waiting.... waiting....


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## Tinman (Aug 18, 2013)

I had substantial interest in the Almotions when first announced and for some time after. I suppose in part because of Schwalbes pitch/description

I gave up for similar reasons noted above

I suspect a cliche in manufacturing or design but may be wrong on both accounts

Anyways, lots of tires readily available including other Schwalbes with out the drama


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## Asmodeus2112 (Jan 4, 2008)

Tinman said:


> I had substantial interest in the Almotions when first announced and for some time after. I suppose in part because of Schwalbes pitch/description
> 
> I gave up for similar reasons noted above
> 
> ...


Yep, agreed. i just mounted some Hutchinson Sector 28's to some 29" Bontrager RaceLite XXX wheels I had laying around for my commuter. First ride with this AM and initial impression is very good.


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## ChristianCoté (Jul 13, 2014)

rifraf said:


> G'day ChristianCote,
> may I ask what your issue with Bike24 was?
> I've found them to be great but I'm always interested in hearing about exceptions to the rule.
> 
> ...


Sorry, I haven't been on in a while and did not see this. If I remember correctly (this was some time ago now) I ordered a Salsa Fargo V2 fork from them that they did not actually have any stock and gave no indication at the time of ordering that they were going to be back ordering the item. It was only a few days after the order that I got an e-mail saying that there would be an indefinite delay. I e-mailed them to cancel the order as I needed it by a specific date and found it pretty tough to get good communication from them. It was eventually credited back to my card and the matter closed, but the whole transaction had a very disorganised quality that was really worrisome at the time.

Basically, I got a really shady vibe, and I haven't gotten that from any of the other online retailers I've used, including bike-discount.de, which I've now ordered from a few times with great satisfaction. It may have just been a one-off experience but it was enough to turn me away to the many other options.


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## Asmodeus2112 (Jan 4, 2008)

*So far so good!*

Quite fast, really nice ride, tons of traction. Time will tell on durability and if the tubeless plus sealant can handle the road debris.


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## HillDancer (Dec 10, 2012)

Almotion 26X2.15 (59mm mounted) on Derby rim, tubeless.


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## Volsung (Nov 24, 2011)

I just ordered some 38s, non tubeless of course. My Compass Barlow Passes are at around 2k miles. No flats and I like them a lot, but my commute went from 4 miles to work to 18 miles to school.

I don't really trust aging tires on bad suburban roads, so I'll save the Compasses for special occasions


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## HillDancer (Dec 10, 2012)

Perhaps the reason for the tubeless specific version delay is due to a change in construction tech. Schwalbe Sees Tubeless as Future of Bike Tires, Introduces new Pro One, G-One Gravel Tire, More

Sounds like Micro Skin will provide some weight savings over former tubeless casing construction.


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## yunkk (Jul 23, 2015)

I've been running the 26 x 2.15 since February, around 3,000 miles of courier duty and mixed city use. Two punctures, both times big fat self tapping screws. Overall impression on pavement is very good, they roll great, grip and ride well, and will protect against most (read: almost all) punctures.


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## HillDancer (Dec 10, 2012)

Almotion new/unused on left, 2700 miles of use for tire on right. Worn tread depth is only .1mm less than new.


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## lighty (Mar 26, 2016)

This is THE best utility tire ever made. Rolls VERY fast. You will notice it is easier to pedal compared to regular marathons. Fat enough to lrotect your rims. Not too too heavy. Wish they had slightly narrower version to fit cyclocross bikes.


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## lighty (Mar 26, 2016)

Is that rear or front?


HillDancer said:


> Almotion new/unused on left, 2700 miles of use for tire on right. Worn tread depth is only .1mm less than new.


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## lighty (Mar 26, 2016)

Will not protect against goat heads. Still need orange seal.


yunkk said:


> I've been running the 26 x 2.15 since February, around 3,000 miles of courier duty and mixed city use. Two punctures, both times big fat self tapping screws. Overall impression on pavement is very good, they roll great, grip and ride well, and will protect against most (read: almost all) punctures.


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## HillDancer (Dec 10, 2012)

lighty said:


> Is that rear or front?


Front

Eventually, there will be a 700X38. Marathon Almotion HS 453 | Schwalbe North America

Interesting that only the 50-622 is available in the new MicroSkin. I'm very much looking forward to the new casing in my size.

I had a new (Dynamic Casing version) 26X2.15 mounted tubeless blow-off the rear @30psi, while riding. I cut a section out of the tire and discovered a bead defect.


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## lighty (Mar 26, 2016)

I never had a problem with schwalbe. Huh. Also, don't test the front tire. Front tires last forever. Specially if you don't use the front brake much.

How are you braking without a rotor? There's no rotor mounts.


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## Scott Novak (Mar 2, 2013)

I've been riding on the Almotion 55 x 559 (26 x 2.15) tires mounted on 25 mm wide (Inside width) Weinmann Goliath rims on a CroMoly Surly Troll since August of 2014, except in winter when I use studded tires. I run about 43 PSI front and 50 PSI rear on the street with Scwalbe AV13 inner tubes. The tires measure about 2.25" wide on the 25 mm rims

I weigh about 180 lbs. I often carry heavy loads with 4 full panniers. I haven't had any flats and the tires roll very nicely. The mild tread is all that I need on pavement. I ride off road on occasion. But as you might expect the traction is a bit iffy on grass and loose surfaces.

