Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tires

Living out in the country, and using the trike as my primary commute vehicle, I was not very happy with the stock CST tires that come on the Cruiser. With a max pressure of 40 PSI, they do give me a very cushy ride, but just after a couple hundred miles of riding on the shoulders through glass and thorns, I had already had 4 flats and the rear tire was starting to look worn down.

I started looking for replacement tires that would be more flat resistant and go faster. That's when I decided to try the Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires. They have a thick rubber layer for the best puncture prevention rating and have a much lower rolling resistance than the stock CST tires. I'm sure they roll easier because of the better rubber compound and the higher air pressure they can hold (45-70psi).

They feel much slicker with a harder rubber material. The tread/tire thickness is much thicker than the stock tires. I inflated the front tires to the max of 70psi and the rear to a cushier 60psi. That gives me a little better pedaling traction. At 70psi the front tires feel like rocks. Initially these tires felt very hard and made the ride seem bumpier, I got used to it after about a week and now hardly notice. They are definitely faster. I noticed about a 2MPH increase in speed over the stock tires in the 15-20mph range. So far no flats.



UPDATE

After putting 3,000 miles on these tires I have not had a single flat. This is downright amazing. I ride through all sorts of junk in the road without even worrying now. My guess is that I'll get at least another 1,000 miles before I need to change the tires. I definitely recommend these.