Schwalbe Tires

Schwalbe is a brand name of Ralf Bohle GmbH, a privately-owned German manufacturer of bicycle and wheelchair tires. Schwalbe produces a wide range of tires for different cycling applications, but is best known for its commuting, touring and utility tyres such as the Marathon range. Bicycles with small wheel sizes such as 16" (Brompton) or 20" (BMX) are also catered for, an market ignored by some larger manufacturers.

Schwalbe's Marathon Plus tire has a unique design with a thick layer of blue foam rubber between the tread and the inner tube. The thickness of this layer makes the tire impervious to punctures by any sharp object of insufficient length to penetrate the foam, such as a thumb tack. There is a significant weight penalty but this may be accepted by a cyclist looking for maximum reliability.

Schwalbe is based in Reichshof-Wehnrath near Cologne, Germany, although manufacturing is carried out in the Far East.