What is really telling is when I'm following someone on a very slight incline. They will still be pedaling while I coast and continue to accelerate. I have to tap on my brakes every so often to keep from hitting them. This has happened many times now. It is in part due to the Redline CV-2 synthetic grease and the grade 25 ball bearings in my hubs. But I think it's mostly because of the lower rolling resistance of the Schwalbe Almotion tires.

I would recommend them to a friend and I would buy another pair when these wear out.

Scott Novak


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## HillDancer (Dec 10, 2012)

Schwalbe Marathon Almotion Rolling Resistance Review


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## wired2thebrink (Jan 2, 2017)

*nice*



HillDancer said:


> Almotion 26X2.15 (59mm mounted) on Derby rim, tubeless.


 are they tubless and how have they been rolling and puncture proof ?


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## HillDancer (Dec 10, 2012)

They are not designed as tubeless ready; my tires have the former Dynamic Casing construction. MicroSkin is not available in 26inch size yet. https://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/road_tires/Marathon_Almotion

No punctures to report.

The main advantage for me is the ability to use low pressure (R24psi, F18-19psi) without much slip-angle increase at high cornering speeds. Subjectively, they also roll very well in a straight line.


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## wired2thebrink (Jan 2, 2017)

looking to replace my 2 year old marathon plus with something faster as they have reached their life span. Schwalbe are only selling the tubeless veriosn now at stores due in january , only a few places selling the style you have figured i get some while they are on sell. fill the tubes with some latex in cases i gte any punctures, i ownt notice the weight as the marathons are very heavy


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## asmac (Apr 14, 2012)

*Almotion tubeless*

I just mounted my first tubeless tire, a 700/38 Almotion on a Dyad rim. Easy-peasy though I had to visit my neighbourhood tire shop to get it blown onto the rim. Anyhow, it's mounted and inflated and so far so good.

I was seduced by the review on Bicycle Rolling Resistance | Rolling Resistance Tests which trashed Kojaks for terrible rolling resistance and rated Almotions at the top of the pack. I previously had Kojaks which, as the review points out, look fast even if they are among the worst. That was disappointing.

BTW, my understanding is that tubed Almotions have been discontinued. I got my tubless versions at Chainreaction.


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## Rob_E (Nov 22, 2010)

Been running 26x2.15 Big Bens on my Troll. When they wore out, I wanted something comparable but tubeless, so I got the same size Almotion. They feel a little heavier and stiffer than the Big Bens, but they roll well enough. Just finished several days of riding rail trails fully loaded. I was very happy with the tires in that context. They remind me of my Marathon Plusses that I used to run on my touring bike: a little heavy and stiff for normal riding, but those qualities disappear under the weight of a full load. I'm not sold on them, though, for my normal commute. 

It was my second tubeless wheel set, and they set up fairly easily, but to do it, I had to put a tube in to get the bead locked in, then take the tube out and reinflate. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## IvanB (Nov 20, 2019)

Could anyone tell what is the actual width of 28 x 2.0" version of Almotion ?


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## HerrKaLeu (Aug 18, 2017)

I just measured for you:
- 2" tire on 25mm rim at 35 psi: 56mm
- 2.15" tire on 30mm rim at 18 psi: 50 mm


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## IvanB (Nov 20, 2019)

HerrKaLeun said:


> I just measured for you:
> - 2" tire on 25mm rim at 35 psi: 56mm
> - 2.15" tire on 30mm rim at 18 psi: 50 mm


Thank you!


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## Johnny Chicken Bones (Jul 13, 2005)

If you haven't fallen down Alee's blog of knowledge- it might be time. 
Plenty of good info from a guy that seems to only be pedaling everywhere. All the time.

His numbers are also in favor of these tires. 
https://www.cyclingabout.com/touring-tyres-rolling-resistance-testing/


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## buffet (Oct 7, 2018)

HerrKaLeu said:


> I just measured for you:
> 
> 2" tire on 25mm rim at 35 psi: 56mm
> 2.15" tire on 30mm rim at 18 psi: 50 mm


Measured my new Almotions (2020 version, Addix compound, 29x2.0" tubeless): 46mm on 20mm internal width rims, 45psi.
I should have gotten the 2.15 version 🤪


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## asmac (Apr 14, 2012)

So, here I am after four years of city riding on my Dyad/Almotion wheels having had no flats that didn't seal themselves and get me home. Time to replace the rear tire which was down to less than 1/16 inch of tread and had developed a slow leak in the middle of the tread that dribbled sealant but would not fully seal. Chain Reaction no longer stocks them and my LBS told me they wouldn't have delivery until mid 2022 (!). I looked on Schwalbe's web store and there it was, a 700/38 Almotion for US$85 minus a 10% discount plus US$30 for international Fedex shipping. I bit the bullet, ordered it on Thursday from their warehouse in Washington state and it arrived at my door in Toronto about 30 hours later. Remarkable!

The first thing I noticed was that the knobby tread beside the center rolling strip is much enhanced and beefier. It looks like a significant improvement.

It was also easier to mount on my Velocity Dyad rims. Four years ago I struggled to get a seal with fluid leaking everywhere until it settled down. This time I wetted the bead with soapy water and it sealed immediately without a single dribble. I deinflated to add 100ml of Stan's sealant and it pumped up perfectly. I don't know if my technique was better (i.e. the soapy water step) or if the tires are better but, for whatever reason, this worked perfectly. 

As you might guess, I'm a fan of these tires and can confirm that Dyad rims work just fine for tubeless installations.


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